“…IN THE LONG RUN, THESE SCHOLARSHIPS ENCOURAGE ADVANCEMENT ON OUR NURSING AND ADMINISTRATIVE CAREER LADDERS.” JEAN BULMER, DNP, RN-BC, DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING
Recognizing opportunity: The Next Generation Fund
Realizing dreams: Nursing Scholarships Gifts to scholarship funds are a mainstay in helping to secure and sustain one of UPMC Hamot’s most vital resources: its nurses. Foundation benefactors may support nursing scholarships through several key funds created in honor of Elinor “Punky” and Robert Jeffrey, Pat and Walter Yahn, Audrey Sieber, and Edna Malone. These scholarships help defray the costs of tuition, pay for books and expenses, and reduce loan amounts. “Just as importantly, they reinforce an individual’s sense of value in the organization,” says Jean Bulmer, DNP, RN-BC, director of organizational development and training. “Nursing scholarships encourage future employment for people who can be readily assimilated into our organization,” says Bulmer. “The financial support is greatly valued by each recipient. And, in the long run, these scholarships encourage advancement on our nursing and administrative career ladders.”
10 | AHEAD OF THE CURVE
The health care industry accounts for approximately one-third of employment in northwestern Pennsylvania, a vital engine driving our local economy. It is imperative for our youth to be aware of the array of diverse health care careers available to them, and to recognize their potential professional compatibility in the industry. Now in its second year, the Next Generation Fund was formed to expand awareness of potential health care careers among area students, and to create experiences exposing them to actual positions in the real working environment. Among the programs it funds is Mercyhurst University’s Health Career Explorer Camp. Over the past six years, nearly 400 culturally diverse high school students have engaged in hands-on experience in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical lab technology, respiratory therapy, and emergency medical response training. Funds also support UPMC Hamot’s Inclusion Program that sponsors job shadowing, volunteering, career fairs, and related pipeline and workforce development opportunities for area students.