The Conway Regional Health Foundation recently announced that 14 scholarships totaling $17,000 have been awarded to area college students to further their education in healthcare related fields.

Each scholarship is valued at $1,000 with the exception of the Garrison Scholarships which are worth $2,500 each. The scholarships are awarded based on grade point average, leadership ability, activities and financial need. More than 100 students applied for scholarships this year.

“The scholarship committee did an outstanding job, interviewing for many hours and making the final selections. I know these were difficult decisions because of the quality of the applicants,” said Jim Lambert, Conway Regional president and CEO. “The committee worked hard to get a broad representation of students from the area who are working toward degrees in a variety of healthcare fields.

“This is also a great example of how physicians and other donors can give back to the community through contributions to the health foundation. This type of support is essential to the future of healthcare in our community.”

Students receiving scholarships funded by the Conway Regional medical staff:

Alison Renee Brandon of Conway has been accepted to the UA Community College in Batesville where she will pursue a degree as a registered nurse. She works as an LPN at Greenbrier Family Medicine.

Chelsey Kay Hust of Vilonia will pursue a master’s degree in speech pathology at the University of Central Arkansas. She is a graduate of Vilonia High School.

Sarah Kimbrow of Conway is working toward a doctorate in physical therapy at UCA. She is a graduate of St. Joseph High School.

Misty Anne Riela of Conway is pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing degree in the Baptist Health School of Nursing. She is a graduate of Hampton High School (Calhoun County).

Jessica Sanders of Conway is pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy at UCA. She works as a physical therapy technician at Conway Regional and is a graduate of Conway High School.

Christy Michele Shipe of Little Rock is pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing degree from UCA. She is a graduate of Arkansas Baptist High School.

The William Furlow MD Scholarship was also awarded in honor of Dr. Furlow, who is a highly-respected, retired physician/educator. Receiving the scholarship this year was Eric Kindsfater of Conway who has been accepted to California Coast University to pursue a bachelor of science degree in health care administration. He is a supervisor in the Conway Regional Clinical Laboratory and a graduate of Belle Forche High School in San Diego.

A trust established by the late James S. Garrison, M.D., is funding two other scholarships. Dr. Garrison was the first full-time radiologist at Conway Regional. Funds contributed through the trust of the late Millie Garrison, his mother, are helping continue the scholarships.
Garrison scholars:

Crystal Gail McMahan of Center Ridge, who is working toward a bachelor of science in nursing at UCA. She is employed as a multi-skilled assistant at Conway Regional and is a graduate of Clinton High School.

Haley Henderson of Conway, a UCA student who has been accepted into the Baptist Health School of Radiology. She is a graduate of Conway High School.

Two scholarships are provided through Conway Regional’s Nursing Retention and Recruitment Committee. Individual employees make contributions to the fund and the committee holds fundraisers to help build the scholarships.

The Clemmie Cook Scholarship was awarded to Amber Lyn Hunt of Conway who is pursuing a family nurse practitioner degree at UCA. She works at the Conway Women’s Health Center.

The Conway Regional Nursing Scholarship was awarded to Natalie Cypert of Conway who is pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She works in the Conway Regional Laboratory as an assistant and is a Conway High graduate.

The Lauton Hall Memorial Scholarship honors the late father-in-law of John Robbins, Conway Regional’s former president and CEO. This year’s recipient is Ryan Reece Phillips of North Little Rock, who has been accepted to the UAMS School of Pharmacy. She is employed in the Conway Regional Pharmacy.

The John and Janice Robbins Scholarship was established by the Conway Regional Women’s Council in 2007 to honor the efforts of both John and Janice Robbins as they worked to create and grow the women’s council. This year’s recipient is Olivia Lynn Lefler of Conway who is pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing degree at UCA. She is a graduate of Conway High.

This is the first year for the Jon Scott McMahan Scholarship award, which is funded by the family of the late Jon McMahan who passed away in February. The scholarship pays tribute to McMahan, a division fire chief with the Conway Fire Department and a longtime EMT in Conway.

The scholarship is designed for students who are pursuing a career in an emergency medical services related career field, such as emergency medical technician or paramedic. This year’s McMahan scholarship was awarded to Jason David Sutton of Alexander who is working toward a paramedic certification at UAMS. He is a firefighter with the Conway Fire Department and has worked as an emergency medical technician for 10 years. He is a graduate of Perryville High School.
Contributions can be made to any of these scholarships by contacting the Conway Regional Health Foundation office at 501.513.5778 or by donating online at www.conwayregional.org.