UH Portage Medical Center Employees Awarded Scholarships to Further Nursing Education

PORTAGE COUNTY, Ohio – University Hospitals Portage Medical Center (UHPMC) takes pride in the hard work of their staff, especially those continuing or finishing their education. The Portage Medical Center Foundation--the hospital’s primary philanthropic resource for developing new resources--awarded employee scholarships to select recipients this week, helping five employees advance their nursing education.

Two types of scholarships are offered: 1) The Katherine Pangallo and Dr. Fu-Shan Lin Memorial Nursing Scholarships are available to those pursuing education to obtain their Associate, Bachelor’s or Master’s in Nursing to become a Registered Nurse at UHPMC; 2) The Howard B. Minott, M.D. & Melodie Morgan-Minott, M.D. Minorities in Healthcare Scholarship is available to employees who are a minority resident of Northeast Ohio are enrolled in an accredited healthcare career program.

2019 Employee Scholarships Awardees:

• Sarah Blair, a Registered Nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at UHPMC received the Katherine Pangallo Memorial Nursing Scholarship. Blair has been with UHPMC since 2010, and is currently working on her master’s degree in the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Chamberlain University. She started at UHPMC as a Patient Care Assistant, eventually graduating from Kent State University and becoming an RN in the ICU as a result of her love for critical care. She plans to graduate this December and hopes to stay in the UH system.
• Lauren Lewis, a Registered Nurse who has been working at UHPMC for nearly five years was awarded the Dr. Fu-Shan Lin Memorial Nursing Scholarship. She is a mother of two young boys and is also attending Chamberlain University working towards her master’s degree to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Once she graduates next April, she hopes to continue working at UHPMC as an FNP to provide the kindness, patience and positive attitude that she says are essential in patient care.
• Alicia Nation, a Registered Nurse/Charge Nurse in the UHPMC Emergency Department, received the Dr. Fu-Shan Lin Memorial Nursing Scholarship. Nation is also pursuing her Master’s in Nursing for Family Practice from Chamberlain University. She is part of the Emergency Department’s Unit Based Council and has worked to make positive changes in the ED. Nation plans to graduate in the spring of 2020 and begin her work as an FNP.
• Shyvonne Rusher, a Patient Care Nurse Assistant at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, was awarded the Howard B. Minott, M.D. & Melodie Morgan-Minott, M.D. Minorities in Healthcare Scholarship. Rusher is attending Ursuline College for an accelerated Bachelor’s in Nursing program. She previously attended Central Michigan University and graduated in December of 2017 with her first Bachelor’s in Neuroscience with minors in community health education and psychology. She plans to graduate in December of this year and begin her work as an RN, advocating for her patients and giving them the best quality of life that she can.
• Olivia Sott is a Patient Care Assistant in the Step Down Unit at UHPMC and was a recipient of the Dr. Fu-Shan Lin Memorial Nursing Scholarship. Sott is a senior at Kent State University, working towards her Bachelor’s in Nursing. She has enjoyed working with the doctors and nurses at UHPMC and hopes that she can use the knowledge and skills they’ve provided her in her career as an RN. Sott plans to graduate from Kent State University in the spring of 2020 and would like to become a nurse in the Step Down Unit, continuing at UHPMC upon graduating.
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