Beaufort County Announces Grant to South Carolina Nurse Retention Program Initiative

By Ellen Linnemann CONTRIBUTOR

Beaufort, SC – Beaufort County has announced a grant to the South Carolina Nurse Retention Initiative (SCNRI) and will be working with SCNRI to align retention efforts for health care workers in the PATH program and for nurses wishing to practice in Beaufort County. The PATH (People Achieving Their Highest) Program, the innovative career growth program launched last year by a group of partners including Beaufort Memorial Hospital, Beaufort County, the City of Beaufort, University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB), and the Beaufort County School District, is designed to help develop and grow the health care workforce in Beaufort County.

SCNRI has received a grant from Beaufort County and will be working closely with PATH program leadership on retention initiatives. This partnership complements PATH’s efforts to create a bigger and stronger health care system, and helps the program get a return on their initial investments in the BMH workforce through retaining health care workers that are part of the program.

“We are pleased that our Nurse Retention Initiative has been recognized as an integral part of workforce development in support of the PATH program,” said Bob Elliott, Co-Founder of the South Carolina Nurse Retention Initiative. “The SCNRI has demonstrated that retention of health care workers can make a difference to health care providers and to the quality of health care for all citizens. I commend the Beaufort County Council for their commitment to workforce development and am extremely proud to be part of this Initiative.”

The PATH program was designed as a part of a greater initiative to help establish and grow a comprehensive pipeline of health care workers. This involves recruiting and training more high school students and college students, along with existing employees at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, in order to help them advance along the

PATH to a better career and quality of life. Students and workers on the PATH learn new skills, earn advanced certifications, and grow their careers at Beaufort Memorial. BMH, Beaufort County, City of Beaufort, and USCB are also working to bolster the ranks of nursing program graduates with a new training facility and clinical instructors.

The South Carolina Nurse Retention Initiative (SCNRI) was launched in 2021 to combat the nurse shortage facing Beaufort County. The program offers a financial incentive to nurses who remain employed in Beaufort County Primary Health Care and the opportunity to grow their careers and prosper while remaining in Beaufort County.

“Beaufort County is excited to support SCNRI as another step on the PATH to a great Healthcare career,” said Hank Amundson, Special Assistant to the County Administrator. Amundson added, “SCNRI will help the newly graduated nurses remain local and put down roots. This financial support, while they get settled into their new career, will allow them to live where they work and play. This retention initiative will pay dividends for us all, as a community, by supporting a more robust, sustainable healthcare system.”

For more information about the South Carolina Nurse Retention Initiative, visit www.scnurseretention.org.

Ellen Linnemann is the Vice President of Public Relations, SmartMarketing Communications