UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts and Helen Keller Hospital President Kyle Buchanan have recently signed a learning agreement to establish the Keller Initiative for Nursing Diversity Program.

UNA, Helen Keller Hospital Establish KIND Program to Benefit Nursing Students

Jul. 06, 2023



Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@zo23.com, 256.765.4392

FLORENCE, AL – Officials with the University of North Alabama and Helen Keller Hospital have recently signed a learning agreement that establishes the Keller Initiative for Nursing Diversity, or KIND, Program. The agreement is designed to increase the number of BSN-credentialed nurses who choose to pursue employment with Helen Keller Hospital after graduation. 

“Our nursing staff and leadership, led by our Chief Nursing Officer Sherry Sands, are the epitome of skilled, tenacious, and caring nursing practice,” said Kyle Buchanan, Helen Keller Hospital President and member of UNA’s Board of Trustees. “This investment in our future and partnership with President (Ken) Kitts, Dean (Tera) Kirkman, and the University of North Alabama team is an example of true alignment with community impact for years to come.” 

As part of the KIND Program, Helen Keller Hospital will fully subsidize the tuition and fees for a minimum of two nursing students. In return, these students sign an agreement to work at the hospital after graduation. Efforts like this program assist Helen Keller Hospital and UNA to continue to reflect the diversity within the Shoals, the region, and within the State of Alabama. 

“UNA’s partnership with Helen Keller Hospital has been long-standing,” said Dr. Kirkman, Dean of the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. “This collaboration will maximize opportunities to increase the number of nurses working at the bedside in the Shoals. Through this collaboration, we will continue to meet the critical needs of the healthcare industry.” 

Students who apply and are accepted into the undergraduate nursing program receive information about how to apply for the KIND Program. Two students will be selected from each incoming cohort of Level I undergraduate nursing students. Questions can be emailed to this address.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: zo23.com and zo23.com/unaworks/.