Sacred Heart Guild Gives New Scholarships For Surg Tech, Nursing

09/06/2004

With Okaloosa-Walton College's new surgical technology program starting instruction for its first class of students, the Guild of Sacred Heart Hospital of the Emerald Coast is helping to launch the program in style with the donation of three scholarships specifically for surgical technology students.

On top of the $3,000 gift for surgical technology, the Sacred Heart guild also will fund two new nursing scholarships in addition to the two scholarships the hospital's volunteer organization contributed a year ago.

"The guild is pleased that our resources have enabled us to assist the college increase the number of qualified students entering the healthcare professions in our area," said Irene Haliday, president of the Guild of Sacred Heart.

Haliday credited the guild's "many volunteers' work and service" in the hospital gift shop, fund raisers and other contributions for allowing the group to fund the new scholarships.

"The college has a real ally in Stuart Lyman, our scholarship chairman, who encouraged our support of the surgical technology program and the new nursing scholarships," said Haliday. "As part of the guild's community outreach initiative, we know the scholarships will help stem the shortage of individuals in these health professions."

"Our college is pleased that the Guild of Sacred Heart Hospital has donated the scholarship funds in support of OWC's mission in health technology," said Dr. Bob Richburg, president of OWC. "This gift is particularly important since it provides the first scholarship dedicated to students in the surgical technology program, and we're grateful for the guild's continued support of the nursing program through two additional scholarships."

Richburg noted his appreciation for Lyman encouraging the guild's gifts and for "going to bat for the college's health programs." Richburg commended the work of Roger Hall, CEO of Sacred Heart Hospital in Santa Rosa Beach for the hospital's involvement with the surgical technology program by providing clinical rotation sites for the program's students.

"Our staff has built one of finest simulated operating rooms to teach the surgical tech students, but they must have the experience in a real OR that Sacred Heart and other hospitals are providing, for clinical rotations," said Richburg, noting Hall's service on the OWC Foundation board of directors.