Mark Judy Memorial Caregiver Education Fund awards scholarships to seven Cascade Medical employees

LEAVENWORTH – Seven Cascade Medical Center employees were awarded a total of $5,600 in scholarships through Cascade Medical Foundation’s Mark Judy Memorial Caregiver  Education Fund. 

The scholarship program honors the legacy of former hospital administrator and Cascade Medical Foundation (CMF) board member Mark Judy. This is the second year of the scholarship program, which was created to help grow the skills of highly coveted health care workers at Cascade Medical.

“We are proud of every scholarship recipient, and the impact they will continue to make at  Cascade Medical as they grow educationally,” said CMF board member Bob Adamson, who leads the education committee, in a press release.

According to Adamson, the number of employees receiving scholarships and the total awarded is more than twice what was awarded last year. The recipients were selected from a pool of applicants by a committee of four CMF members, a community member, and two Cascade Medical staff members. Considerations included education and career plans, financial need and whether the training fills a strategic or personnel need for Cascade Medical.

This year’s awards included $1,500 toward medical laboratory technician Katie Larsen’s bachelor of laboratory science degree, $1,000 toward nursing degree prerequisites for certified medical and nursing assistant Hannah Smith, and $1,500 toward a bachelor’s degree in Health Information and Statistics Management for Family Clinic referral coordinator Patricia Weatherwax. 

Additionally, $339 went to four members of the business office team each for the

National Healthcare Financial Management Association’s “revenue cycle specialist” certification. The training will provide additional expertise with billing, claim submissions, and revenue collection.

“Fortunately for our community, the Mark Judy fund helps provide essential funding to support our team members as they desire to grow their expertise. This helps retain stellar team members and ensures we have the right skillsets to best care for our community. We’re grateful for our ongoing partnership with the Foundation,” said Cascade Medical CEO Diane Blake, in a press release.

Blake noted the challenge of recruiting employees with the right technical skills due to a shortage of healthcare workers across the U.S., which is often exacerbated in rural areas.

The Foundation continues to build the core education fund to ensure scholarships will be available in perpetuity, with hopes that the scholarship amounts available each spring continue to increase.