CAROL PURVIS EDUCATION FUND
The cost of pursuing higher education can be enough to derail a person’s
goal of achieving a new degree or certification. However, with the assistance
of Mile Bluff Medical Center Foundation and the Carol Purvis Education
Fund Scholarship, the burden of higher education costs is a little lighter
for Mile Bluff employees and students.
The foundation provides all Mile Bluff employees with an opportunity to
apply for the Carol Purvis Education Fund Scholarship. The program was
designed to provide incentives and encouragement for students, adult learners
and professionals, to consider a career in or to advance their careers
in healthcare. Recently, several members of the Mile Bluff team were presented
with scholarships.
Kathy Marose
Kathy Marose wears a few different hats within Mile Bluff, working as
a registered nurse in both the surgery and cancer care departments. Using
the scholarship she received from the foundation, Kathy pursued a specialty
nursing certification for operating room nurses.
“Obtaining my certification has been a long-standing goal of mine,”
said Kathy. “I have been a member of the Association of Operating
Room Nurses for many years, and I felt this was the right time for me
to challenge myself to become certified as an operating room nurse.”
The Certified Nurse - Operating Room certification is the gold standard.
The credentialing program is for perioperative nurses interested in enhancing
their specialized knowledge and skills.
“This education helped me to understand how the perioperative standards
we use everyday are developed with rationale behind them using the best
practice,” said Kathy. “This certification has helped me to
feel more confident in my role, which in turn, allows me to provide better
care for my patients.”
As an employee of the medical center, Kathy appreciates the assistance
the foundation provided. “Having the support of the foundation is
amazing. It means the world that I work for an organization that encourages
education advancement through a scholarship program,” said Kathy.
“I am truly grateful for the support and encouragement the foundation
has provided me.”
Johnnie Bigalke (not pictured)
Johnnie Bigalke is a coder at Mile Bluff Clinic. She is required to know
thousands of medical codes - one for nearly every type of healthcare service
- so she can apply them to patient care records. Recently, Johnnie received
a scholarship from the foundation to take the health information registry exam.
Having already completed the health information technology program, taking
the exam was Johnnie’s next step. “I felt this would be a
great way to stay current in my knowledge of not only coding, but healthcare
privacy and security, healthcare technology, and other areas,” explained
Johnnie. “It is my intention to use my credential toward becoming
a certified cancer registrar and/or trauma registrar.”
Even though those working in health information and medical coding do not
provide direct patient care, these individuals are very important in the
healthcare industry. Accuracy in medical coding is essential to maintaining
medical records and claim payments, and in reducing claim audits. The
information gathered in health information departments is also used by
both Federal and local public health departments to track public health
conditions, monitor illness, and measure outcomes and care provided to patients.
“By becoming a certified cancer registrar or trauma registrar, I
would be maintaining cancer and trauma registries that would provide information
on types of injuries or disease, treatment outcomes, the effects of co-existing
conditions, and much more,” explains Johnnie. “So, while I
don’t provide direct care for patients, I am still working for them
behind the scenes.”
When she received the scholarship, Johnnie was reminded of Mile Bluff’s
commitment to its employees. “Mile Bluff has always stressed teamwork
and the idea that we each contribute to patient care no matter what our
role here might be,” said Johnnie. “I think awarding this
scholarship to a ‘behind the scenes’ employee shows it isn’t
just something Mile Bluff’s leadership says, it’s something
they believe.”
NURSES HELPING NURSES
When individuals choose a career in healthcare, they are choosing a path
that requires lifelong learning.
Nurses play a vital role in patient care. Mile Bluff’s nurses have
a desire to continually expand their knowledge in order to best meet the
needs of the individuals they serve.
In nursing, an increased emphasis is being put on higher education, and
the critical thinking skills that come with it. Care givers are encouraged
to think beyond the roles of traditional nursing, and to pursue advanced degrees.
With this in mind, a group of Mile Bluff nurses developed a tuition reimbursement
program called Nurses Helping Nurses. It provides employees with financial
support while they continue their nursing education. Whether they are
pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, the program
supports Mile Bluff nurses in accomplishing their goals.
Erin Stanila
Recently, Erin Stanila, a registered nurse in the Infusion and Cancer
Care Department, was awarded financial assistance from the foundation.
This will help her as she works toward her bachelor’s degree from
Chamberlain College of Nursing.
“I knew that I wanted to pursue a role in nurse leadership. The program
that helps me work from an associate degree in nursing, to bachelor of
science in nursing degree, provides me with the knowledge needed to start
that journey,” explained Erin. “I also look forward to gaining
further knowledge of nursing informatics, evidence-based practice, and
quality improvement in healthcare. All of these areas are becoming more
and more important in delivering high quality healthcare.”
Erin appreciates the assistance that Nurses Helping Nurses and the foundation
have given her. “This support has made this education journey less
burdensome, and has given me more peace of mind that my goal is attainable,”
said Erin. “The help is evidence to me that the nurses in our facility
care about each other and about continually enhancing the care delivered
to our patients. To me, this support and dedication helps to affirm that
Mile Bluff is where I want to be.”
MAKE AN IMPACT!
If you would like to assist other healthcare workers who are looking to
further their education, consider donating to Mile Bluff Medical Center
Foundation. Your contributions can help make it possible for even more
individuals to advance their careers in the healthcare field.
If you would like information on making a donation to the foundation through
the Carol Purvis Education Fund scholarship or the Nurses Helping Nurses
tuition reimbursement program, please contact Martha Airth-Kindree at
608-847-1495 or
donate online.