Dr. Prem Reddy makes largest donation in college history
Dr. Prem Reddy committed recently to be the largest private donor in the largest private donor in the history of Victor Valley College with a $1 Million contribution to support instructional programs emphasizing Health Sciences. The Victor Valley College Foundation will administer the gift.
“It is my honor and duty to give back to a community that has given so much to me,” said Dr. Prem Reddy, “Nurses are in short supply and high demand. I applaud the efforts of Victor Valley College in addressing this critical need in the healthcare community. I encourage my fellow healthcare professionals and community leaders to consider carefully as I have, their ability to support the valuable resource we have in Victor Valley College.”
Dr. Prem Reddy is the Chairman of the Board of Desert Valley Medical Group and the Founder of the Desert Valley Charitable Foundation.
In recognition of more than a decade of financial support culminating in this significant contribution, the college formally recognized Dr. Reddy by clustering a group of disciplines in his honor. The Dr. Prem Reddy School was established with a vote of the College Board of Trustees on may 15 and will include the Allied Health, Nursing, Paramedic and Respiratory Therapy programs.
“Dr. Reddy’s generosity strikes a high standard of support for the college and serves as a motivator to others. The beneficiary of this donation ultimately will be the community itself,” said Dr. Patricia A. Spencer, Superintendent/President of Victor Valley College.
Victor Valley College increasingly relies on support from the private sector to close the gap between state support and local needs. It receives the lowest per student allocation from state tax dollars of any level of education elementary to university. The health sciences programs are among the most costly to the College district.
The Victor Valley College Foundation is currently in the midst of The Legacy Campaign a $2.1 million fund development effort to benefit Victor Valley College. Dr. Reddy is the largest contributor to this program.
“we at the Foundation are humbled by the generosity of Dr. Prem Reddy’s gift,” said Diana Nourse, Vice President of Resource Development and Chair of The Legacy Campaign for the Foundation, “ This is an example of what we can accomplish when the community partners with the college to support higher education.”
Bolstered by a $100,000 Legacy Campaign contribution already made by Dr. Reddy, leaders of the College Nursing Department have been working with area hospitals to develop a plan for alleviating some of the critical nursing shortage, which threatens accessibility to healthcare locally.
The nursing program plans to increase enrollment and student success rates within its existing Registered Nursing programs, establish new fast track programs for related professionals who wish to advance in their career path and encourage graduates to consider local employment.
Victor Valley College is well known for the quality of its Nursing program, which recently achieved a 100% pass rate for all graduates taking the RN exam. Currently approximately 60 nurses complete the Victor Valley College program each year. The change in the name of the program will not change the established instruction provided through it. The infusion of financial resources that inspired the recognition, however, will significantly aid the program’s expansion.
“Dr. Prem Reddy has clearly demonstrated his commitment to the Victor Valley with this $1 Million gift. His philanthropy supports our college, our students, and our community. We are proud to help Dr. Reddy realize his vision of a better community through education,” said Joe Range, Past President of Victor Valley College District Foundation.
The Victor valley College District Foundatio