The grant comes from the Health Resources and Services Administration, which is a division of the Department of Health and Human Services. It’s designed to increase the number of registered nurses in rural communities. Under the program, USI will team up with Memorial Hospital in Jasper, the Dubois County Health Department, Gibson General Hospital, The Gibson County Health Department, and the Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center.

The school will create academic partnerships with the hospitals and other agencies, which will allow clinical opportunities for students. The grant will also allow current registered nurses already working in the area to receive advanced training.

The program will run for four years in Dubois County and three years in Gibson County.