A hefty donation from Montage Health is funding the Helen Baszucki School of Nursing, a new program at Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB). Over 100 students, executives and community leaders gathered at the Otter Student Union Thursday morning to celebrate.
Prominent figures from both organizations were buzzing with excitement about the partnership, which they hope will empower the next generation of local health care workers amidst increasing access scarcity in rural communities across the U.S.
“It is a bold statement, a statement that says what is possible when community partners work together,” said CSUMB President Vanya Quiñones during her opening remarks. “So let’s celebrate together.”
The new school represents a significant expansion of CSUMB’s existing nursing program. In order to study at CSUMB, nursing students previously had two choices: obtain their registered nursing (RN) license – a complex process that requires earning an associate’s degree, passing an exam and applying for state licensure – or participate in a “bridge” program involving dual enrollment at CSUMB and another institution.
“Now, with the donation…it makes it a more well-rounded nursing program because you’re able to start from the beginning,” said Cynthia Vasquez, an RN and fourth-year nursing student at CSUMB. “I think it’ll definitely open up a lot more opportunities for the local community to pursue nursing.”
Vasquez, who works as an emergency room technician at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, was also a speaker at the event. She credited her immigrant parents for imbuing her with “a strong responsibility from a young age to care for others.”
Funding for the new programs, which include a four-year bachelor’s and master’s in nursing, came from Montage’s Helen Baszucki Center for Nursing Excellence. The Center was established in 2021, when retired telecommunications executive and philanthropist Paul Baszucki made a $5 million donation in honor of his late wife Helen – an RN, nursing instructor and Carmel resident who passed away in 2020.
Helen Baszucki was “a remarkable nurse and educator whose compassion and dedication continue to inspire us,” according to Montage CEO Dr. Mike McDermott. Quiñones added that “[Helen] was an instrumental supporter of nursing education in our region…So it’s a perfect name for a perfect school in our university.”
Phillip Post, dean of CSUMB’s college of health sciences and human services, also spoke at the event, outlining the donation’s operational impacts. He explained that CSUMB will be able to renovate the Ocean Hall (Building 86, which will house the Helen Baszucki school), construct nursing simulation labs, purchase new equipment and recruit educators.
“This work could not come at a more important time,” said Post. “Our region faces significant urgent health care challenges, [and] access to health care services remains a top concern. At its core, this investment is a direct response to those needs.”