With a nearly 70 year history, Good Samaritan Regional Health Center and the NAACP of Jefferson County will continue their efforts to promote equality for African American individuals in the community with a $2,500 scholarship to be awarded to a student from a diverse background that plans to complete a degree in a health care related field.
The organizations long relationship coupled with the projected shortfall of individuals to fill future health care jobs lead to the creation of the scholarship. According to a U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration project a national shortage of more than 1 million nurses and approximately 55,000 physicians by 2020.
“Both Good Samaritan Regional Health Center and the NAACP of Jefferson County believe that diversity creates stronger communities and organizations,” explained Cleo Holt, the NAACP Education Chairperson, “together we are furthering this relationship and building a partnership to increase community awareness regarding careers in the health care field.”
Individuals who are currently enrolled in a health care related degree program or plan to begin their degree in a health care related program in the fall of 2012 are eligible to apply for the scholarship by completing a Scholarship Program Application available at smgsi.com or by calling Cleo Holt, 618.241.8257; Ron Lash, 618.310.4624; El Cain, 618.237.8161. Applications should be returned to: Mr. Cleo Holt, NAACP of Jefferson County Education Chairperson, 1401 Plum, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864.
Application must be returned no later than December 16, 2011. Award recipient will be notified the week of January 9, 2012 and be recognized at the annual NAACP Martin Luther King dinner on Monday, January 16, 2012.
“We are excited to provide this opportunity and look forward to January 2012 when we both celebrate the birthday of one of this country’s great pioneers, Martin Luther King, and present a scholarship to an individual who models his beliefs and seeks to pursue a career in health care,” said Tom Blythe, Vice President of Human Resources at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan.
For more information regarding this scholarship or the application process call 618.241.2700. Click HERE to download an application for the scholarship.
(PHOTO: Mike Warren, left, President of Good Samaritan Regional Health Center,
with the Rev. Cleo Holt of the NAACP of Jefferson County.)
