News Releases

Gilden Advertising Donates $1.2 Million to the University of Maryland School of Nursing

October 16, 2000

Agency Targets Statewide Nursing Shortage

Baltimore, Md. – Gilden Advertising, one of Baltimore's fastest growing high-technology advertising, design and public relations firms, has donated $1.2 million in cash, services and in-kind gifts to the University of Maryland School of Nursing to recruit more students into nursing during a critical nursing shortage.

As part of this unique public/private partnership, Gilden is developing an integrated marketing campaign, including advertising, graphic design, public relations, market research and media planning for the School of Nursing. The agency will showcase the benefits of choosing nursing as a profession, as well as the advantages of pursuing this educational goal at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

A recent survey by the Maryland Hospital Association found an average nursing vacancy rate of 14.7 percent during the first three months of 2000, while the number of registered nurses licensed in Maryland dropped by 2,335 in the last year. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has also reported that enrollments in baccalaureate nursing programs declined by 4.6 percent last fall.

According to Barbara R. Heller, EdD, RN, FAAN, Dean of the School of Nursing, "In a time of greater life expectancy in individuals with chronic and acute conditions, a nursing shortage of this magnitude presents a serious challenge to our community."

Jack Gilden, president of Gilden Advertising, says, "Gilden has helped create nationwide success stories over the past five years. We plan to apply that same knowledge to support the University of Maryland School of Nursing in their quest to help reverse this health care crisis, particularly in underserved communities."

The School of Nursing is pioneering the use of innovative technologies to educate the many students enrolled in its bachelor's, master's and PhD programs. Additionally, basic science and clinical research initiatives are generating new models of nursing and health care delivery for the 21st century.

Gilden Advertising provides high-technology businesses with an integrated marketing resource that grasps complex technical concepts and conveys them to both mass and specialized audiences. Its clients include Aether Systems, Integrated Data Communications, Cambrian, HireFuze.com and Legg Mason Funds.