*This PowerPoint was prepared by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) for the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action 

This webinar, which is part of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Learning Collaborative, reviews HRSA funding opportunities.

Presenters:

• Tara Spencer, MS, RN, Chief Nursing Education and Practice Branch Division of Nursing and Public Health, TSpencer@hrsa.gov

Tara D. Spencer  is the chief of the Nursing Education and Practice Branch in the Division of Nursing and Public Health (DNPH) at the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Bureau of Health Workforce. In this capacity, she provides strategic guidance and oversight for a $60M/year investment focused developing and increasing the nursing workforce through various education and practice programs. Tara’s branch leads the Division’s workforce development efforts in two key areas – Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) and Nurse, Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) by increasing the supply, distribution, and preparation of a diverse nursing workforce to deliver quality care in community-based settings to rural and underserved populations and promote new innovative models of health care delivery. Tara’s work experience prior to HRSA includes working as a Nurse Clinician in the Baltimore Metro Area. Tara has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hampton University in Hampton, VA, and a Master of Science with a focus in Nursing Leadership and Management from Stevenson University in Owings Mills, MD.

• Juana M. Rodriguez, Education Program Specialist, Division of Health Careers and Financial Support, Nurse Corps Scholarship Branch, JRodriguez@hrsa.gov

Juana Rodriguez is an education program specialist with the Division of Health Careers and Financial Support recently recognized by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services for her outstanding service and commitment, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in Public Health Education Programs.  As an Education Program Specialist for the Nurse Corps Scholarship Branch within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW), Division of Health Careers and Financial Support (DHCFS), she supports her program which allocates $27 million in Federal funds to award scholarships annually to over 200 students accepted or enrolled in a nursing degree program at an accredited school of nursing located throughout the United States. Additionally her program supports the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program portfolio totaling $1 million in Federal funds specifically geared to students pursuing degrees in 20 health and allied health professions to deliver quality, culturally competent health services to Native Hawaiians throughout the State of Hawai’i. She also participates in BHW’s Grantee Engagement Plan (GEP), a strategic public health initiative aimed at strengthening academic, clinical, and community-based partnerships and other special projects requiring cross-agency collaboration.

Before joining the federal workforce, she served as the Associate Director of Admissions, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore campus. In this leadership position, her primary responsibilities involved strategic goal and objective development and implementation, policy improvement, and oversight of budget operations, recruitment and admissions. She was the primary liaison to major internal constituents of various departments and she managed admissions initiatives. She also served as the Process Manager of Financial Aid, Bowie State University subsequent to working for the Art Institutes, Education Management Cooperation (EDMC), Arlington, VA where she worked in various capacities which included National Training Specialist and Director of Admissions. Rodriguez has a track record of success and has consistently exceeded performance goals related to Higher Education Admissions and Enrollment and Public Health Education Programs. Rodriguez is near completion of a Master’s in Health Care Administration, University of Maryland University College. She currently has a Bachelor of Science in Heath Science with a minor in Counseling, from Old Dominion University, Norfolk VA.