The Scranton Area Community Foundation Announces Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship Applications Open The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation has announced the 2022 Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship application deadline for students in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties who plan to pursue or who are pursuing nursing, and who will practice in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Interested nursing students or current nurses looking to advance their careers may apply online from February 1, 2022 through April 15th 2022 at CareersinCareNEPA.org. To qualify for a Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship, individuals must show they have had a permanent address in Lackawanna, Luzerne, or Wyoming County for the last three years. Applicants may be new or continuing students interested in pursuing, or currently pursuing, nursing; traditional or non-traditional students pursuing qualification at any level of the nursing profession, including CNA, LPN, RN to BSN, BS (3rd and 4th year only), Master’s Degree/Nurse Educator; or non-traditional students looking to return to work or seeking a change in employment. “Nursing provides the greatest honor in life – to be able to care for patients in their most vulnerable state and assist them when they need it the most. This scholarship is enabling me to enhance my skills from being a Licensed Practical Nurse to earning my Bachelors in Science degree in Nursing,” remarked Nicole Lubash, 2021 scholarship winner, mother of two young boys, and a Junior at Marywood University. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation’s Careers in Care initiative is a$1.7 million commitment over a three-year period (2020-2023) focused on developing the regional pipeline of the healthcare workforce. Established through the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the nursing scholarship program aims to support the growth and development of the nurses at all levels in NEPA. “We’re delighted that 19 previous scholarship winners are already pursuing nursing careers with awards from the Careers in Care nursing scholarship program. We are prepared to assist many additional nursing school applicants with scholarships during this enrollment period,” stated Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation.
Northeast Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation Awards Careers in Care Grant to Johnson College The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation has awarded Johnson College a $30,000 grant from its Careers in Care initiative. The grant will support the College’s “Widening the Pipeline for a Trained Healthcare Workforce” project designed to increase the pool of qualified, well-trained health care workers for our area. With the grant, Johnson College will establish a mobile training laboratory to provide a hands-on experience for potential students to see and feel what it is like to work in the health care field. The board of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation recently met with Johnson College to discuss the $30,000 grant awarded to the College in support of its “Widening the Pipeline for a Trained Health Care Workforce” project and tour the mobile training laboratory. Photo: Front Row L-R: James Clemente, board chair, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Shubhra Shetty, M.D., board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Marie Roke Thomas, Ph.D., board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Donna Martucci, board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Katie Leonard, Ed.D., President & CEO, Johnson College, Karen Baker, Sr. Director of College Advancement, Johnson College, Michele McGowan, D.B.A., board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, and Laura Ducceschi, President & CEO, Scranton Area Community Foundation. Back Row L-R: The Honorable Terrence Nealon, board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Robert Knowles, Vice Chairman, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Kerry O’Grady, board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Christopher Dressel, M.D., board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Mark Mitchell, board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, James Mileski, board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Jeremiah Eagen, M.D., board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, and Peter Cognetti, M.D., board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation.
NEPA Health Care Foundation, Administered by SACF, Announces Careers in Care Nursing Scholarships In response to the acute shortage of nurses across the region and its effect on the health and wellness of Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, announces it has awarded $189,622 in its first year towards nursing scholarships for local students as part of its Careers in Care initiative. The Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship Program has awarded 21 scholarships to students in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties who plan to pursue or who are pursuing nursing and who will practice in Northeastern Pennsylvania. These scholarship opportunities come during a time where the strains on the healthcare workforce in Northeastern Pennsylvania have been significant. In response to the significant interest and need in the region, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation has decided to double the amount available for scholarships in 2022 to $400,000.The Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship Program accepted applications earlier this year and, through a rigorous and competitive application process, identified a variety of qualified nursing students. Recipients include Brooke Bird, Luzerne County Community College; Sarah Bonser, Walden University; Jacqueline Cicardo, Luzerne County Community College; Michael Clark, Penn State Scranton; Caity Colan, Luzerne County Community College; Jason Conrad, Luzerne County Community College; Jacqueline Earley, Lackawanna College; Austin Emenyonu, Misericordia University; Elizabeth Hernandez, Luzerne County Community College; Casey Hughes, Luzerne County Community College; Holly Hughes, Marywood University; Nicole Lubash, Marywood University; Brittany Marcinkevich, Lackawanna College; Mary McFadden, Penn State Scranton; Tiffany Megotz, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County; Anne Murdoch, Penn State Scranton; Samantha Rosselli, Lackawanna College; Laura Slivinski, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County; Rosa Vazquez Nunez, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County; Ariana Velez, Wilkes University; and Sabrina Weidlich, Luzerne County Community College. “Over the past year, we have seen just how timely the Careers in Care initiative really is,” said James Clemente, NEPA Health Care Foundation Board Chair. “The Foundation’s Board understands the strains that the regional healthcare workforce is facing and strives to make an impact to address these critical issues through these important scholarships.” “I think the fact that the Board of the Northeastern PA Health Care Foundation has decided to double the amount of scholarship support available for nurses in year two speaks to the great need and interest in the program,” said Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. She adds, “I think the Foundation board was very innovative in their planning of these scholarships which are made available to nursing students from CNAs through nurse educators at the graduate level.” The Scranton Area Community Foundation administers the NEPA Health Care Foundation. To qualify for a Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship, individuals were required to show they have had a permanent address in Lackawanna, Luzerne, or Wyoming County for the last three years. Scholarships were available to those interested in obtaining a CNA and entering the healthcare workforce. Scholarships are also for anyone employed in the healthcare field in either Lackawanna, Luzerne, or Wyoming County and looking to advance as an LPN or RN/BSN. Additionally, students were invited to apply if they were in their third or fourth year of a four-year nursing degree and looking for financial assistance. Scholarship recipients were also asked to demonstrate a commitment to stay in the Northeastern Pennsylvania region. