As a partner in nursing education for the region, McLeod Health has made a $75,000 gift to Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) to support its nursing program.

“Healthcare continues to rely on excellent nurses to care for our patients. As the population continues to increase in Horry County, we will need more trained nurses than ever before,” stated Sherrill Nielson, Chief Nursing Officer for McLeod Health Seacoast. “We are proud to support the work of Horry Georgetown Technical College to educate the next generation of nurses.”

According to Nielson, nurses serve an important role in the delivery of quality health care. “McLeod recognizes the value of the nurse’s contribution to patient care. Providing patient advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, participation in shaping health policies and patient education are also key nursing roles. It is a tough job but with competent nurses as part of the medical team, McLeod is capable of carrying out its mission of providing quality health care for patients in the region.”

Because nurses are essential to health care and the region’s economy, this area is very fortunate to have a quality nursing education program at Horry-Georgetown Technical College.

“We are so grateful for our continued partnership with HGTC,” said Monica Vehige, CEO of McLeod Health Loris Seacoast. “McLeod Health is committed to finding the best nurses to provide excellent care to our patients. HGTC does an outstanding job of training quality students that we hope will be part of the future of nursing at any of our three McLeod campuses throughout Horry County.”

HGTC offers an Associate in Applied Science in Nursing (ADN) degree and a Practical Nursing (PN) diploma for students.

“HGTC is so pleased to partner with McLeod Health to strengthen instructional opportunities for the nursing program,” said Dr. Marilyn Murphy Fore, HGTC President. “HGTC is developing a generation of well-trained and highly skilled nursing professionals prepared to meet the challenges of modern health care demands. We are fortunate to receive this generous gift and have the support of community partners like McLeod to provide the best and latest equipment for training our nursing students so they are ready to respond to the ever-changing healthcare needs.”