December 11, 2003 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation plans to give $110-million over 10 years to improve the quality of nursing care for patients in five counties of the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative hopes to lower patient mortality rates and improve patient care by increasing the number of registered nurses and improving the clinical and medical-technology skills of current nurses.
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is one of the biggest grant makers in the United States. It was created in 2000 by Gordon Moore, co-founder of the Intel Corporation, and his wife. The foundation, which reported assets of $93-million in 2002, supports the environment, higher education, scientific research, and projects in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The nursing program was spurred in part by negative experiences that Mrs. Moore had recently while under the care of nurses, said Sung Ji Nam, a program officer at the foundation. In addition, the Moores were concerned about the nursing shortage that is affecting California, as well as the rest of the country, she said.
“Quality of care for hospital patients is threatened as the shortage of nurses progressively worsens,” said Betty Moore in a statement. “If left unaddressed, these issues will become a severe public-health problem.”
The foundation is not accepting unsolicited applications for the nursing program. For more information, e-mail the foundation at info@moore.org.
