Legacy employees net nursing scholarships

SALMON CREEK — The Salmon Creek Hospital Foundation recently awarded 10 scholarships toward the educational advancement of employees from Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, according to a Legacy press release.

The scholarships total $16,500 and will be used to help employees who wish to pursue a career in nursing.

Michele Rilea, a single mother of two, is one of those scholarship recipients. She works as a lead medical assistant for Legacy Salmon Creek’s oncology collaboration with Oregon Health & Science University and the Vancouver Clinic.

“I decided to stop saying, ‘I wish I was a nurse’ and start the path to follow my dream,” Rilea said in the press release. “I want to have a bigger impact on patients’ lives. This scholarship helps me with the financial challenge of attending school on a single income.”

The KMR Group Foundation Nursing Scholarship Fund was established in April through a donation from Kate Jones and Marty Rifkin, co-founders of KMR Group Foundation. The scholarship provides up to $2,000 in support to nonregistered nurse Legacy Salmon Creek staff who wish to earn an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing.

“Working alongside nurses and observing how they care for patients has shown me how rewarding a nursing career can be,” Russ Bingham, who has worked four years as an anesthesia tech at Legacy Salmon Creek, said in the release. “I want to help others in a more meaningful capacity. This scholarship allows me a chance to advance my education and achieve my goal.”