SSM Health nurses now have a dedicated learning space at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital - Madison. Following a grand opening celebration, which included a ribbon cutting and open house, the Mary Jean Whalen Iacovoni Nursing Education Center officially opened last week.
The Nursing Education Center is named in honor and memory of Mary Jean Whalen Iacovoni, a 1953 graduate of the St. Mary’s School of Nursing, thanks to a generous gift from her daughter, Kelly Kraus, to SSM Health St. Mary’s Foundation - Madison. Kelly’s leadership gift inspired a community of support from St. Mary’s Hospital volunteers, St. Mary’s nursing alumni, employees and benefactors who wanted to show their tremendous support of St. Mary’s nurses and thank them for their continued commitment to patients and families throughout the pandemic.
“Many hearts, hands and minds went into the design and building of this space, all with the goal of creating a dedicated space for our nursing staff that will serve as a place for study, professional development, innovation for nursing practice, and for fostering personal and professional connections,” said Mary LaHam, VP of Patient Care Services/CNO of St. Mary’s Hospital. “We’re so excited and grateful to have such a beautiful space.”
The center will meet the educational needs of our nursing colleagues, including post-acute nurses and other health care professionals. This space is where new nurses will be welcomed to SSM Health and learn to enhance their clinical skills. Technology in the center will allow for sharing educational programming not only across the Wisconsin region, but across the entire SSM Health system. This space also offers a permanent home for RQI equipment and offers 24/7 access for team members needing to complete hands-on practice on the manikins. Clinical educators will also be able to set up a clinical space that mimics a patient room, allowing them to do simulation scenarios so nurses can have hands-on experience before working with patients.
Made possible through community support
More than $100,000 in gifts given to the Nursing Education and Advancement Fund – including $20,000 from the St. Mary’s Madison Volunteers – went toward supporting the center.
“Today we celebrate nursing. We celebrate the long-standing tradition of exceptional nurses at St. Mary’s,” said Dina Boyle, Executive Director of St. Mary’s Foundation-Madison. “We celebrate the compassionate care our nurses provide during both periods of calm and times of great crisis. And, we celebrate those who gave back generously in gratitude to lift up our spirits and ensure our nurses of today, and nurses of tomorrow, have the best education and innovation to advance their nursing practice and better serve our community.”
A living legacy
Ongoing support for the Nursing Education Center will be provided in-part by St. Mary’s School of Nursing Alumni Endowment fund. Graduates from St. Mary’s School of Nursing were instrumental in establishing the excellent reputation of nursing care that remains today at St. Mary’s Hospital.
“St. Mary’s was very special to Mary Jean. The generous gift by her daughter Kelly to honor her, inspired a wave of support from the organizations dear to Mary Jean and others in the community,” Dina said. “It all came together through a shared love for St. Mary’s and the desire to care for our caregivers at a difficult time. This is a beautiful example of the power of philanthropy. St. Mary’s Foundation is grateful for the generous support we receive.”
In naming the center after Mary Jean, her love of St. Mary’s – and the hospital’s deep gratitude for the care she provided to countless patients and families first as a nurse, then later as a volunteer – leaves a living legacy with new generations of nurses throughout St. Mary’s Hospital-Madison and the entire SSM Health system.
