Project Grant G3850053

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded a $402,028 Project Grant to the MHA Health Research & Educational Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization, to implement the MS EARN pilot program. This program provided paid, three-semester nursing student externships at the South Sunflower County Hospital, a rural Mississippi hospital, over the 2024-25 academic year. The grant aimed to increase nurse staffing, equip staff to work effectively with diverse patient populations, and improve patient discharge and bed turnover at the hospital, which serves a high-need community. This grant was funded under HRSA's Rural Health Care Services Outreach, Rural Health Network Development and Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement program (CFDA 93.912). The project builds upon the existing MS Summer Student Externship program to enhance nursing student clinical experience and promote equitable patient advocacy.