Nurse education, practice, quality and retention - workforce expansion program - eastern oklahoma state college (eastern), a comprehensive community college in rural southeastern oklahoma, addresses…

The Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Professionals awarded Eastern Oklahoma State College $876,130 on September 30, 2025, under the Nurse Education, Practice Quality and Retention Grants program (CFDA 93.359).

Eastern Oklahoma State College will provide financial support to students, increase faculty recruitment and retention, and enhance nursing curriculum to include acute and long-term care training through the Rural Nursing Pathways: Providing Accessible Education for Underserved Nursing Students program. The college will deliver these services at three campuses in partnership with local healthcare facilities serving non-traditional, Native American, and minority students in rural southeastern Oklahoma.

The four-year project runs through September 29, 2029, with place of performance at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The program targets underserved populations in the Choctaw Nation Reservation and surrounding areas of persistent poverty to improve health outcomes and economic opportunities in the region.

Nurse education, practice, quality and retention - workforce expansion program - eastern oklahoma state college (eastern), a comprehensive community college in rural southeastern oklahoma, addresses critical needs through its successful nursing program. Serving non-traditional, native american, and minority students, eastern faces financial barriers for students, faculty shortages, and high program costs. Through the rural nursing pathways: providing accessible education for underserved nursing students program, eastern will provide financial support for students, increase faculty recruitment and retention, and enhance the nursing curriculum to include acute and long-term care for students at three campuses in partnership with local healthcare facilities. These initiatives will improve health outcomes and economic opportunities in the underserved choctaw nation reservation and surrounding areas of persistent poverty. Eastern requests funding priority consideration as a public entity and funding preference as IT substantially benefits rural populations.