New Jersey-based Englewood Health has announced a $10 million gift from the Kaplen Foundation and its president, Maggie Kaplen, to establish an institute focused on developing current and future nursing professionals.

The largest gift in the health system's history will establish the Kaplen Institute for Nursing Excellence and help advance its efforts to nurture nurses. Led by Kaplen, a retired nurse, the foundation has made leadership-level gifts to the health system in support of an Emergency Care Center, the Kaplen Pavilion, and the Wilson Kaplen Infusion Center.

"The nursing profession is facing unprecedented challenges as we enter a new decade," said Kathleen Kaminsky, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Englewood Health. "This extraordinary gift is especially noteworthy because it will provide access to professional development resources for our existing nursing professionals and create a pipeline for new nurses to establish careers at Englewood Health."

"I was a student at Dwight School for Girls when I first began my relationship with the hospital as a volunteer. Then, it was just an old building. Today, it is a comprehensive health system," said Kaplen. "I know the importance of access in health care, and to have the reassurance that patients and families in our community do not have to go far from home for world-class care is paramount. It is incredibly rewarding to be part of what Englewood Health delivers to our greater community."