HCA Healthcare Foundation awards grant to Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston

The HCA Healthcare Foundation Healthier Tomorrow Fund has awarded a $25,000 Partnership Cultivation Grant to Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston to support the IGNITE Nursing™ program, an innovative nursing education and employment pipeline designed to inspire and prepare future nurses.

On Tuesday, February 25, leaders from HCA Houston Healthcare and Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston gathered for a check presentation at the School of Nursing to celebrate this meaningful partnership.

IGNITE Nursing™ (Inspiring and Growing Interests Through Exploration in Nursing) was developed by Dr. Maja Djukic, PhD, RN, FAAN, and D’hania Miller, MS, BSN, RN, to address the growing demand for qualified nurses. This evidence-based pipeline program provides high school students with hands-on exposure to nursing through immersive skills labs, high-tech simulations, and summer enrichment sessions.

With initial funding from the HCA Healthcare Foundation, the program successfully partnered with five school districts — Houston, Katy, Channelview, Spring, and Spring Branch ISDs — to pilot a one-day immersive nursing skills lab and a one-week summer enrichment program.

"Investing in the future of nursing begins with inspiring the next generation. By engaging high school students early, we’re not just creating a pathway to nursing education — we’re shaping compassionate leaders who will drive the future of healthcare," said Laura Griffin, vice president of nursing practice at HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division.

This grant reaffirms HCA Healthcare’s commitment to investing in the future of healthcare by supporting programs that strengthen the nursing workforce. Through continued partnerships, the IGNITE Nursing™ program will help introduce more students to the nursing profession, fostering a new generation of skilled and compassionate healthcare professionals.