CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After more than 100 years of training nurses in Charlotte, the Mercy School of Nursing has stopped accepting new students.
The decision by Carolinas Healthcare System, that owns Mercy Hospital, comes as CHS is trying to trim millions of dollars from its budget.
"It was a very hard decision," said Ellen Sheppard who heads the Carolinas School of Health Sciences. “Mercy has a long and rich history as educating fine nurses and that was the thing that made it the most tough."
The move will whittle away at the Mercy name and brand that historian Dan Morrill said has been a bedrock in Charlotte since the turn of last century.
"The nurses that came out of Mercy Hospital and were trained have done so much to help humanity," Morrill said.
Mercy was opened by Catholic nuns of the Sisters of Mercy order in 1906.
They operated the hospital in the Elizabeth neighborhood until 1995 when they sold it to Carolinas Healthcare.
CHS says in looking at efficiencies in its widespread hospital system it decided to keep nursing schools operating at Carolinas Medical Center – Main and CMC - Northeast and eliminate the Mercy School of Nursing.
The program will remain open for the next two years as the class of 42 students who began training in August finishes the two-year program.
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