Scranton, PA: Moses Taylor Foundation, a private foundation with a mission to improve the health of people in Northeastern Pennsylvania, will invest $2,130,200 to address well-documented regional mental and behavioral health care needs. The Foundation’s Board of Directors recently selected nine organizations to receive between $113,000 and $300,000 across a two-year span. The selected projects will utilize innovative, evidence-based solutions and promising practices to strengthen the care continuum, increase the availability of and diversity of providers, integrate mental health services in health care and non-health care settings, or eliminate barriers to care.

“Mental and behavioral health challenges touch every corner of our 11-county service area. The organizations selected for this inaugural initiative are deeply ingrained in their respective communities, paving pathways to solutions with compassion and care,” stated Danielle Breslin, President and CEO of Moses Taylor Foundation. “The amount of interest in this new initiative and the diversity of responses we received underscores the pressing need for innovative approaches to mental and behavioral health and wellness. Moses Taylor Foundation is proud to uplift and support this recent cohort of grantees and improve the health of people in Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

The following organizations received an approval notification following Moses Taylor Foundation’s March 27 board meeting: Catholic Social Services; Community Care Behavioral Health Organization; Geisinger Health Foundation; Greater Scranton YMCA; Keystone Human Services; The Wright Center for Community Health; United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania; Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers; and Wyoming County Health Family Partnership.

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Within its School-Based Health focus area, Moses Taylor Foundation seeks to improve the health of children through support for school nurses. School nurses are on the front lines of children’s health, yet their role is often misunderstood and under-resourced.

In 2019-2020, the Foundation commissioned the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) to conduct the NEPA School Nurse Needs Assessment. One of the significant gaps identified by this assessment was that many state-level laws and policies related to school health are extremely out-of-date and are hindering school nurses’ ability to meet the needs of students.

As a step towards addressing these challenges, the Foundation is partnering with the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners (PASNAP) to identify a consultant who will design a multi-year school nurse state advocacy strategy.

The full Request for Services (RFS) can be accessed here and the deadline to respond is January 15^th.  Questions can be directed to Senior Program Officer, Christine Marcos.

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Moses Taylor Foundation embraces a whole-person approach that intentionally focuses on mental health and well-being in its mission to improve the health of people in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to support projects that further the Foundation’s mission by expanding access to and increasing the availability of mental and behavioral health services for adults within the Foundation’s 11-county region. This funding opportunity seeks innovative, evidence-based solutions and promising practices that will achieve one or more of the following goals:

• Strengthen the care continuum
• Increase the availability of and diversity of providers
• Integrate mental health services in health care and non-health care settings
• Eliminate barriers to care

Moses Taylor Foundation has officially closed out our 2019-2023 Strategic Plan and set our direction for the future. Beginning last fall, our team spent time reflecting on and learning from the past five years of successes, course corrections, and insights. These outcomes are summarized into a brief 2019-2023 Strategic Plan Executive Summary.

During and after the internal review, our board and team assessed the Foundation’s existing priorities, analyzed external data, and considered feedback from community partners in determining our path forward. Through this process, we reaffirmed our core mission of improving the health of people in Northeastern Pennsylvania and our desire to continue working in the established 11-county region with a primary commitment to Lackawanna and the immediately surrounding counties.

Written by: Senior Program Officer Christine Marcos

Insights from a School Nurse Mentorship Program
The day-to-day responsibilities of a school nurse extend far beyond managing headaches, upset stomachs, and scrapes. Although there is so much to know and learn when it comes to properly caring for young people in a school-based setting, many school nurses navigate the nuances of this role on their own. Often the only medical professional in their school building, colleagues and on-the-job learning can be hard to come by for a school nurse.

A Northeastern PA-based School Nurse Mentorship Program being piloted by Penn State PRO Wellness with support from Moses Taylor Foundation aims to change that reality. The program, launched in the fall of 2023, brings seasoned school nurses together with participants who are new to the profession.

In late 2023, Jodi Kresse and Mary Ann Chindemi — both graduates of Marywood University and Registered Nurses with Certified School Nurse (CSN) credentials — signed up for this unique pilot. While they’ve both attained the knowledge required of CSNs, they’re at opposite ends of the years-of-experience spectrum and physically separated by a 60-minute drive. But, they’ve found this mentorship pilot to be the proverbial glue linking them together for shared, experiential learning and camaraderie.

Two decades ago, Mary Ann Chindemi, CSN with Valley View School District, dove into her school nursing role without any structured mentorship. She learned about the ins and outs of school nursing mostly on her own and understands firsthand just how challenging going it alone can be. That experience, coupled with her genuine love for children, lifting others, and the profession of nursing spurred her to become a mentor. Mary Ann is energized by interactions with her mentee, Jodi, a school nurse in her third year caring for juniors and seniors in the Delaware Valley School District.

