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Published on September 03, 2008

Nursing and Allied Health Scholarships Awarded by Tri-City Hospital Foundation, Singh Family Fund & Genentech

September 3 - Tri-City Hospital Foundation has awarded a total of 24 scholarships to employees at Tri-City Medical Center working toward nursing and allied health degrees. The scholarships were made possible because of the generous support of the Harry Singh Jr. & Family Scholarship Fund that underwrote 18 scholarships (total $52,000) which was leveraged by an additional six awarded by the Genentech Corporation (total $15,000).

The scholarships, ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 each, were awarded this week, in time for tuition and books! The award amounts depended on the type of nursing or allied health degree. A panel of ten Tri-City Medical Center staff and Tri-City Hospital Foundation staff and Board of Trustees conducted interviews and spent time getting to know the employee scholars. All of the interviewers expressed how impressed they were with the applicants and how rewarding it was to be able to assist the employees in their quest to better themselves and their families. Several of them have worked on successive degrees for five, ten, and even fifteen years, all the while working at Tri-City Medical Center and supporting their families.

Fifteen of the 18 Singh Fund scholars are working toward nursing degrees, 8 toward their RN (registered nurse) degree; 4 toward the BSN (Bachelors of Science in Nursing) degree; and three toward their MSN (Masters of Science in Nursing) degree. Another three employees are in classes for Allied Health degrees or certification; including a BS degree in respiratory therapy, a doctorate of physical therapy degree, and radiographic technician certification. The scholars represent an ethnically and culturally diverse group.

The interviews brought to light many stories of perseverance, determination, and loyalty to Tri-City Medical Center. For example, one scholarship awardee has been a TCMC employee for 19 years, the first nine years as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA); and after obtaining her Associates Degree in Nursing (RN), she worked as an RN for ten years. She is now attending the University of San Diego to obtain her BSN degree in May 2009 and then plans to complete the MSN program in a year and half with the ultimate goal of becoming an adult nurse practitioner. She finds time to participate with Fresh Start, a non-profit organization that provides surgical services to underserved children with birth defects and other conditions!

Another employee is making a career switch, from Guest Services meeting coordinator who schedules the meeting rooms and meals that occur every day throughout the hospital, to respiratory therapy. A single mom, she has worked for Tri-City Medical Center for 21 years, starting as a Diet and Menu clerk. Along the way, she became interested in working with patients in the management and treatment of respiratory problems. She is attending California College San Diego and will become a respiratory therapist (RT) in 2009. She states that she will always continue learning and that her motto is one from Gandhi, "Live as if you were to die tomorrow, Learn as if you were to live forever."

A list of the recipients of the scholarships is found below. A reception will be held in October so that the scholarship awardees can meet their benefactors, Singh family members and representatives from Genentech.

Founded in 1961 and located in Oceanside, Tri-City Medical Center is a fully accredited 397-bed hospital providing a complete range of medical, surgical, and educational health services. TCMC has medical staff of 626 physicians representing over 30 medical specialties and sub-specialties. In FY 2007, TCMC served a total of 86,7ll patients and provided 161,207 inpatient and outpatient encounters.

Information on individuals and their stories is available on request. For more information, please contact Carol Mudgett at 760-940-3597 or mudgettca@tcmc.com.