UVa-Wise nursing program receives $50,000 from Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital

-- Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital President Robert G. Polahar, center, presents a check for the UVa-Wise Department of Nursing to UVa-Wise representatives Jim Knight, left, and Winston Ely.

Nursing students and the Department of Nursing at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise will benefit from a $50,000 gift from Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital.

Half of the gift will be used to provide scholarships to nursing students at UVa-Wise; the remainder will help meet operational needs in the Department of Nursing.

“This is an important investment in the future of Lonesome Pine Hospital and Wise County, said Lonesome Pine Hospital President Robert G. Polahar.

The recent gift continues Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital’s long history of support for the nursing program at UVa-Wise. The Big Stone Gap hospital established in 1999 a scholarship fund for students planning careers in health care.

“We are very excited about this generous contribution from Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital,” said Angela Wilson, chair of the UVa-Wise Department of Nursing. “Not only is the hospital supporting our nursing students through scholarships, it has also welcomed our students for hands-on clinical experiences. We are deeply thankful for their support and look forward to continuing to build the relationship between Wellmont and UVa-Wise.”

UVa-Wise has offered a two-year RN to BSN (bachelor of science in nursing) program since 1994. In 2004, the College added a traditional four-year BSN degree. The program is fully accredited by the Virginia state Board of nursing and has been granted unconditional accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Located in Big Stone Gap, Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital provides state-of-the-art medical care to residents throughout Southwest Virginia and Southeastern Kentucky. The 60-bed facility, which is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, has served the community since 1973.

The only branch campus of the University of Virginia, UVa-Wise is ranked among the nation’s top ten public liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report. UVa-Wise is home to 1,800 students and offers undergraduate and professional programs in the liberal arts tradition of Thomas Jefferson.