The Conway Regional Health Foundation has presented 13 scholarships, valued at $22,500, to area students pursuing a degree in a health related field.  

The first scholarship established was in honor of the late James Garrison, MD, in 1996 upon his retirement. Decades later, there are many organizations and individuals who contribute to health care scholarships overseen by the Conway Regional Health Foundation.

“Contributing to a health foundation scholarship is a great investment in the community, since many of our recipients return to Conway to practice in their chosen profession,” said Conway Regional Health System President and CEO Matt Troup. “We are very thankful for the time and efforts of our scholarship selection committee. There were several difficult decisions because of the competitiveness of the applicants.”

Of the recipients of 2019 scholarships, eight are pursuing nursing degrees and five are seeking medical degrees. They represent Conway, Vilonia, Greenbrier, Morrilton, Bryant and Beebe high schools. Nine are already working in the health care field at Conway Regional.

Donations from Conway Regional medical staff and proceeds from the Conway Regional Women’s Council’s annual Dazzle Daze event funded five scholarships. 

Recipients are:

Ryan Kordsmeier of Morrilton is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Central Arkansas. He is a graduate of Morrilton High School.

Nicholas Max is attending the University of Arkansas in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in nursing. He is a graduate of Vilonia High school.

Jennifer Miceli is a Conway graduate who has been accepted into the UCA School of Nursing. 

Haydon King is a graduate of Conway Christian High School and will be pursuing a degree in biology/pre-medicine at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. 

Makya McMillion, a Conway High School graduate, is planning to attend Arkansas Tech University. She will pursue a degree in psychology.

The Dr. Bill and Betty Roberts Medical Staff scholarship was established to honor of Bill Roberts. MD, a retired Internal Medicine physician, who made numerous contributions to health care in Faulkner County, including helping establish the Critical Care Unit at Conway Regional. This year’s scholarship recipient is Carissa Ansel of Conway, a pre-medicine major at UCA. She currently works at the Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center while completing her studies at UCA.

Another scholarship recognizing the achievements of a longtime Conway physician is the Dr. William Furlow Scholarship. Furlow, who is now retired from his Internal Medicine practice, joined Roberts in helping to establish the Conway Regional CCU and is known for numerous achievements in medicine in Conway. This year’s William Furlow scholarship recipient is Daniel Whitehead, a registered nurse and house supervisor at Conway Regional, who is pursuing a master’s degree in nursing through Walden University.

The Conway Regional Nursing Scholarship, which is established to aid a Conway Regional employee or family member in pursuit of a nursing career, was awarded to Meredith Hammontree. Hammontree is a graduate of Greenbrier High School who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing from UAMS.

Nurses from the Oncology unit at Conway Regional raised money to endow the Eleanor Duncan Scholarship in memory of a beloved nurse. It is intended to help a Conway Regional employee pursue a career in Oncology. This year’s recipient is Scarlett Acklin, who holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and plans to pursue a career in radiation medicine. 

A nursing scholarship was established to recognize Clemmie Cook who spent 60 years in nursing. It assists a Conway Regional employee or family member who is pursuing an advanced degree in nursing. This year the scholarship was awarded to Amber Ledbetter, a registered nurse in Labor and Delivery, who is pursuing a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix.

The Janice and John Robbins Scholarship was awarded to Lisa Speer, a registered nurse in Labor and Delivery who is pursuing a master’s degree in nursing at UCA. The scholarship was presented by Conway Regional Women’s Council President Mathilda Hatfield in honor of former Conway Regional President and CEO John Robbins and Janice, his wife.

Jessica Hope and Nicolas Maynard have received the Dr. James S. Garrison scholarship which recognizes Conway’s first radiologist. Maynard is currently in medical school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and plans to become an Interventional Neurologist. Hope is a registered nurse who is seeking a master’s degree in nursing from UAMS.