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation also invited ‘nontraditional’ students or those looking to go back to school to obtain a nursing degree to apply for a Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship. Additionally, through Careers in Care, the NEPA Health Care Foundation will provide grant support totaling $830,000, to a variety of organizations including Lackawanna College, for its three-year plan to enhance the pipeline of local healthcare professionals and increase the number trained and retained in the region; United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA for its Upward Economic Mobility Program; and Saint Joseph’s Center for direct support professional wage increases. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation’s Careers in Care initiative is a $1.7 million commitment over a three-year period (2020-2023). In addition to the Careers in Care initiative, the NEPA Health Care Foundation is also in the seventh year of a $3.2 million commitment to the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) for scholarship support for incoming first-year medical students from Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wyoming counties. The NEPA Health Care Foundation Scholars program covers full tuition for these scholars, who indicate a commitment to practice medicine in Northeastern PA.
NEPA Health Care Foundation Opens Careers in Care Nursing Scholarships The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation today announces the opening of its new Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship application, established through the Scranton Area Community Foundation. This $700,000 competitive nursing scholarship program aims to support the growth and development of the nursing workforce in NEPA. The Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship Program is now accepting applications from students who plan to pursue or who are pursuing nursing and who will practice in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Interested students with demonstrated financial need can apply through the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s online portal found at safdn.org/nursing. The deadline to apply for a nursing scholarship is Saturday, May 15, 2021. To qualify for a Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship, individuals must show they have had a permanent address in Lackawanna, Luzerne, or Wyoming County for the last three years. Scholarships are available to those interested in obtaining a CNA and entering the healthcare workforce. Scholarships are also for anyone employed in the healthcare field in either Lackawanna, Luzerne, or Wyoming County and looking to advance as an LPN or RN. Additionally, students may apply if they are in their third or fourth year of a four-year nursing degree and looking for financial assistance. ‘Nontraditional’ students or those looking to go back to school to obtain a nursing degree may also apply. A registered nurse looking to obtain a Master’s degree may also qualify for a Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship. Letters of recommendation are required when applying. These scholarship opportunities offered by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation through its Careers in Care program, come during a time where the strains on the healthcare workforce in Northeastern Pennsylvania have been significant. These scholarships aim to make an impact on the nursing workforce in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties. “These scholarships will provide the much-needed financial support to students who may otherwise not have been able to further their education,” stated Director of Nursing and Associate Professor of Practice at Marywood University, Dr. Theresa Tulaney, Ph.D., MS, RN, GCNS. “In addition, it will allow students to focus on their education instead of having to work many hours to alleviate difficult financial situations,” she added. “The Foundation’s Board understands the strains that the regional healthcare workforce is facing and, through the Careers in Care initiative, strives to make an impact to address these critical issues,” said James Clemente, NEPA Health Care Foundation Board Chair. “Over the past year, we have seen just how timely this really is.” Additionally, through Careers in Care, the NEPA Health Care Foundation will provide grant support totaling $830,000, to a variety of organizations including Lackawanna College, for its three-year plan to enhance the pipeline of local healthcare professionals and increase the number trained and retained in the region; United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA for its Upward Economic Mobility Program; and Saint Joseph’s Center for direct support professional wage increases. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation’s Careers in Care initiative is a $1.5 million commitment over a three-year period (2020-2023) focused on moving the needle on these critical areas. The rollout of the Careers in Care initiative comes after the completion of a regional listening tour which the Foundation conducted from May through September of 2019. The NEPA Health Care Foundation conducted 30 site visits across the region to determine the health workforce challenges from the perspective of multiple healthcare providers, colleges, universities, vocational schools, agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, and how the Foundation could best make an impact. “It was clear from discussions during our listening tour that there is a great demand for nurses at all levels. Supply is just not able to meet demand,” said Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. She continued, “It was also clear that the development of the regional health workforce pipeline needs to continue to start earlier with students.” The Scranton Area Community Foundation administers the NEPA Health Care Foundation. In addition to the Careers in Care initiative, the NEPA Health Care Foundation is also in the seventh year of a $3.2 million commitment to the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) for scholarship support for incoming first-year medical students from Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wyoming counties. The NEPA Health Care Foundation Scholars program covers full tuition for these scholars, who indicate a commitment to practice medicine in Northeastern PA.
