Beebe Healthcare announced a gift of $1.1 million from the Ma-Ran Foundation to create an endowment for the Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing faculty.

This gift was given by Peggy and Randall Rollins of the Ma-Ran Foundation to honor Karen Pickard, school program administrator, and to recognize her leadership and the school’s success. The new Margaret H. Rollins Endowment Fund will support advanced degrees and professional development opportunities for the Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing faculty.

“We are thrilled to honor Karen Pickard and the faculty with this amazing gift. The Ma-Ran Foundation – through the generosity of Peggy and Randall Rollins – is continuing its historic tradition of investing in the Beebe Medical Foundation and Beebe Healthcare,” said Judy Aliquo, CFRE, Beebe Medical Foundation president and CEO. “When we announced the gift to the faculty and staff of the school of nursing, there were audible gasps and one big, ‘Wow.’ All were touched and honored to receive such an incredible gift to support their continued education.”

“The Rollins family’s generosity continues to amaze me,” said Karen Pickard, MSN, RN, CNE. “We have become close friends throughout the years. Randall and Peggy see the importance of education and professional development, and the impact it will have on the long-term vision of the school.”

Aliquo said the new Margaret H. Rollins Endowment Fund will be used solely for the purpose of supporting professional development and continuing professional education of the faculty at the Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Healthcare. She said, “With this gift, the possibilities are endless.”

Faculty can use funds for defraying cost for attendance at professional conferences; covering expenses for hosting speakers on the nursing profession; and tuition costs for faculty members seeking advanced degrees.

“The faculty does an extraordinary job educating students in the classrooms in conjunction with the excellent clinical experience they receive in the hospital,” said Aliquo. “The school of nursing faculty is training the best and brightest nurses, and many of them come to serve at Beebe Healthcare, which is even more critical as we expand. The school is the only hospital-based program in Delaware and is getting ready to celebrate their 100th year in 2021.”

The Rollins family has supported Beebe for more than 30 years. In 2011, Randall and Peggy Rollins donated $3 million through their Ma-Ran Foundation toward the expansion and naming of Beebe Healthcare’s Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing, previously the Beebe School of Nursing.

This project, completed in 2015, doubled the capacity of the school and replaced the 50-year-old dormitory with a new three-story, 18,000-square-foot-building containing new, modern classrooms and state-of-the-art clinical laboratories.

“The Rollins family’s continued support and faith in Beebe Healthcare is truly amazing,” said Rick Schaffner, interim CEO, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Their generosity has truly transformed Beebe Healthcare. Their thoughtfulness throughout the years has helped Beebe Healthcare grow in numerous ways to support the increasing population in Sussex County. Now, with this endowment fund, the faculty at the school of nursing will have unique opportunities to expand their knowledge, which will only support the education of students as they create the next generation of nurses.”

In 2017, the Ma-Ran Foundation’s transformational $10 million was the largest gift received by Beebe, largest in Sussex County, and one of the largest in the state. With that gift, renovations are underway on the Margaret H. Rollins Lewes Campus, and will include a more defined main entrance with a new lobby, a scenic corner at the east entrance, and renovation of patient rooms.

The Rollins gift inspired many donors to join them in supporting the I Believe in Beebe Campaign to help fund the expansion plans. Other expansion on the Lewes campus includes the construction of a hybrid operating room, an electrophysiology lab and an additional cath lab.

In 2019, Beebe Healthcare’s Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing was named Best RN Program in Delaware by RegisteredNursing.org, which analyzes each school’s pass rate for students on the NCLEX-RN exam. The school will host an open house from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 13, and all are welcome.

“With this endowment fund, the faculty can continue their education, bringing innovative ideas to the classroom and making the Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing a destination for nursing students,” said Pickard.