Longtime UCLA supporters Stewart and Lynda Resnick have made a significant investment in the education and professional development of the nurses who provide cardiac care at UCLA Health. The gift supports the development of advanced clinical skills, the acquisition of a new simulation manikin and other equipment to enhance expertise among this specialized team of nurses.
The gift establishes the Resnick Nursing Scholarship, which will support nurses attending national conferences, and sponsors an annual symposium for cardiac nursing that will help clinical nurses to continue building expert skills and disseminating new evidence-based practices to their colleagues. The 2022 Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium presented by Stewart and Lynda Resnick will also offer cardiac nurses leadership development training for high-stress clinical environments.
“Lynda and I understand the sacrifices nurses make every day,” said Stewart Resnick, a UCLA alumnus. “We want to acknowledge the exceptional care these nurses provide by ensuring they have opportunities to build new skills, while providing the best care in the nation. We are grateful for the work nurses do every day with selflessness, dedication and passion.”
“A heartfelt thanks to the Resnicks for supporting our nurses,” said Karen Grimley, UCLA Health’s chief nursing executive. “Their gift acknowledges and honors our nurses for the extraordinary care they provide with clinical expertise, compassion and – above all – kindness.”
Johnese Spisso, president of UCLA Health and CEO of the UCLA hospital and clinic system, said: “I am so grateful to Stewart and Lynda Resnick for their generosity and for their support of our clinical staff. It is especially meaningful for our nurses to receive this gesture of gratitude from such respected longtime supporters of UCLA.”
In recognition of the gift, UCLA Health is naming the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Nurses Station in the cardiac care unit of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, as a visual reminder of the resources invested in nurse training and clinical skills.
In addition to the $500,000 gift, the Resnicks, co-owners of The Wonderful Company, distributed care packages with goodies from the Wonderful family of brands to the 700 UCLA Health nurses who provide cardiac care.