Sorensen Announces Funding to Support Nurses in Illinois
PEORIA, IL – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) is announcing $699,998 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to Peoria-based OSF HealthCare System to expand nurse training across the state of Illinois.
“Healthcare professionals sacrifice so much while playing a vital role in our Central and Northwestern Illinois communities,” said Sorensen. “I’m honored to announce federal grant funding to support our hardworking nurses and improve the quality of care provided to families across our region.”
"OSF HealthCare is grateful to have earned the funding from the HRSA NPRFP grant to continue to prepare nurse practitioners to care for the complex patients they will encounter in our rural and medically underserved communities. With the additional funding, the OSF Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Fellowship Program will be able to increase the training in areas such as mental and maternal health, expanding the clinical skills and preparation of these providers,” said Lisa Pierce, Vice President of Advanced Practice with OSF HealthCare.
This grant was awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services to OSF HealthCare System to support their Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship Program, a postgraduate training program that allows new nurses to receive hands-on training and mentorship over a 12-month term.
The program started in 2016 and was awarded Accreditation with Distinction as a Practice Transition Program by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation in Practice Transition Programs in 2018 and 2021.
Congressman Eric Sorensen is the first openly LGBTQ person elected to represent Illinois at the federal level and is a member of the New Democrat Coalition. He serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.
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