The Texas County Memorial Hospital Healthcare Foundation has awarded two $1,000 scholarships to area students to assist with their educational costs for the 2009 spring school semester.
Anthony Ogden of Licking and Courtney Owens of Cabool were the recipients chosen by the foundation board of directors from several applications received.
Ogden is in the radiologic technologist program at Rolla Technical Center and is also pursuing an associate’s degree at East Central College in Rolla. He is a radiologic technologist at TCMH.
Owens is in the RN-Bridge program at Texas County Technical Institute in Houston. She is a licensed practical nurse for TCMH Home Health of the Ozarks.
Ogden and Owens will complete their respective programs in May 2009.
“Educational scholarships are one of the focus areas of the TCMH Healthcare Foundation,” said Jay Gentry, foundation director.
Initially in 2006, the foundation held a golf tournament with educational scholarships as the specific focus of the tournament. More than $8,000 was raised in 2008. This year’s scholarship fund-raiser tournament is June 13 at Oakwood Golf Course in Houston.
According to Gentry, the foundation intends to award two more $1,000 scholarships before the fall school semester in 2009. Applications for the scholarships are available through the foundation or on the TCMH Web site.
“As the foundation’s funds grow, the board of directors of the foundation plan to award larger scholarships,” Gentry said, noting that the foundation is also actively pursing an endowment for scholarships.
The foundation scholarships are designated toward students pursuing education in the field of healthcare and residing in the TCMH service area, which encompasses all of Texas County and parts of surrounding counties.
“The foundation board of directors recognizes the growing need for healthcare providers in rural America,” Gentry stated. “It is the hope of the foundation that these scholarships will assist in attracting and retaining qualified residents to work in the local healthcare fields.”