More than 55 guests gathered to celebrate Nurses Educational Funds, Inc., its honorees and scholarship recipients on November 1, 2017, at the Griffis Faculty Club in New York City. The setting as always was lovely and the harpist, Sarah Loveland Gill, wonderful! Our thanks once again go to Rosanne Raso and her excellent Executive Assistant, Uvanda Reynolds, who facilitated all of the arrangements at the Griffis Faculty Club. Our appreciation also goes to Judith Ochola and Suzette Joseph, undergraduate nursing students at Hunter - Bellevue School of Nursing, who for the second year assisted NEF in welcoming guests at the registration desk. The evening began with drinks and hors d’oeuvres while attendees enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues. All Gala participants were enthusiastic in their support for a cause about which we are all passionate - graduate nursing education.

The formal program began with NEF Secretary, Maggie McClure, sharing thoughts about our dear friend and colleague, the late M. Louise Fitzpatrick. Maggie requested a moment of silence in remembrance of Dr. Fitzpatrick’s tremendous achievements as a national nursing education leader and her many contributions as a long-term member of the NEF Board of Directors. Board member Mathy Mezey then spoke about the Gala honorees, Norman and Alicia Volk. She highlighted the Volk’s many years of active support for the nursing profession and in particular, their significant efforts in advancing health care for the elderly through nursing education and research. Mathy highlighted Norman Volk’s Board leadership of the John A Hartford Foundation and her own work with Norman and the Hartford Foundation in the development of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at NYU Rory Myers College of Nursing.

Norman Volk shared his views on the extraordinary importance of graduate nursing education. He emphasized how graduate nursing education promotes nursing leaders as patient advocates in acute care, community health, and academia. Most importantly he stressed the need for nurses to grow through advanced education as our health care innovators and champions for advancing better health care in America.

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