Contact: Melissa Reifert
February 26, 2007

Wellmont Lonesome Pine Community Outreach Fund Provides Scholarships to MECC Nursing Students

The partnership between Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital (WLPH) and the Mountain Empire Community College Foundation continues to generate benefits for local nursing students. The Wellmont Lonesome Pine Community Outreach Fund has generously provided a $35,000 grant to create the Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital Nursing Scholarships, which will be granted to nursing students at MECC who are in their second year of study or who are employed by Wellmont Health System.

Approximately $16,000 of these scholarship funds have been distributed during the 2006-2007 academic year, with the remainder scheduled for distribution in the 2007-2008 academic year. Robert Polahar, CEO of WLPH, met this year’s scholarship recipients on December 14, 2006 on the campus of MECC.

“These scholarships are a direct result of the foresight by the Lonesome Pine Hospital Board members who created this fund when the hospital joined the Wellmont Health System,” says Polahar. “The goal was and is to improve the health and wellness of the people in our area.”

“This is a good example of a wonderful partnership between MECC and the health providers that the college serves," states MECC President Terrance Suarez. “These scholarships will benefit Wellmont and MECC, but most of all, they will benefit students. We are very grateful to our Wellmont partners for their generosity.”

The WLPH Nursing Scholarships were awarded by a college committee, based on applications submitted by nursing students. Scholarship recipients for the 2006-2007 academic year include Lucinda Bloomer, Charma Bolling, Misty Burke, Amber Colley, Paige Craft, Donna Eldridge, Keith Giza, Cynthia Harber, Joy Hensley, Misty Holbrook, Kathy Ann Kelly, Rebecca Kelly, Richard Lawson, Dorinda Menzock, Heather Mullins, Amanda Robbins, Elizabeth Simmons, and Nakina Smith.

MECC nursing students who have received scholarships from the Wellmont Lonesome Pine Community Outreach Fund gathered on December 14, 2006 to thank donors.

Seated (L to R): Misty Burke, Donna Eldridge, Cyndi Harber, Dorinda Menzock, Richard Lawson

Standing (L to R): Mr. Robert Polahar (CEO, Wellmont Lonesome Pine Hospital), Heather Mullins, Rebecca Kelly, Amber Colley, Lucinda Bloomer, Misty Holbrook, Dr. Terrance E. Suarez (President, Mountain Empire Community College)

Not Pictured: Charma Elizabeth Bolling, Paige Craft, Keith Giza, Joy Michelle Hensley, Kathy Ann Kelly, Amanda Goins Robbins, Elizabeth Jean Simmons, Nakina Lynn Smith

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