Washington State University Tri-Cities in Richland has announced an $18 million gift to its College of Nursing from Kadlec Regional Medical Center.

The largest gift ever to the university will be used to create five endowed faculty positions and help recruit world-class faculty to teach in the school's Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program. The Kadlec Distinguished Chairs represent a new partnership between the school and Kadlec, which in 2012 committed more than twelve-thousand-square-feet of space and $250,000 in equipment to create a state-of-the art home for WSU Tri-Cities' nursing education program. Kadlec also has provided scholarship support for nursing students.

"We are excited to help WSU create a DNP program on the Tri-Cities campus," said Rand Wortman, CEO of Kadlec Regional Medical Center. "The nurse practitioners who graduate from the program will not only be a tremendous benefit to Kadlec but to other healthcare organizations around the northwest."

"The family and psychiatric nurse practitioners we educate will work collaboratively with physicians and other clinicians to strengthen health care throughout Central Washington," said College of Nursing dean Patricia Butterfield. "The Kadlec gift will also open doors for graduate students and strengthen doctoral education. It is a visionary gift."