Edward Foundation awards $50,000 in nursing scholarships

The Edward Foundation has awarded $50,000 in nursing scholarships to 17 Edward Hospital employees who are pursuing a degree or advanced degree in nursing.

The employees were recognized at a luncheon on Dec. 13 at Edward Hospital hosted by Meghan Moreno, Executive Director, Edward Foundation; Scott Berger, MD, Edward Foundation Board Chairman and Lynn Cochran, System Vice President, Operations, Edward-Elmhurst Health and Chief Nursing Officer, Edward Hospital.

The Foundation awarded $10,000 Peter Veit Scholarships to Kendra Bendak of Plainfield, a registered nurse (RN) in the Ambulatory Surgical Care Center (ASCC) and Loree Thompson, RN, Oswego, Cardiac-Neuro Intensive Care Unit (CNICU).

Veit, who passed away in 2014 at age 86, created the scholarship fund in his name with a $120,000 gift to the Foundation following the care he received from the Edward nursing staff.

A $2,000 Agnes A. Book Memorial Nursing Scholarship was awarded to Samantha Svihla, Lockport, a multi-skilled technician in the ASCC/Same Day Surgery.

The annual scholarship comes from a fund established by the Book family in memory of their mother, who was a nurse at Edward for more than 20 years.

The Foundation awarded $2,000 nursing scholarships to 14 Edward employees:

• Tina Bobo, Nursing Administration, Aurora
• Joseph Griffey, RN, Cardiac Telemetry Unit (CTU) 3, DeKalb
• Courtney Kornsey, RN, Nursing Administration/Pain Service, Yorkville
• Karyn Kudrna, RN, Linden Oaks Behavioral Health, Naperville
• Mary Lanier-Hosey, RN, CNICU, Joliet
• Melissa Lund, Immediate Care, Naperville
• Lauren Matchett, RN, CTU 2/8, St. Charles
• Megha Modi, Ortho-Spine, Bolingbrook
• Korrine Potter, RN, Emergency Dept., Oswego
• Samantha Rodriguez, RN, Clinical Education/Pulmonary Medicine, Plainfield
• Marie Spitzer, RN, Intensive Care Unit, Woodridge
• Laurann Stevens, RN, CTU 2/8, Bolingbrook
• Emily Tillotson, RN, CTU 2/8, Wheaton
• Marie Zahorick, RN, Obstetrics-Lactation, Romeoville

Since it was established in 1990, the Edward Foundation has raised more than $46.5 million in its mission to support Edward Hospital’s community healthcare initiatives, invest in the most advanced diagnostic and treatment technology, recruit world-class medical professionals and deliver the highest quality care to almost 1.7 million patients within the area it serves. To make a donation to or for more information about the Foundation, call (630) 527-3954 or visit www.edwardfoundation.org.