Hospital awards annual Health Professions Scholarships to three local students
The August meeting of the Quality and Safety Committee of the Northumberland Hills Hospital Board of Directors opened today with the announcement and presentation of the Hospital’s annual Health Professions Scholarships.
Megan Anderson, Taylor Clark and Mason Curtis were the recipients of this year’s awards. All three received cheques for $1,000 from Board Chair John Hudson, who also took the opportunity to share with the Committee some of the many achievements that made the trio stand out.
Megan Anderson graduated from Cobourg District Collegiate Institute West in 2010 and is now a nursing student entering her second year at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Oshawa. An Ontario Scholar, Megan was recognized with numerous community awards and certificates of achievement during her four years of high school. Among her local achievements are the Lieutenant Governor’s Community Volunteer Award, the Hugh Morris Award for Excellence in Community Service and the Distinguished Civic Award for Community Service from the Town of Cobourg (2011). Megan’s extensive volunteer contributions brought her to NHH through both the NHH Foundation’s Youth Cares Committee and the NHH Auxiliary. She hopes to someday join the team of registered nurses at NHH and give back to the community she credits with giving her so much already.
Taylor Clark graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School in June 2011. She will attend McMaster University this fall, where she plans to study nursing with a longer-term goal of becoming a physician. She too received high honours throughout her high school years while volunteering with many local organizations including the Rotary Club of Cobourg, Northumberland Players and Community Living West Northumberland. In 2009 Taylor was awarded the Town of Cobourg’s Outstanding Youth Civic Award. An avid fastball player, Taylor also worked part-time through her final high school years at Baker’s Cleaners and is known to have a very strong work ethic. Taylor hopes to return to the area after completing her studies and fulfilling her interest in travel.
Mason Curtis recently received a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction from Queen’s University. A graduate of Cobourg District Collegiate Institute West, Mason will be entering Queen’s School of Medicine in September. As a starting member of the Queen’s men’s varsity rugby team throughout his undergraduate years, Mason has excelled in team sports. He has been named to the Ontario All Star team and has won gold, silver and two bronze medals in the Ontario University Athletics league. Mason was one of the inaugural participants in NHH’s VIP Program under the guidance of local family physician Dr. Mark Essak. Designed for students enrolled in their senior high school years or already attending community college or university, the VIP Program offers local youth an opportunity to shadow health professionals while they work. Mason was also a dedicated volunteer with the NHH Foundation during his high school years and chaired the Youth Cares Committee in 2005-2006. More recently Mason has volunteered in the pediatric oncology clinic at Kingston General Hospital, an experience that reinforced his determination to maintain a patient-centred focus regardless of his final area of specialization. Mason also looks forward to someday possibly practicing in the area.
Introduced by the Hospital in 2003, the primary purpose of the Health Professions Scholarship Program is to provide financial assistance to students from west Northumberland who are pursuing a career in the health care sector. Applicants are evaluated on the basis of their academic achievements, extra-curricular activities, a testimonial explaining their interest in a health-care field and written references. By supporting local students early in their academic studies, NHH hopes to encourage them to consider the Hospital in their career path when the time comes to select an employer in the future.
Applicants must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a full-time study program. Applications for the 2012 Scholarships are invited at any time. Further details are provided at nhh.ca/Careers/StudentScholarship.
John Hudson, Chair of the NHH Board of Directors, congratulated all three recipients of the 2011 awards on their contributions to their community. “Through our Health Professions Scholarships we aim to encourage area students to pursue careers in one of the many rewarding health-care fields. We extend our congratulations to Megan, Taylor and Mason on all they have achieved thus far. We wish them the very best as they work toward their dreams in the future.”
For more information, contact Jennifer Gillard at 905-377-7757 or jgillard@nhh.ca.
About Northumberland Hills Hospital – Located approximately 100 kilometres east of Toronto, Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) delivers a broad range of acute, post-acute, outpatient and diagnostic services. Acute services include emergency and intensive care, medical/surgical care, and obstetrical care. Post-acute services include restorative care, interim long-term care, rehabilitation and palliative care. Mental health care, chemotherapy, dialysis and 16 other ambulatory care clinics are offered on an outpatient basis through partnerships with regional centres and nearby specialists. NHH offers a full range of diagnostic services, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and mammography. The hospital serves the catchment area of west Northumberland County. A mixed urban and rural population of approximately 60,000 residents, west Northumberland comprises the Town of Cobourg, the Municipality of Port Hope and the townships of Hamilton, Cramahe and Alnwick/Haldimand. NHH employs approximately 600 people and relies on the additional support provided by physicians and volunteers. NHH is an active member of the Central East Local Health Integration Network (CE LHIN). For more information, please visit www.nhh.ca.