Like most of America, Patricia Bleznak Silverstein, C’81, has not been getting out much since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But when she does, she wears a special piece of apparel in addition to her mask. “In the few times when I leave the house for walks or essential errands, I wear my Penn Nursing baseball cap,” Silverstein says. “I am proud to be associated with a place that is instrumental in healing those with COVID and educating those who will make our world a better place.”
Supporting and advocating for nurses and health care professionals isn’t a matter of fashion for Silverstein; it’s a passion stemming from a tragic period in her youth. “When I was 12 years old, my sister developed bone cancer and stayed at Children’s Hospital for long periods of time,” Silverstein says. “From her diagnosis until she passed away, nurses were the bedrock we relied upon to take care of our family. They explained what was happening in a way that made me feel less scared. Since then, I have held the utmost respect for the vital role nurses play for patients and families.”
Being in the epicenter of the outbreak in New York City, Patricia and her husband, Howard, W’69, were acutely aware of the vital importance of nurses in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our family felt the need to do whatever we could to support the nursing community,” she says. “We could think of no better place or need than Penn Nursing and, in particular, the COVID-19 Emergency Scholarship Fund.”
The COVID-19 Emergency Scholarship Fund was established to support students who have faced extenuating circumstances or difficulties related to the global health crisis. While the immediate impact of the disease has increased financial hardships for many families, the evergreen need for student aid has become even more pronounced during the pandemic. “Hospitals are being pushed beyond their capacities, and many current nurses are reporting experiencing burnout and post-traumatic stress due to the pandemic,” Silverstein says. “Expanding opportunities to young people who want to enter the profession is especially important right now to bolster the profession and expand access to quality health care.”
No one entering the critical career of nursing should be deprived of that opportunity by the current crisis.” Patricia Bleznak Silverstein, C’81
The Silversteins are one of Penn’s most engaged alumni couples, spreading their generosity across several areas of the University. Currently Co-Chair of Penn Nursing’s Innovating for Life and Living Campaign, Patricia Silverstein has been a member of the School’s Board of Advisors for more than a decade and is former Chair for the Institute of Contemporary Art Board of Advisors. Howard Silverstein’s volunteer service stems back to 1995, including more than a decade on the Wharton Undergraduate Executive Board, a nine-year tenure on the Board of Advisors for the Weitzman School of Design, and a current role as a member of the Board of Advisors for Penn Athletics. At Penn Nursing, the Silversteins have also established a professorship and provided support for acquiring learning technology tools.
Increasing the availability of student aid has long been a priority at Penn and is a major focus of the Innovating for Life and Living Campaign. Donors can support student aid through the School’s annual fund, the COVID-19 Emergency Scholarship Fund, or by contacting the Penn Nursing Office of Institutional Advancement to discuss opportunities to establish an endowed scholarship in perpetuity.
