10 November 2021

Jonas-Geneva Joint Doctoral Nursing Scholarship Recipient Announced

Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare and The Geneva Foundation have awarded Stacy Dolan, RN the 2021-2023 cohort scholarship to advance veterans’ healthcare.

NEW YORK, November 2021 – Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare (Jonas)  and The Geneva Foundation (Geneva) announce the recipient of the 2021-2023 cohort joint scholarship that funds doctoral nursing candidates seeking to improve healthcare for veterans. The 2021 Jonas-Geneva scholarship recipient is Stacy Dolan, RN, a research nurse and study coordinator at the Minneapolis Veterans Healthcare System and a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. This is the third consecutive partnership between Jonas and Geneva to support their shared cause of advancing military medicine.

The Jonas-Geneva Scholarship will assist Dolan in her veterans-focused research to better understand the longitudinal effects of nutritional intake on cognitive health and brain function. The secondary focus of her research is on the social and environmental determinants that influence food choices of female veterans.

“My goal is to inform future dietary interventions aimed at preserving brain health and decreasing the risk of dementia in female veterans and other women,” said Dolan. “Studies have shown that veterans are at greater risk for cognitive decline, not only due to military service-related risk factors (e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury) but also due to modifiable risk factors, including diet.”

“Stacy’s passion for veteran-centered care aligns with Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare priorities, as well as our partner The Geneva Foundation,” said Stephen Ferrara, the interim executive director of the Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare program. “We anticipate that Stacy’s research results at the completion of her PhD, will give us a better understanding of how veterans’ environments affect their food access and food choices, allowing for multi-level interventions aimed at achieving healthier diets and potentially reducing chronic physical and mental health conditions in our nation’s veterans.”

The 2021-2023 cohort of Jonas Scholars was launched at the beginning of this academic year in September 2021 and will conclude in June 2023. To date, over 1,400 Jonas Scholars have completed the program in over 160 accredited schools of nursing across the United States, of which nearly 350 doctoral nursing scholars have focused on veterans’ healthcare. This year marks the fifteenth anniversary year of the Jonas Philanthropies program supporting nursing and veterans’ healthcare.

“Geneva is rooted in a deep history of commitment to nurse researchers,” said Geneva President and CEO Elise W. Huszar, MBA. “We are honored to further this commitment through our partnership with Jonas in the pursuit of impactful research affecting the health and well-being of military and veteran populations today.”

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Jonas Philanthropies is transforming healthcare for the better by investing where it matters most, in solutions that can be scaled for the greatest impact. Its programs address high-need issues and audiences with high-impact solutions: promoting leadership in nursing and veterans’ healthcare, addressing vision health, the environmental impacts on health, and mental health.

The Geneva Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that advances military medicine through innovative scientific research, exceptional program management, and a dedication to U.S. service members and veterans, their families, and the global community. Geneva is proud to have over 25 years of experience in delivering full-spectrum scientific, technical, and program management expertise in the areas of federal grants, federal contracts, industry-sponsored clinical trials, and educational services. www.genevaUSA.org