Somewhere in America, a cough is being downplayed because the closest medical office is over two hours away, or packed with patients being served by overburdened caregivers. That cough could be a sign of a preventable disease, but will be ignored until it becomes a major health issue. Too often, this is the unfortunate reality for people who face obstacles to care because of a lack of providers and health facilities.
Investing In Health Care Access and Excellence
The Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program tackles inequitable access to health care in underserved communities.
Spring/Summer 2022
Elsewhere, a nurse is finishing a long road of education and training, determined to alleviate health care challenges in underserved communities. However, those dreams may be diverted by student loan debt that demands they follow a different career path.
A transformative $125 million commitment from Emeritus Trustee Leonard A. Lauder, W’54, aims to tackle both health inequity and student debt, charting a new course for nursing education and community health access in the United States. The gift, which is the largest ever made to a U.S. nursing school, establishes the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program at Penn Nursing. This first-of-its-kind program will provide free graduate education for nurses committed to delivering care in underserved rural and urban communities.
See how the Lauder Program will fill a vital health care need in this 1-minute video.
“Now more than ever, the country needs greater and more equitable access to quality primary care—and highly skilled nurse practitioners are the key to making that happen,” said Lauder, Chairman Emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies. “The program will ensure that more Americans receive the essential health care services that everyone deserves.”
Diagnosing an Urgent Need
Lauder’s visionary philanthropy is timely as the world grapples with the immediate and ongoing consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to increasing stress and burnout among care providers, the pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in the health care system, including disparities in health outcomes and access to services.
Demographic data across the states show that COVID-19 mortality rates are more than twice as high in Black, Latinx, and Indigenous populations as in white populations. These health risks also affect groups considered at lower risk for serious disease progression, such as 18-to-49-year-olds. The data also reveal that in historically underserved communities, heightened mortality can be attributed to underlying conditions that have gone untreated or unknown because of an inability to access quality, affordable health care.1 Nurse practitioners can deliver high-quality primary care to people of all ages, such as treating common illnesses, managing chronic conditions, and providing preventive care that helps patients stay healthy.
Beyond the pandemic, Americans living closer to the poverty line are at greater risk of mortality from the leading causes of death in America, especially those living in rural communities. While low-income rural and urban communities face similar risk factors for health disparities, geographic isolation poses a unique challenge for rural residents, exacerbating the lack of access to health services. Studies show that rural populations have experienced lower life expectancy, and the disparity in mortality rates between rural and large metropolitan areas tripled from 1999 to 2019.“Like many Americans, I’ve asked myself, ‘Do communities across the country have access to good health care in their neighborhoods?’ Many do, but many do not,” said Lauder. “I saw the fault lines deepen in our health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I wanted to take action now.”
With their advanced clinical training and graduate education, nurse practitioners have the knowledge and skill to supervise and manage critical aspects of care in a decision-making capacity, from diagnosing patients, to ordering and interpreting tests, to prescribing medication. The Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program will be vital in stemming potential provider shortages and expanding access to care.
The Anatomy of Impact
Just like a troublesome cough, the problems plaguing underserved communities will only worsen without action. With a nursing program and health system consistently ranked among the best in the country, Penn is uniquely suited to help strengthen community health in the United States. Thanks to the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program, that capability can be reinforced.
“This gift is a sign of my appreciation and support, and an acknowledgement of a fundamental reality: Nurse practitioners are key to solving this country’s acute shortage of quality health care,” said Lauder.
The program is designed to both expand access to care for underserved communities and eliminate financial barriers to quality nursing education for those who aspire to address gaps in health equity. In addition to facilitating lasting and impactful partnerships with community-based health agencies, the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program will establish a robust alumni network to expand the program’s mission and support its graduates throughout demanding careers.
I want dedicated, talented people to be able to fulfill their professional ambitions—to ensure that others live heathier, better, and longer lives. What work could be more essential, more noble?”Leonard A. Lauder, W’54
“This pathbreaking program will improve the health of underserved patients and families by uniquely preparing primary care nurse practitioners, who will work with them in their communities,” said Antonia Villarruel, Margaret Bond Simon Dean at Penn Nursing.
The program will cover tuition and fees for all Fellows, including a stipend for students with greater financial need. Fellows will enroll in a rigorous two-year Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program at Penn Nursing. At least 50 percent of their clinical education will take place at selected community partner sites in the greater Philadelphia area that provide direct patient care. This invaluable experience will increase access to health services for marginalized or vulnerable populations, while giving the Fellows a solid foundation for careers where they will meet the complex needs of patients and families wherever they practice.
Upon graduation, Fellows will be expected to commit to practice or provide service in underserved communities for two years, and Penn Nursing will offer resources and guidance in finding practice sites that fulfill that goal. The program’s perpetuity will ensure a continuous flow of care providers where they are needed most.
The gift also establishes the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Professor, who will oversee curriculum innovation, support of community sites, and program implementation.
“The sustained investment in the education and careers of primary care nurse practitioners and communities is unprecedented,” said Villarruel. “We are excited by the opportunity to lead the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program and to extend its impact beyond Penn Nursing.”
The Lauder Fellows will be announced in Summer 2022. Photography depicts current Penn Nursing students and alumni.
1 Ben Poston, Tony Barboza, and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde. “Younger Blacks and Latinos Are Dying of COVID-19 at Higher Rates in California.” Los Angeles Times, April 25, 2020.
2 SH Cross, RM Califf, and HJ Warraich. “Rural-Urban Disparity in Mortality in the US from 1999 to 2019.” Journal of the American Medical Association 325, no. 22 (2021): 2312–2314.
