J&J grants $80K in scholarships to 50 UPR nursing students
Johnson & Johnson granted this year a total of $80,000 in scholarships to 50 nursing students at the University of Puerto Rico as part of a donation program designed to build capacity in the health system.
“Nurses are vital to our health system. Their importance has continued to grow with Puerto Rico’s developmental needs and the aging of our population. We need more skilled nurses,” said Pedro Costa, director of public and government affairs for J&J in Puerto Rico.
The pharmaceutical company has been granting 50 nursing scholarships annually to the UPR for the past 10 years, for a total of $930,000. The scholarships were distributed in a ceremony held at the UPR’s Central Offices on Nov. 21. Students were selected based on their academic performance. Each received a scholarship of $1,600.
The J&J scholarships are granted to students of the nursing programs offered at four UPR campuses: Arecibo, Medical Sciences at Río Piedras, Mayagüez, and Humacao.
The donations are part of J&J’s contribution program that includes as one of its pillars building the capacity of the health system. J&J six manufacturing plants in Puerto Rico in addition to two Global Logistics Centers and sales and marketing offices as well as the Johnson & Johnson Business Services.