The Gordan E. Inman College of Nursing joins nine other institutions in a two-year initiative to reshape how nursing schools train the next generation
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 20, 2026) — Belmont University's Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing has been selected to join the inaugural class of the Academic Nursing Innovation Fellows (ANI Fellows) program, a collaborative initiative of the Bedford Falls Foundation and the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation. The two-year pilot program is designed to help academic nursing leaders drive systems-level change in nursing education, with the goal of producing more practice-ready graduates and reducing early-career attrition in the nursing workforce.
The ANI Fellows program brings together leaders from 10 institutions across the country — Barnes Jewish College, Belmont University, Creighton University, Johns Hopkins University, Medical University of South Carolina, Morgan State University, Ohio State University, University of Florida, University of San Francisco and Yale University — representing a deliberate cross-section of American nursing education, from large state universities to faith-based and HBCU/MSI institutions.
Belmont's participation reflects a longstanding relationship between the University and the Bedford Falls Foundation, which has grown out of ongoing conversations between Belmont leadership and the foundation about the pressures facing nursing education and the nurses it produces.
Representing Belmont in the program are Dr. Julie Honey, dean of the Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing; Dr. Christina Beall, senior associate dean of nursing; and Courtney Daniel, director of prelicensure nursing clinical. Each ANI Fellow school sends a three-person team — a dean, a curriculum leader and a clinical practice leader — because the program's premise is that changing nursing education means aligning the leaders who oversee every part of a student's path, not just the dean's office.
For Honey, the program's focus on leadership development is what sets it apart from a typical convening.
"If you want to change nursing education, you have to change how the leaders of nursing education think and work together," Honey said. "This fellowship gives our team a chance to test new ideas alongside some of the strongest nursing programs in the country, and to bring what we learn straight back into how we prepare our students for the realities of practice."
The program is a joint effort between Bedford Falls Foundation, which has committed significant funding to nursing education nationally, and the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation.
"The future of healthcare depends on preparing the best nurses who will be entering the workforce with the tools they need to succeed," said Bill Conway, co-founder of the Bedford Falls Foundation. "The ANI Fellows program will create an opportunity for thought leaders across the nursing field to rethink how we educate, support and prepare the next generation of nurses. We are truly grateful to partner with the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation on this important collaboration to strengthen innovation in nursing education."
Elisabeth DeLuca said the model is designed to put the solutions in the hands of the people running nursing schools day to day.
"Patients, families and entire communities benefit when nurses enter practice ready for the realities of care," DeLuca said. "The ANI Fellows program gives nursing leaders the room to test bold ideas, learn from one another and share what works. The strongest solutions for nursing education come from the people closest to the work, and we're proud to partner with the Bedford Falls Foundation to bring those ideas to life."
Belmont hosted the fellows' inaugural launch retreat the week of Aug. 2. Over the two-year program, fellows will continue meeting virtually and in person as they design, implement and study curricular innovations at their home institutions.
About Belmont University
Located near the heart of thriving Nashville, Tennessee, Belmont University consists of nearly 9,000 students who come from every state and 33 countries. The University is nationally recognized for its innovative approach as well as its commitment to undergraduate teaching (U.S. News & World Report). As a Christ-centered, student-focused community, Belmont’s mission is to develop diverse leaders of purpose, character and wisdom who possess a transformational mindset and are eager and equipped to make the world a better place. With more than 115 areas of undergraduate study, 41 master’s programs and eight doctoral degrees, Belmont University aims to be the leading Christ-centered university in the world, producing leaders who will radically champion the pursuit of life abundant for all people. For more information, visit www.belmont.edu.
About Bedford Falls Foundation
The Bedford Falls Foundation, a private foundation, and Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF, a donor advised fund advised by the foundation, were each established by Bill Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and his late wife Joanne Barkett Conway. The shared mission of their nursing philanthropy is to remove financial barriers to a high-quality nursing education and to support educational partners in addressing the critical nursing workforce shortage. In addition to nursing, the Foundation also supports health and human service initiatives in Washington, D.C. and Nashua, N.H., which provide pathway opportunities aimed at strengthening community well-being and access to care for the region's most vulnerable populations.
To learn more about Bedford Falls and the areas it supports, visit www.bedfordfallsfoundation.org.
About the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation
The Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation invests in nurses and allied health professionals so they can advance their careers and deliver skillful, compassionate care every day. The Foundation funds scholarships that open the path into the field, connect classroom training to real clinical practice, and build pathways into leadership for the professionals who will shape the future of care. Learn more at delucafdn.org.
Media Contact
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Belmont University
Julia.copeland@belmont.edu
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