A $2 million gift from an anonymous donor to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences is a milestone for the college and provides support for two key initiatives. The gift, which was announced May 8 and is the largest individual contribution in the history of the college, will be equally divided to support an endowed professorship in radiation therapy and an endowed chair in end-of-life/palliative care.
This gift is a powerful endorsement of the work of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and its leadership under Dean Betty Rambur, said President Daniel Mark Fogel. At such a critical time in health care, we will look to the college to play a vital role in achieving the universitys mission in this important area.
The $1 million directed toward end-of-life/palliative care is the first step toward an overall goal of $3 million to support an endowed chair in this area. Its an important issue for health care professionals and society while about 70 percent of Americans say they want to die at home, about 75 percent die in medical institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes.
Our goal is to better understand how to serve patients and families at the end of life, and prepare all our students, regardless of professional discipline, to be a healing force in this process, Rambur said when the gift was announced. Detailing some of the areas where palliative care could be improved, Rambur noted that pain management is dramatically under-treated. So often were focused on cure and not care. We need to be looking at how we can really enhance the end stage with a focus on what the patient and what the family want.
Rambur believes this gift will be an essential step to build an emphasis on both research and curriculum in this area. We need to build a critical mass of caregivers who are sensitive to these issues, Rambur said. My goal is that every one of our 500 students will have the knowledge and emotional preparation to be advocates for patients and help foster positive end-of-life experiences.
The other half of the gift will address a need for radiation therapists in Vermont and throughout the nation. The $1 million in support of the Radiation Therapy Program will help us prepare professionals who provide treatment for those afflicted with cancer, and also advance our research agenda in the area of cancer treatment, said Burton Wilcke, associate professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Technologies.
Wilcke said that the role of radiation therapists has evolved from what was once seen as a purely technical function. Cancer treatment has increasingly become a team approach with patients, families, doctors, nursing specialists, and many other healthcare professionals deeply involved. Wilcke said that the endowed professorship will enable the college to bring in a new faculty member well-versed in the range of skills highly technical to interpersonal that are essential to training excellent future radiation therapists.
Summing the potential in the record private support, Rambur said, Outstanding research and teaching in these areas are essential to quality health care. The generous gift will enhance our existing strengths and enable a profound and lasting impact on society.
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