(February 3, 2009) – The Deaconess Foundation awarded two nursing student scholarships worth $5,000 in 2008 to help Deaconess Hospital employees with college tuition and fees. These grants are made possible through the generosity of various donors, some of whom are themselves graduates of the Deaconess nursing program. The funds are designated for both Deaconess nurses and other healthcare professionals at the hospital.

  The 2008 scholarship recipients included Carly Rundborg, who graduated from St. Mary's College in May 2008. She is a full time registered nurse on the orthopedics floor and hopes to become a bariatric nurse specialist.

 Teresa Raleigh, another scholarship recipient, graduated from Cincinnati State this past summer and has been working full time as registered nurse on the orthopedics floor since July of 2008. Teresa has an interest in orthopedics and emergency services and hopes to become an ER Nurse and achieve her ACLS certification.

 The Deaconess Health Associations Fund may annually award up to three Allied Health Scholarships in the amount of $7,000 for non-nursing healthcare employees and three Nursing Scholarships for newly hired employees or current employees, each in the amount of $5,000. In 2009 a $10,000 scholarship will be available specifically for a newly hired allied health employee.

For more information about Deaconess Health Associations Fund scholarship opportunities, please call the Deaconess Foundation at 513-559-2323.