As Jodi’s mentor, Mary Ann uses her nearly 20 years of lived school nursing experience to guide collaborative conversations. She continuously shares her knowledge to help Jodi build a strong foundation for professional success and to gain confidence. 

"Unlike teachers, school nurses often come from diverse backgrounds, having worked in hospitals and different health settings before stepping into the educational realm," Mary Ann explains. She stresses the importance of mentorship for school nurses and laughs a little when she describes her own professional journey as “baptism by fire.” 

For Jodi, mentorship is about having a “lifeline” to navigate the day-to-day challenges that come with the territory. Jodi's commitment to her alma mater and the Delaware Valley community is reflected in her service to students 180 days a year. She highlights the importance of treating each child individually, recognizing that their well-being extends beyond just physical health and also acknowledging that she doesn’t have all the answers. Mary Ann’s mentorship, support, and availability to answer Jodi’s calls, texts, and emails have been invaluable.

Although Mary Ann had logged significant patient care experience in home health before becoming a school nurse, the interconnected educational components were foreign to her. She cites her initial lack of exposure to the intricacies of special education, 504 Plans, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and medication management. At the start of her career, Mary Ann informally tapped into early guidance from a fellow elementary school nurse at Valley View, and, now as a mentor herself, she’s especially eager to pass along her knowledge to the next generation of school nurses.

Being a school nurse, Mary Ann insists, demands an innate hunger for constant learning paired with mental resilience. Beyond medical care, school nurses provide emotional support and coordinate care. Sometimes school nurses advocate for students; sometimes they advocate for themselves, especially when one nurse can shoulder the responsibility for up to 1,500 students, per current Pennsylvania state guidelines. 

Mary Ann recounts a pivotal moment when her diligence in communication and care for one student averted a potential health crisis. "The seamless coordination between the school nurse, a concerned mother, a timely doctor's visit, and a subsequent medical procedure underscored the multifaceted nature of this job," she notes. The situation resonated with administrators who recognized that beyond the visible aspects, the school nurse’s role often extends after-hours and into weekends, especially when it counts the most. A resulting budget approval included funding that allowed for the recruiting and hiring of another school nurse at Valley View in 2023.

Mary Ann has been a longtime member of professional organizations like the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners and the National Association of School Nurses. While she mentions using both groups’ essential resources for professional development and growth, learning new ways to serve the evolving student population, and networking to build relationships with other school nurses, she notes the necessity of one-on-one mentorship.

Jodi stays busy raising her two young children and echoes the sentiment of “family” within the school community. And — through this mentorship program developed to create supportive spaces for sharing insights and learning — Jodi has found a natural extension of her professional family in Mary Ann, noting, “I can contact her at any time, and she always gives me such valuable advice.” 

As Jodi aptly puts it, "If someone were on the fence about this program, I’d tell them, absolutely, just go for it. It’s such a great resource. There's nothing to lose, and it will only help you and kiddos in the long run."

Jodi and Mary Ann paint a vivid picture of the multifaceted world of school nursing. Mentorship, advocacy, and a deep commitment to the well-being of students — and each other — can pave a path to success. And now, as part of the School Nurse Mentorship Program, neither need to walk alone.

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School nurses play a critical role in helping students be safe, healthy, and ready to learn.

Moses Taylor Foundation is proud to share a report on the state of school nurse workforce and funding in Northeastern Pennsylvania. This research was commissioned by the Foundation and completed by The Center for School Health Innovation & Quality.

The report shares not only information about the current state of school nursing in Pennsylvania, but also ideas and opportunities for innovation compiled from national sources.

Going forward, the Foundation is working to cultivate related pilot opportunities around some of the mentioned innovations, and also plans to use this information in our future advocacy work.

You can read the executive summary of the research here. We encourage you to share it with other key stakeholders whose roles impact student health!

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Written by Christine Marcos, Senior Program Officer at Moses Taylor Foundation and included in the Spring 2023 issue of The Pennsylvania Administrator, a publication of the PA Principals Association

As schools continue to deal with the ongoing impacts of COVID, such as learning loss and mental health issues, it is more important than ever for principals and other administrators to ensure they have a strong relationship with their school nurses.

School nurses are a vital part of school communities, but many people have an outdated view of their critical role at the intersection of health and education.  According to articles in American Educator and Nursing Outlook, students who are healthy have better attendance and improved graduation rates.  School nurses help improve students’ attendance and decrease the number of early dismissals (The Journal of School of Nursing). This impacts academic test scores and leads to improved high school graduation rates.  Additionally, a cost-benefit analysis published in the Journal of American Medical Association Pediatrics identified that school nurses prevented an estimated $129.1 million in teachers’ productivity loss in the 2009-2010 school year. 

Clearly, school nurses are an important, yet often overlooked, piece of the puzzle when it comes to many timely issues at the forefront of the minds of principals.

