Renown Health, the largest not-for-profit academic health system in the region, and the University of Nevada, Reno’s Orvis School of Nursing (OSN), Nevada’s first and longest-standing nursing school, were recognized for their exceptional academic partnership. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has selected the Gerald “Jerry” Smith Academic-Practice Partnership as a winner of the 2025 AACN Exemplary Academic-Practice Partnership Award.
The annual awards program honors AACN member institutions that establish outstanding and model academic-practice partnerships. To be selected, academic-practice partnerships must demonstrate an innovative and sustained relationship that extends beyond clinical placements, present positive outcomes that are measurable, show a commitment to the Guiding Principles for Academic-Practice Partnerships and be in place for at least one year.
Awards will be officially presented at the AACN Academic Nursing Leadership Conference, held at the JW Marriott Washington in Washington, D.C., from Nov. 1-3, 2025.
“Winning this award affirms a partnership that goes far beyond student placements or tuition support. It’s truly bidirectional: Renown nurses enrich our curriculum and mentor our learners; OSN faculty collaborate inside the health system to strengthen care delivery; and together, we’re advancing nursing science through our joint work to establish an embedded Nurse Scientist at Renown,” said Charlie Yingling, DNP, Dean, Orvis School of Nursing. “This is how academic–practice partners should function—improving how we educate, how we practice and most importantly, how our community receives care.”
“The Gerald ‘Jerry’ Smith Academic Practice Partnership is delivering measurable impact: 100% nursing licensure exam pass rates in our first three cohorts, stronger nurse residency completion rates and 62% of Academic-Practice Partnership students are from underrepresented backgrounds,” said Molly Kokenge, Ph.D., RN, CNL, CEN, Associate Dean for Strategic Partnerships and Practice, Orvis School of Nursing. “Together, we are building a sustainable and diverse nursing workforce to meet Nevada’s critical healthcare needs.”
Established with the Renown Health Foundation in May 2023, the Gerald “Jerry” Smith Academic-Practice Partnership provides full-ride scholarship funding for up to 24 nursing students per year, along with a guaranteed career in nursing with Renown following graduation and license obtainment. The Academic-Practice Partnership is named in honor of the late Jerry Smith of the Nell J. Redfield Foundation and supported by a generous lead gift from the Redfield Foundation and Stephanie Kruse, Renown Health Foundation board member and former board chair, to create a sustainable nursing workforce in northern Nevada.
“This national recognition from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing is a powerful affirmation of our mission to save lives, nurture minds and care for all people,” said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, President & CEO, Renown Health. “By partnering with our academic nursing colleagues at UNR, we are strengthening the future of nursing, advancing excellence in patient care and ensuring that the next generation of caregivers is prepared to meet the evolving needs our community. Congratulations to all on this significant achievement!”
“Receiving the Exemplary Academic-Practice Partnership Award affirms the power of our People First culture, where our nurses, students and educators are supported and empowered to cultivate the next generation of nursing excellence,” said Melodie Osborn, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nurse Executive, Renown Health. “Right now, Nevada ranks 47th in registered nurses (RNs) per capita by state. As Nevada continues to face a critical nursing shortage, with over 4,000 additional RNs needed to meet the national-to-RN average, the Gerald ‘Jerry’ Smith Academic-Practice Partnership is stepping up to fill in those gaps by enhancing the pipeline of nurses in our state. We are proud to be a national example for academic-practice partnership success.”
Since the launch of the Gerald “Jerry” Smith Academic-Practice Partnership, annual OSN pre-licensure nursing program admissions have grown from 184 in 2023 to 192 in 2024, with a target of 256 by 2027, representing a 39% increase in just four years. One hundred percent of students in the first three cohorts passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) on their first attempt. In addition, 62% of participants self-report affiliation with a racial or ethnic minority, 26% are first-generation college students, 20% are Pell Grant-eligible and 6% are veterans.
"We are grateful this collaborative partnership started with and continues to be fueled by generous community philanthropy,” said Greg Walaitis, Chief Development Officer, Renown Health Foundation. “Jerry Smith had a vision, and he would be incredibly proud of this award. It is inspiring to witness the growing impact of our Academic-Practice Partnership, and achieving this national recognition is just the beginning.”
The Academic-Practice Partnership is funded by the Renown Nursing Excellence Endowment Fund. To date, 60 students from the Orvis School of Nursing have been accepted into the Academic-Practice Partnership, with a nearly 100% retention rate. The participants have benefited from $2,505,780 in tuition support thanks to the generosity of donors and the vision of the late Jerry Smith. All students participating in the Academic-Practice Partnership also participate in Renown’s Nurse Apprenticeship Program.
To support the Academic-Practice Partnership and northern Nevada’s future nurses, visit renown.org/give.
Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally governed, not-for-profit integrated health care network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 8.000 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination, and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center, two acute care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a medical group and urgent care network, and the locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. For more information, visit renown.org.
The University of Nevada, Reno is a public research university that is committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. As a Nevada land-grant university founded in 1874, the University serves 21,000 students. The University is a comprehensive, doctoral university, classified as an R1 institution with very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Additionally, it has attained the prestigious “Carnegie Engaged” classification, reflecting its student and institutional impact on civic engagement and service, fostered by extensive community and statewide collaborations. More than $800 million in advanced labs, residence halls and facilities has been invested on campus since 2009. It is home to the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and Wolf Pack Athletics, maintains a statewide outreach mission and presence through programs such as the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Small Business Development Center, Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Through a commitment to world-improving research, student success and outreach benefiting the communities and businesses of Nevada, the University has impact across the state and around the world. For more information, visit unr.edu.
The Orvis School of Nursing (OSN) at the University of Nevada, Reno is the state’s first and longest-standing nursing school, founded in 1956. OSN is committed to advancing health care through innovative education, research and community engagement. As part of a Carnegie R1 research institution with a Carnegie Engaged classification, OSN prepares nurse leaders to meet the diverse and evolving health needs of Nevada and beyond. The school offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and post-master’s certificates. With nationally Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)-accredited programs, flexible online and in-person learning, and coordinated clinical placements, OSN provides access to high-quality nursing education across the state and country. Guided by its 2023-2027 strategic plan, OSN focuses on academic excellence, inclusive excellence and belonging, and community partnerships to transform health outcomes and prepare nurses for leadership roles in complex care environments. For more information, visit unr.edu/nursing.
