How a chance encounter between Joanne Barkett Conway and a waitress aspiring to become a nurse led to significant philanthropic support for nursing education was the subject of recent recognition by Rush University College of Nursing. The Conways, through their Bedford Falls Foundation, have contributed substantial gifts to nursing schools across the United States, including Rush University, in an effort to address the ongoing national nursing shortage.
Christine Kennedy, Dean of the College of Nursing at Rush University, described her early connection with Bill Conway during her tenure at the University of Virginia School of Nursing. Upon joining Rush in 2020, Kennedy reached out to Conway to discuss expanding his foundation’s philanthropy into the Midwest. She highlighted Rush’s unique approach: “I knew Rush would be able to address the foundation’s highest priority of creating new nurses,” said Kennedy. “I wanted to show them what is unique at Rush, and that is how our nursing students engage in our network of community sites, learning from nurses delivering care.”
Rush’s Nursing Faculty Practice program has been active for over 50 years and focuses on providing direct health care services in underserved communities on Chicago’s South and West Sides. This initiative gives faculty nurses opportunities to serve thousands annually while allowing students hands-on experience in community-based care.
In 2024, the Bedford Falls Foundation made a $1 million gift to expand both nursing education and clinical care efforts at Rush throughout Chicago. Angela M. Moss, associate dean of Faculty Practice at Rush, commented on this support: “Support from the Bedford Falls Foundation has lifted up our entire department,” Moss said. “I can’t express how grateful we are for this gift. It has been incredibly impactful, even in the first year.”
The foundation’s funding helped reopen the Sue Gin Health Center on Chicago’s West Side in January 2025 and supported hiring additional faculty such as psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Erin Miller and clinical manager Michelle C. Zolfo. Dr. Zolfo is developing standardized procedures intended to streamline operations so clinicians and students can devote more time directly to patient care.
Moss noted that these operational improvements are foundational for training future nurses: “As Rush innovates, these procedures are the building blocks of an evidence-based, highly effective model that allows the college to train more students for the future.” Bill Conway added: “It is truly meaningful to see students already gaining more hands-on training experience to better prepare them. These types of experiences are needed to build a strong path for the next generation of nurses to become confident and skilled in their work.”
Beyond internal improvements, Moss leads efforts through the Faculty Practice Learning Institute at Rush’s College of Nursing to mentor other schools nationwide in establishing similar faculty practice models: “We need to make more nurses, but we can’t make more nurses if we don’t have more training sites,” Moss said. “With support from Bedford Falls, we have the bandwidth to get the Institute off the ground and help other schools develop their own nursing faculty practices so that it’s not just us doing it. We believe this will have a lasting impact on nursing education and our nation’s health.”
In recognition of their contributions nationwide, Joanne (posthumously) and Bill Conway were named Honorary Fellows by the American Academy of Nursing.
Rush University Medical Center is located in Chicago, Illinois; it was founded in 1837 and serves as both a hospital with pediatric services and a training facility under its current president Dr. Omar Lateef.
