Moses Taylor Foundation Honored with Friend of School Nursing Award

The Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners (PASNAP) recognized Moses Taylor Foundation as the recipient of the 2025 Friend of School Nursing Award for Pennsylvania. This award is presented to organizations and individuals outside the profession of school nursing who have made significant contributions to the practice of school nursing in the Commonwealth.

Christine Marcos, Senior Program Officer, has been immersed in the Foundation’s strategic focus area of school-based health for seven years. She shares, “School nurses are on the front lines of meeting the health needs of students, and their work encompasses far more than what most people realize. They are key to helping students manage chronic diseases, connecting families to crucial resources, screening children for health concerns, and much more. Our Board and staff are continually inspired by their resilience, knowledge, and passion for student health, and it is our privilege to support their work.”

Representatives from Moses Taylor Foundation accepted the award on March 22, 2025, in State College.

Alongside key partners such as PASNAP, Moses Taylor Foundation has so far invested $1.7 million, countless staff hours, and other resources to support school nurses through a four-point strategy that includes:

• Advocacy for regular reevaluation of school health law, policies, and mandates
• Building awareness of the school nurse role and connections between school nurses and key partners
• Increased professional development opportunities specific to the role of the school nurse
• Research and piloting of innovative school nurse workforce and funding models

“Since 2019, Moses Taylor Foundation has put school nurses front and center, advocating for solutions to barriers affecting school nurses, and helping to improve school health services for the students of Pennsylvania.  I can think of no person or organization more deserving of this year’s Friend of School Nursing award,” said Kathy Verbel, MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN, PASNAP’s Moses Taylor Foundation Liaison.