Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids joins educational alliance with Purdue Global

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, and WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Global has signed an educational alliance agreement with Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids, bringing broad-based educational opportunities with tuition reduction to staff and their family members.

“The Purdue Global School of Nursing is excited to begin our partnership with Mercy Medical Center and eager to support its mission around continuing education and the pursuit of academic achievement,” said Melissa Burdi, dean and vice president of the Purdue Global School of Nursing.

The Purdue Global School of Nursing offers an associate degree program, an RN-BSN program, 10 master’s programs in nursing specialties, and a doctorate program for nursing. Additional Purdue Global offerings include programs for business, criminal justice, human services and psychology, among others. The Purdue Global Law School and aviation programs are not included in this partnership.

Mercy Medical Center staff and immediate family members (spouse, domestic partner, children, siblings and parents) will have access to a 20% tuition reduction for undergraduate programs, 14% reduction for graduate programs and 10% reduction for doctoral programs.

“We are thrilled to partner with Purdue Global on this important tuition discount initiative,” said Cheryl Bailey, interim senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Mercy. “This is exactly the type of innovative program we need as the nation’s health care systems continue to look for solutions to nursing shortages. This educational alliance with Purdue Global is especially beneficial as it helps us, and the broader community, retain nursing talent while providing growth opportunities for our staff and their families.”

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://stories.purdue.edu/purdue-global/. 

About Mercy

Mercy Cedar Rapids is a Catholic healthcare system serving patients and families in eastern Iowa. In addition to Mercy Medical Center (its fully accredited, 424-licensed-bed hospital in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa), the system also has an established network of specialty clinics, including MercyCare primary and urgent care clinics located throughout Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities. PINC AI™ and Fortune have named Mercy Medical Center among the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals based on clinical, operational, financial and patient satisfaction data. Founded in 1900 by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy remains dedicated to its mission of caring for the sick and enhancing the health of the communities it serves. For more information, log on to www.mercycare.org, or follow Mercy on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok or YouTube.

Writer: Kaitlin McQueen

Media Contact: Matthew Oates, oatesw@purdue.edu

Sources: 

Michelle Carlson, director of educational partnerships, Office of Industry Partnerships

Melissa Burdi, vice president and dean of the School of Nursing, Purdue Global

Cheryl Bailey, interim vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer, Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids