Kass Endowed Scholarship: Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Program

The Presbyterian Foundation for Philadelphia, and its subsidiary, NewCourtland Elder Services, a network of Philadelphia nursing homes, housing and programs for frail elders throughout Philadelphia recently announced that the Foundation has awarded a $1 million endowed scholarship to the Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (GNP) master’s program at Penn’s School of Nursing. The Kass Scholarship matches the largest gerontogical nursing student funding given to Penn. The Kass scholarship, named for the Foundation’s and NewCourtland’s president and CEO, Gail Kass, will provide full tuition to eligible NewCourtland network employees, their children or grandchildren who are accepted to the program.

Preference for awarding the scholarship will be given to NewCourtland network employees, their children or grandchildren; but in their absence from the qualified pool, the scholarship will be awarded to new or current University of Pennsylvania students pursuing a degree in gerontological nursing. Upon completion of the program at Penn, the Kass scholarship recipient will fulfill a one-year work commitment in the NewCourtland network.

Established in 1983, the Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program at Penn is currently ranked #1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The program’s 16-month, full-time curriculum allows students to receive extensive clinical exposure while pursuing their coursework. The GNP program excels at training advanced-practice nurses for careers in aging, and it places 90 percent of its graduates in primary-care settings that include long-term care and home care.

“As the nation faces a nursing shortage, the School of Nursing is grateful for The Presbyterian Foundation’s gift and for their investment in the best and brightest students in nursing,” said Dr. Afaf I. Meleis, the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing. “This wonderful partnership will support Master’s prepared nurses and advance the quality of care for frail elders in nursing homes, some of the most vulnerable patients in the healthcare system.”

“NewCourtland places an emphasis on affording the network staff the opportunity to expand their skills and knowledge throughout their career in the NewCourtland network. This benefits the staff personally and professionally, and also results in better care for the residents,” said Ms. Kass. “We are so proud to be able to offer this scholarship in gerontological nursing at one of the best schools in the country.”

About NewCourtland Elder Services

NewCourtland Elder Services is a subsidiary of The Presbyterian Foundation for Philadelphia, and serves the Philadelphia community by providing long-term care and innovative programs to over 1,600 frail elders, affordable housing resources to Philadelphia’s elderly population and educational and growth opportunities to its more than 2,200 nursing home employees. NewCourtland offers a unique approach to the issues of long-term care through its partnership of caring with the staff in its homes.  Each day staff in the homes—Care Pavilion, Cheltenham York Road, Cliveden, Germantown Home, Kearsley*, Maplewood Manor and Tucker House—work to improve the quality of care provided to the elders they serve.

* Managed by Courtland Management Services.