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The Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation awarded three scholarships Thursday, picking up where the old Kosciusko Community Hospital Foundation left off.
The foundation, created after the sale of KCH to Quorum Health in February, took over the responsibility of awarding three scholarship fund endowments.
Elizabeth Stavedahl of Mentone was awarded $750 from the Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation Nursing Scholarship Fund. She will attend Purdue University in the fall and plans to study nursing.
Robin Henry of Warsaw and Danielle Yoder of Silver Lake each received $2,000 from the Deborah M. Cooley Scholarship Fund.
The Cooley Scholarship was donated by Patricia and George Lenke as a memorial to Mrs. Lenke's mother, who was former treasurer and chairman of the board of Da-Lite Screen Co. Inc.
Henry is currently a nursing assistant at KCH and plans to attend IPFW to earn an associate's degree in nursing. Yoder is a pharmacy technician at KCH and will attend Purdue University to earn a bachelor's degree in speech pathology.
The Kenneth and Marilene Beardslee Nursing Scholarship Fund was made possible by the Beardslees, who are Kosciusko County residents.
Kimra Reed-Stanley of Columbia City received the $2,000 scholarship. She is currently a registered nurse at KCH and plans to attend Graceland College to earn a bachelor's and master's degree in nursing.
Board president Patricia Oppenheim, in reporting on the grant subcommittee's efforts to formulate the criteria and procedures for awarding health-related grants, said the committee is working very hard to draft a statement by the board's October meeting.
"It is still very much a work in progress - determining how and by what criteria grants will be awarded," she said. "I think this will be a very exciting time for the group and it will continue to be as we move forward."
The board also approved the formation of the Cancer Care Advisory Committee, which will be a subcommittee of the grant committee. The purpose of the committee, which will oversee a current balance of $47,000, is to help cancer patients with the cost of treatment, said board member Willis Alt.
In other business, the board voted to meet quarterly, rather than monthly, starting with the July 22 meeting. The foundation's business will be handled through more regular committee meetings and conference calls, Oppenheim said.
