SAU to Receive Funding for New ABSN Program Through Healthcare Initiative

On February 14 at an event held in the American 1 Event Center in Jackson, Michigan, Alro Steel and the Alvin Glick Foundation announced a joint multi-million dollar effort to support and strengthen the healthcare workforce in the Jackson community. Through the Jackson Healthcare Workforce Initiative, funds will be given to Spring Arbor University (SAU), Jackson College, and Henry Ford Allegiance Health to build programs that provide local residents with the opportunity to pursue or advance their career in nursing while staying in Jackson County.

“We are grateful for this opportunity from the Glick family and Alvin Glick Foundation to significantly impact the nursing workforce in Jackson County,” said Dr. Alvin Kauffman, Dean of SAU’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences. “An increase in the number of nurses employed in Jackson will dramatically influence the overall health of all the residents of the communities in which we live and serve.”

With the $1.5M earmarked specifically for Spring Arbor University, SAU plans to introduce an Accelerated Second Degree Bachelor’s of Science Nursing (ABSN) program. This new program would allow students who already have a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree to obtain their BSN in 12 to 14 months as opposed to the 2.5 years that traditional BSN programs typically take to complete. 

“Our hope is that this new ABSN program might act as a catalyst for growth of nurses within the Jackson community,” said Spring Arbor University’s president, Dr. Brent Ellis. “This program will help us graduate more Christ-minded nurses serving as the hands and feet of Jesus in our local communities. We’re grateful to Alro Steel and the Alvin Glick Foundation for this incredible opportunity they’re bringing to Jackson County.”

The current closest ABSN program is over an hour away from Jackson at Madonna University in Livonia, MI, creating a struggle for aspiring nurses or current RNs in Jackson who aren’t able to move or commute. With the start of this new ABSN program, SAU could provide local education and training, graduating high-quality nurses quickly and efficiently to begin working within the Jackson County healthcare system.