ASHLAND, Ore — For over 20 years, the Ashland Community Health Foundation, or ACHF, has provided scholarships for local nursing students. Now, with the help of a $400k endowment from the Earth and Humanity Foundation, they are expanding their offering to provide scholarship opportunities for a wider range of aspiring medical professionals. Those pursuing careers as medical and dental assistants, pharmacy technicians, phlebotomists, paramedics, and emergency service professionals will all be eligible for the new Allied Health Scholarship. ACHF executive director Stephanie Roland stopped by Sunrise this morning to share the good news with Natalie Sirna.
Established in 2002, the William G. and Ruth T. Evans Endowed Nursing Scholarship has awarded more than $1.3 million toward the educations of future Rogue Valley nurses. In combination with the Allied Health Scholarship, the ACHF seeks to establish a pipeline of future local caregivers for years to come. Roland says that while the state of Oregon is experiencing a healthcare workforce shortage currently, we also have a high number of workers that will be retiring over the next ten years, meaning the problem isn’t going away any time soon. She says scholarships like these can help close the gap by removing the financial barrier that prevents some from being able to obtain the necessary education to work in the medical field.
The Ashland Community Health Foundation was founded in 1977, and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit who aims to advance innovative and equitable approaches to community health and wellness. To learn more about how to apply for one of their scholarship programs, or to make a tax deductible donation, you can visit their website.
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