Passport2Liberty Opens Ukrainian Nurse Migration to United States
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PHILADELPHIA, July 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CGFNS International, Inc. (CGFNS) is proud to announce its "Passport to Liberty" initiative that will restore credentials for Ukrainian nurses who wish to migrate to the United States. Recognizing that special attention must be given to those forced to flee their country to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster, CGFNS will leverage its credentials assessment expertise, partnerships, and state-of-the-art global educational database to reconstruct the documentation Ukrainian nurses need to practice in the United States.
As an internationally recognized standards-setting body and the world's largest credentials evaluation organization for nursing, CGFNS' mission and responsibility to every nurse around the globe is to provide them with the means to have a better life by living and working in their country of choice.
"CGFNS created the Passport2Liberty initiative to address the challenges faced by Ukrainian nurses during this time of crisis. It is grounded in the belief and commitment that safe, orderly, regular migration is a human right, and that the global community has a responsibility to ensure that refugees in all situations are aptly supported and empowered," said CGFNS President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Franklin A. Shaffer.
To further expand the initiative, the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) will facilitate partnerships with healthcare systems and work with the State Boards of Nursing. "Passport2Liberty offers a path for hospitals and health systems to help displaced Ukrainian nurses find support and assistance in rebuilding their lives while continuing their nursing careers in the United States," said Robyn Begley, senior vice president and chief nursing officer of AHA and AONL CEO.
A founding partner and the first U.S. healthcare system to commit to the Passport2Liberty initiative is Ochsner Health, an integrated healthcare system with 40 hospitals and 300+ health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Gulf South. "I am so proud of our creative and empathetic nursing teams at Ochsner Health, who saw a need to help their fellow nurses from Ukraine and shared with leadership this idea to participate," said Warner Thomas, President and CEO of Ochsner Health. "Not only will this program be part of our international RN recruitment strategy, but it's the right thing to do."
Another Passport2Liberty partner is the Catholic Health Association of the United States, which is comprised of more than 600 hospitals and 1,600 long-term-care and other health facilities in all 50 states and is the largest group of nonprofit healthcare providers in the nation. Sr. Mary Haddad, President and CEO, added, "The Catholic Health Association of the United States congratulates CGFNS International on its Passport2Liberty initiative and is pleased to participate in the program. The initiative will help Ukrainian nurses who have been forced to leave their homeland get credential verification to practice in this country and connect these nurses with employers who can support their transition into the U.S. workforce."