Hospital Fundraisers Need a New Pitch: Help the Nurses

Many of America’s great nonprofit hospitals were built or enriched over the second half of the 20th century, thanks to the 1946 Hill-Burton Act, which provided federal grants and guaranteed loans to help improve the physical plants of the nation’s hospitals.

While the federal money has reinvigorated many hospitals, so, too, have the private donations that nonprofit institutions have attracted from generous supporters.

The resulting efforts have enabled hospitals to build new wings, fill the gaps in inadequate government reimbursement, keep up with the latest technology, and continue to serve their communities consistent with their mission.

Now, however, it is time for hospital fundraisers to think anew by focusing their efforts on a pressing need that has not received the headlines and public attention it deserves.

America is facing a severe shortage in primary-care physicians. Even before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, experts predicted that as many as 45,000 additional primary-care physicians would be needed by 2020 to keep up with demand.

Add to that the 35 million uninsured citizens who will enter the health-care system in January as the new health-care law takes effect, and it becomes clear that our nation faces a potential crisis.

The real issue facing hospitals isn’t so much the shortage of physicians as much as how to ensure that adequate health-care resources are available. One of the best ways this can be achieved is to cultivate the enormous value of a strong and well-educated nursing staff. Maintaining such a staff can enhance patient outcomes, improve quality, and reduce costs. But today’s hospital is a technologically advanced and rapidly changing place, and not all nurses are fully prepared for this environment. That’s where fundraising comes in.

It is time for hospital development offices to recalibrate their thinking away from bricks and mortar and instead help donors understand the need for enhanced nursing programs. While it may not be as traditional a message as is raising money for a new trauma center or purchasing a sexy piece of surgical equipment—both of which are worthwhile efforts that should not be cast aside—fundraisers must show donors that an outstanding, well-trained nursing force is central to serving patients and communities now and in the future.

Here are five things development offices need to tell their donors:

• The United States has approximately 778,000 practicing physicians, with just under half in primary care. But the numbers are moving in the wrong direction, and the trend is untenable unless something is done. It is time to look to nurses to do more and bring additional skills to the patient-care environment. But this additional responsibility can’t be handed over without the proper training, and that takes dollars.
• More and more advances in medicine and “right” care are being forged by nurses. Nursing research taking place in hospitals and universities around the world influence every aspect of care, such as infection control and epidemiology, HIV/AIDS prevention, pain management, and end-of-life care issues. With support from donors, nonprofit hospitals can take the lead—either on their own or in partnership with nursing schools and universities—to make sure that this continues.
• Strong nursing programs give hospitals a competitive advantage in attracting top-quality physicians, staff, and fellow nurses who want to be part of a winning team with a commitment to nursing excellence. Hospitals with premier nursing programs help institutions differentiate themselves to patients, health plans, large employers, and other payers who provide the volume and income hospitals need.
• Just as many physicians choose a specialty to provide more focused care to patients, so, too, do nurses. Donors can help support nurse training programs in specialty areas.

At the organization where I work, Huntington Memorial Hospital, in Pasadena, Calif., contributions from private donors allowed us to create an Institute for Nursing, complete with expanded nurse-education offerings so nurses can get a wide range of degrees with specialty certification in their fields. We also started a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in collaboration with Western Governor’s University.

• In coming years, nurses will play a critically important role as financial incentives in the health-care law encourage hospitals to develop new models of care that focus on the well-being of their communities both inside and outside hospital walls. Hospitals will need to work hard to attract and retain the best nurses who understand this new dynamic and can meet these needs.

Now more than ever, private donations provide the stabilizing force and financial flexibility local hospitals need to serve their communities in ways that make a powerful difference. Directing a portion of our energy to helping donors understand the importance of recruiting and training an outstanding nursing force can serve hospitals and communities in countless ways. It is time hospital fundraisers make this a key part of their appeals.