As Senior Program Officer for Moses Taylor Foundation, a private, charitable foundation that seeks to improve the health of people in Northeastern Pennsylvania, I’ve been immersed in understanding and supporting the many roles of school nurses for the past few years.  With so many pressing health needs in our community, the Foundation’s deliberate focus on expanding school-based health and supporting school nurses was specific and strategic.  We encourage you to visit our website at www.mosestaylorfoundation.org/sn to view materials we created and gathered detailing the role of the modern school nurse, what school nurses need to be more fully supported, and our Foundation’s strategy to address these issues.  

Of course, the school districts in our region have been key in helping us to develop our strategy.  For example, North Pocono School District offers a helpful model for ensuring school nurses and administrators work together well.  Matthew Montoro, Principal of North Pocono Middle School, has said, “I have a strong partnership with the school nurse in my building and the rest of the school district.  There is a mutual respect and high regard for my school nurse’s clinical background, ethics and standards of practice…With their help, I can focus on keeping students in school and provide the best learning environment possible.”  He added, “With all the demands placed upon school nurses, I hope for opportunities for these incredible professionals to have the space and time to promote health education for classrooms and individually obtain professional development and continue to build connections with health care providers.  They are an integral part of our school community.”

Some recommendations we gathered from strong school nurse/principal partnerships like those in North Pocono, that may be helpful for you to consider in your school, include:

• Exploring opportunities to further engage school nurses in back-to-school nights, new staff orientations, and/or a school wellness committee to build their connections with the rest of the school community
• Setting a regular process for reviewing and updating school health policies with input and guidance from the school nurse
• Encouraging teachers, staff, and parents to keep the school nurse informed about student challenges that may be health-driven or health-related, including emotional concerns and changes in family dynamics
• Instituting regular meetings between administrators and nurses to improve communication on school health goals and needs
• Ensuring proactive, open communication with parents, caregivers, and guardians, so they are aware of any state-mandated health requirements for students to remain in school
• Supporting school nurses in their pursuit of relevant continuing education, such as covering the cost of membership to a professional organization

Principals, administrators, staff, and board members are always looking for ways to incorporate research and best practices into their work, and the link between student health and academic achievement has been well-documented. School nurses are on the front lines of children’s health, reducing barriers that lead to absenteeism and improving learning outcomes. With your support, their work can have an even broader impact on the countless student lives they touch during their career.

Dear Friends,

For the past 10 years, the Moses Taylor Foundation has been a trusted partner with organizations throughout the region in identifying and addressing community health needs. Here, in our Report to the Community, Foundation board members, staff, and grantees reflect on past and current accomplishments, and where future initiatives and grantmaking can continue to make a difference.

Report to the Community Features

• Celebrate key milestones in the Foundation's history.
• Listen as board members and staff share what working with the Foundation means to them.
• Review achievements from the current strategic plan.
• Learn what’s ahead as the Foundation begins planning for its next strategic plan.

Danielle Breslin President and CEO Moses Taylor Foundation

Lisa Savero-Mooney has joined Moses Taylor Foundation, a private foundation with a mission to improve the health of people in Northeastern Pennsylvania, as its Program Officer. In this role, she will direct and oversee Moses Taylor Foundation’s community needs responsive grantmaking portfolio within the Foundation’s 11-county service area. Grantmaking priority areas under Savero-Mooney’s direction will include primary healthcare, mental health and behavioral health, dental care and oral health, healthcare workforce, and human services. Savero-Mooney will also provide support as needed to the Foundation’s capacity building, supporting school-based health, and reducing older adult isolation initiatives.

Savero-Mooney built her career in the nonprofit, health, and human services sectors. Most recently, she served as Scranton Primary Health Care Center’s Compliance Director, lending her expertise to mission-focused quality and continuous improvement initiatives. Before joining Scranton Primary, Savero-Mooney spent nine years at United Way of Lackawanna & Wayne Counties, establishing strong professional relationships with community partners and the regional community. As United Way of Lackawanna & Wayne Counties’ Director of Education, Savero-Mooney was directly responsible for every aspect of the organization’s education work, including its Success By 6 community-wide initiative and the development of robust collaboratives and campaigns.

“As a native of Northeastern PA, Lisa is deeply committed to this community. Her career has focused on strengthening and enhancing the quality of life for all, particularly the most underserved. We are thrilled to welcome Lisa to Moses Taylor Foundation, and I’m excited for her to continue expanding her professional impact as part of our team,” said Danielle Breslin, President and CEO of Moses Taylor Foundation.

Savero-Mooney holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Services Administration from the University of Scranton. She assumed her responsibilities at Moses Taylor Foundation on March 20, 2023. Moses Taylor Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to building healthy communities and providing opportunities for people in Northeastern Pennsylvania to lead healthier lives. The Foundation was endowed in 2012 with the net proceeds from the Moses Taylor Health Care System sale to Community Health Systems of Franklin, Tennessee. Since its formation, the Foundation has grown to support approximately $4 million in annual grantmaking in Bradford, Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties.