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Wegman Center for Workforce Development addressing nursing shortage

Wegman Center for Workforce Development on Portland Avenue in Rochester
Alex Crichton
Wegman Center for Workforce Development on Portland Avenue in Rochester

Rochester Regional Health is recognizing a $5 million dollar gift from the Wegman Family Charitable Foundation that will help the health services organization train nurses in the region.

The health services organization's Learning Center has been renamed the Wegman Center for Workforce Development.

Chair of Wegmans Food Markets, Danny Wegman, says he's proud of what Rochester Regional Health is doing, so the Foundation decided to support it.

"They're working with young kids, bringing them in still in high school, and then they're giving them educational opportunities to develop as nurses and other practitioners. And I'm just so proud of that, that we wanted to support it, and we hope that others in the community do so as well.  Because this is the only way we're going to make our community great is to help folks who need help get ahead.  A job really helps people because it shows youngsters how they can contribute and make a difference.  In some of their lives they don't see these opportunities. They come here to Rochester Regional and they see a great opportunity to have a wonderful career, so that's why we wanted to support it," he said.

Nurse trainees in one of the "sim rooms" at the Wegman Center for Workforce Development

The center will help the community by addressing the growing shortage of nurses,  according to Rochester Regional Health president and CEO Eric Bieber.

"Create a pipeline of nurses who have an opportunity to continue on in their development from LPN's to RN's to BSN's to doctoral nurses or master prepared nurses to nurse practitioners, whatever they so desire," he said.

Senior Director of Clinical Education, Gloria Berent, says the grant will help build a program that has been graduating nurses in this community since 1964.

Here’s Danny Wegman addressing students, staff, local officials and others at the Wegman Center for Workforce Development

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJrtcWctWe4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJrtcWctWe4