RN Bridge scholarships will help 2 CTMC LVNs pursue higher education
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2013
FOR MORE INFORMAITON CONTACT:
Rachel Nelson 512.753.3616
Rachel.nelson2@ahss.org
RN BRIDGE SCHOLARSHIPS WILL HELP 2 CTMC LVNS PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION
SAN MARCOS, TX – Two of CTMC’s (Central Texas Medical Center) Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN) have been awarded scholarships from Career Point College in San Antonio to receive their Registered Nurse (RN) degrees.
Azalea Canales and Kathleen Fannon will each receive $25,000 to continue their educations through the RN Bridge Program.
According to Career Point College Clinical Coordinator Margarita Powell, 2013 is the first year that the school has provided scholarships from the RN Bridge Program. Canales and Fannon are the first recipients, and the institution plans to award 5 or 6 more this year, Powell said.
“It’s a big help,” Powell said. “It’s a reward to the student, but it’s also a reward to the family of nursing as to where we grow more RNs.”
CTMC’s education department helped to coordinate hospital LVNs with scholarship applications and considered each applicant’s prior scholastic record and career goals during the selection process.
“It was a hard choice, but we picked two fine women to pursue their RN career and hopefully further their career at this hospital,” said CTMC Chief Nursing Officer Lana Cameron.
“It’s been a lifelong goal that I’ve wanted to accomplish for a while,” Canales said upon accepting a certificate of achievement at a special ceremony on July 25 in CTMC’s Healing Garden. “It’s going to be a rocky road, but I think with the help of my coworkers and leaders I’ll get where I’m going.”
Fannon said she plans to continue her career at CTMC after receiving her RN license because she enjoys working at a small hospital where “patients are people and not numbers.”
“I have grown tremendously through the help of fellow employees and leaders, and I plan to stay here,” she said.
Career Point College successfully implemented a full-time vocational nursing program in 2009 that stemmed from a desire from the school’s student population mixed with a need presented by the medical community. Today, Career Point’s program also offers part-time and evening tracks for students who are unable to attend the standard full-time day program. Their curriculum is geared specifically for the technical, licensed vocational nurse to continue their education in the nursing field.
If you would like more information about the RN Bridge program, please visit www.rnbridgeprogram.com.
About CTMC
The hospital, which originated in 1923 as Hays County Soldiers, Sailors and Marines Memorial Hospital, was restructured in 1960. The present facility was opened at its current Wonder World Drive location in 1983. The CTMC staff of more than 700 employees works with more than 220 active and consulting physicians to provide quality services to patients and their families.
In addition, over 200 community members and interns from area educational institutions volunteer their services to the hospital. In 2010, 2011 and 2012, CTMC was named The Best Hospital in Hays County. CTMC also added a certified Chest Pain Center to its ER capabilities in 2011. In 2012, CTMC became the first operating room along the IH-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio to be equipped with a da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery suite.
CTMC is a member of the Adventist Health System (AHS), a not-for-profit healthcare organization that emphasizes Christ at the center of care. Founded in 1973, AHS has quickly grown to become the largest not-for-profit Protestant healthcare provider in the nation. Today, AHS supports 43 hospitals and employs 55,000 individuals. AHS hospitals are comprised of 7,700 licensed beds, providing care for 4 million patients each year in inpatient, outpatient and emergency room visits.
