One way to assure that you have a workforce of the future is to provide the means for those who will populate your workforce to successfully attain the proper education and training to get there. At Lakeland Health Foundations, they take the future very seriously, working to invest in the future through the scholarships of today.
Through the Allied Health Careers Scholarship program, the Lakeland Health Foundations provided a total of $126,000 in the form of 49 scholarships and 49 department grants this year to Lakeland Health professionals and students interested in pursuing a career in health care. The awards were distributed at a recent reception at the Howard Performing Arts Center on the campus of Andrews University in Berrien Springs, and attendees included team members from the Niles, St. Joseph, and Watervliet hospitals, as well as Caring Circle, Lakeland Medical Practices, and Southwestern Medical Clinic.
In fact, over the past 24 years, the Lakeland Health Foundations have awarded more than $1-million in scholarships and grants to Lakeland team members, departments, and volunteers. This has been made possible largely through endowments from community members designed with the sole purpose of investing in healthcare education and training.
David Burghart is Vice President of Philanthropy and President of Lakeland Health Foundations. He says, “We are very grateful to the generous friends of Lakeland who have selflessly contributed funds, making it possible for the Foundation to award scholarships and grants each year.” He adds, “Through the creation of memorials and other endowed funds, Lakeland team members are advancing their clinical skills for providing exemplary care to our community.”
During the scholarship ceremony, Burghart presented Bart Berndt, Executive Director of Diagnostic Services, with the organization’s Leo Soorus Leadership Award to honor his exemplary leadership in key projects related to upgrades of the Catheter Lab and the purchase of new, state-of-the art equipment for patient care. The Leo Soorus Leadership Award and grant, developed through the Lakeland Health Foundations, honor Soorus’ many contributions to southwest Michigan as a Lakeland executive and as a leader of many community and professional organizations.
Lakeland team members and area students (listed by their hometowns) who received scholarships through the Lakeland Health Foundations include:
Benton Harbor
Samantha Schultz, The G. Clemons Theisen Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Margaret Onsongo, The Margaret L. Tufts Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Audrey Gauthier, The Victor Palenske Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Kathleen Mercado, The William E. Johnson Scholarship
Jorge Murillo, Whirlpool Foundation Nursing Scholarship
Monica Milanowski, Lakeland Health Auxiliary Volunteer Scholarship
Berrien Springs
Heidi Ruthsatz, Bill & Golda Madison Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Suranny Sarria, Bill & Golda Madison Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Vicki Yarbro, Deborah Lynn Griffin Memorial Scholarship
Jodie Knuth, Growth & Achievement Scholarship
John Walters, Growth & Achievement Scholarship
Leeann Enix, The G. Clemons Theisen Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Evelyn Osei, The G. Clemons Theisen Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Jenna Wyant, The James W. Tiscornia Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Kristin Rumer, The Victor Palenske Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Jaime Walters, The William E. Johnson Scholarship
Armand Coltuneac, Lakeland Health Auxiliary Pawating Volunteer Scholarship
Lukonde Mwinga, Lakeland Health Auxiliary Pawating Volunteer Scholarship
Bumeun Lee, Lakeland Health Auxiliary Berrien General Volunteer Scholarship
Karla Mulzac, Lakeland Health Auxiliary Pawating Volunteer Scholarship
Cassopolis
Erin Hayden, Growth & Achievement Scholarship
Stephanie Harding, The Victor Palenske Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Coloma
Teresa Yoakum, The Walter B. Laetz Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Jenna Cox, Yvonne Post Scholarship
Galien
Traci Payne, The Joseph A. Wasserman Scholarship
Darcy Fox, Whirlpool Foundation Nursing Scholarship
Niles
Michele Bedell, Allan & Vera Buckalew Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Esther Hooley, Bill & Golda Madison Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Alyssa Fritz, The Walter B. Laetz Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Taylor Anthony, Lakeland Health Gen Starkey Volunteer Scholarship
Paw Paw
Mollee Nason, Lakeland Family Scholarship
South Bend
Dorcas Hodges, The Margaret L. Tufts Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
St. Joseph
Jared Knuth, Allan & Vera Buckalew Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Haley Groves, Deborah Lynn Griffin Memorial Scholarship
Rebecca Eichler-Toth, Frederick S. Upton Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Anthony McKeen, John Proos, MD, Memorial Scholarship
Erin Augustyniak, Lakeland Family Scholarship
Denise Lenardson, Lucy Bel Mayer Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Catherine Coultes, Ruth Frobel Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Angela Wright, The G. Clemons Theisen Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Nora Slavin, The James W. Tiscornia Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Jennifer Soper, The Victor Palenske Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Kimberly Deja, The Walter B. Laetz Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Dakota Cook, The Walter B. Laetz Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Susan Butler, The William E. Johnson Scholarship
Sahana Harikrishnan, Lakeland Health Auxiliary Volunteer Scholarship
Morgan Kaiser, Lakeland Health Auxiliary Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Chloe Kalinas, Lakeland Health Auxiliary Allied Health Careers Scholarship
Allison Tuckowski, The Margaret L. Tufts Memorial Allied Health Careers Scholarship
