Posted: 6/1/2011
Philanthropists Barbara and Donald Jonas were presented the prestigious Worth B. Daniels, Jr., MD Award in recognition of their continuing commitment to the mission of the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHSON). The award was bestowed at the JHSON commencement ceremony on May 26, 2011 at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center in Baltimore, MD.
Named for the late Worth Bagley Daniels, Jr., MD, the award is given to an individual or family who has made significant contributions to the profession of nursing and given exemplary and sustained service to the School.
“It has been an extraordinary experience to work with JHSON, an institution that shares our vision for growing and elevating the nursing profession,” said Barbara Jonas. “To be the only recipients of the award since it was established for Dr. Daniels is truly a humbling and gratifying honor.”
The Jonas Center’s scholarship program and partnership with Johns Hopkins serves as a model for training future generations of nurses, added Donald Jonas. “This partnership is giving young nurses the tools to become the change-makers our health care system desperately needs and we hope to continue our work together for many years to come.”
JHSON Dean Martha N. Hill, PhD, RN, notes the award acknowledges the long-standing relationship between the School and the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence. “Our strength as an institution and a profession comes from the collaborations we have with those organizations that recognize the importance of well-educated nurses to improve quality healthcare in this country,” Hill said. “The Jonas Foundation has been very generous in its financial support for tomorrow’s nursing leaders.”
The Jonas Center of Nursing Excellence, founded in 2006, is a first-of-its-kind philanthropic program dedicated to advancing the nursing profession. By identifying the nursing shortage–and its profound impact on the healthcare of individuals and communities–as an area of great philanthropic need, the Center has influenced lawmakers and other donors to support nursing education, especially scholarships for future nursing faculty.