The State University Of New York Funds Expansion of New York's Pipeline with $1 Million Funding

Brooklyn, NY – SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University (Downstate) has secured nearly $170,000 through The State University of New York’s High Needs Nursing Fund to expand nursing education capacity in partnership with SUNY Old Westbury.

The award, announced in December by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., as part of a nearly $1 million systemwide investment, supports campus partnerships that increase nursing program capacity, strengthen transfer pathways, and expand available nursing seats across the state.

Downstate and Old Westbury will use the funding to advance a joint initiative, “Nursing Education Pathway: Train to Retain.” The award will support an existing transfer partnership that enables more Old Westbury graduates to enter Downstate’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

The initiative also helps to establish direct and contingent admission pathways from Downstate’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program into its Master of Science in Education in Nursing Education program, creating a structured route to prepare future nurse educators and expand instructional capacity.

The investment comes as New York faces sustained nursing shortages, rising healthcare demand, and the needs of an aging population requiring more complex and continuous care.

“The ability to meet the healthcare needs of our communities depends on a strong and diverse nursing workforce,” said Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, MACP, President of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. “This award allows us to expand access to nursing education, create clear academic pathways that move students into high-demand nursing careers, and strengthen our partnership with Old Westbury.”

“This funding strengthens a pathway for future nurses and nurse educators,” said Timothy E. Sams, Ph.D., President of SUNY Old Westbury. “By enabling more students to transition from our undergraduate programs into Downstate’s accelerated nursing degree and then into its master’s program in nursing education, we are creating opportunities for students to advance into critical healthcare roles while strengthening the workforce.”

“Downstate and Old Westbury will deepen a partnership that directly addresses workforce demand,” said Lori A. Escallier, Ph.D., RN, CPNP-PC, FAAN, Dean and Professor, College of Nursing at Downstate. “As healthcare systems respond to an aging population and increased clinical complexity, we must increase both the number of practicing nurses and the faculty who educate them. Creating seamless academic pathways strengthens the pipeline at every level.”

Across the SUNY system, High Needs Nursing Fund initiatives are projected to create or unlock more than 230 nursing seats statewide.

As healthcare demand grows and the population ages, expanding nursing education capacity remains central to strengthening New York’s healthcare system. Through sustained collaboration and clear academic pathways, Downstate and Old Westbury are preparing nurses and nurse educators who will serve communities across Brooklyn, Long Island, and the state.

Downstate and Old Westbury maintain a broader academic partnership that provides priority enrollment pathways for qualified Old Westbury students into Downstate’s accelerated and graduate programs in nursing, physician assistant studies, and physical therapy. Each year, eligible students who meet admissions standards receive priority consideration, creating structured routes into high-demand health professions. This nursing education award builds on that foundation and strengthens an ongoing collaboration focused on workforce development.

About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, located in Brooklyn, is one of four academic medical centers in the 64-campus SUNY system and the only one in New York City. With a mission to educate health professionals, advance research, and provide care to Brooklyn’s 2.7 million residents, Downstate serves its community through clinical, academic, and research programs.

Its teaching hospital, University Hospital at Downstate, provides care across 53 specialties and subspecialties. The hospital is home to Brooklyn’s only kidney transplant program and provides services in high-risk neonatal care, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis. 

Downstate includes five schools: Medicine, Nursing, Health Professions, Graduate Studies, and Public Health. It advances biotechnology innovation through its Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT and remains committed to #KeepCareClose. 

About SUNY Old Westbury

The State University of New York at Old Westbury is a public liberal arts university serving nearly 5,000 students. The university offers more than 40 undergraduate degree programs across liberal arts and professional disciplines and 16 graduate programs in fields including business, data science, health care management, and mental health counseling. SUNY Old Westbury prepares students for careers through education, research, and community engagement.