RSF Women's Fund Grant to Jump Start Perinatal Nurse Specialty Training at USD Hahn School of Nursing
July 24, 2025 — 6:07 PM
The Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund has awarded the esteemed Gayle Gillies-Mize Award to the University of San Diego’s Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, recognizing its groundbreaking efforts to address maternal health disparities in San Diego County, according to a news release.
The Hahn School will use the $25,000 grant to implement a graduate-level program to train Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) who play a crucial role in managing high-risk pregnancies and improving maternal and infant outcomes. The program is expected to significantly increase the number of CNS specialists who serve over 600,000 women of child-bearing age in San Diego County.
San Diego County has seen a troubling rise in maternal mortality between 2002 and 2021, with rates increasing from 12.7 to 14.5 per 100,000 live births, the news release stated.
Faculty lead and Director of the program Dr. Sheree Scott said in the news release, “This award is an incredible honor and a meaningful endorsement of our commitment to addressing maternal health disparities. As the faculty lead on the development of this new Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist program, I’ve seen firsthand how urgently our region needs nurses with this advanced expertise.
“The Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science is proud to be a key contributor to San Diego’s nursing workforce, and this initiative will strengthen that pipeline at a critical time. With the support of the Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund, we will take an important step forward in improving outcomes for mothers, infants, and families across the communities of North County and across the state.”
Honoring innovation in women’s health
The Gayle Gillies-Mize Award, named after the Women’s Fund founder, is the organization’s highest honor. It is awarded annually to the grant recipient that receives the most votes from the Women’s Fund membership. During the 2024-25 grant cycle the Women’s Fund vetted 124 projects from local not-for-profit organizations, so the award speaks to the exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact of the program in advancing women’s health and well-being.