Cumberland Health Care Career Bursaries Awarded

Thursday, July 9, 2009, AMHERST, NS – The Cumberland Health Care Careers Bursary Program today announced the names of its 2009 bursary recipients. Through this program, and with support from the five local health care foundations, the Cumberland Health Authority is able to offer bursaries in the annual amount of $5000 to each of the successful candidates.

This year’s successful students are: Amy McCallum of Parrsboro who will be entering her first year in the Bachelor of Health Science, Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound program at Dalhousie University; Meagan McEachern of Amherst, who is a second year student in the Licensed Practical Nursing program at Nova Scotia Community College, Cumberland Campus; Lacey Rushton of Springhill, second year student in the Bachelor of Science Nursing program at St. Francis Xavier University; Haley Stonehouse of Springhill, who is entering the first year of Bachelor of Nursing at the University of New Brunswick in Moncton; and, Amber Terrio of Southampton who is a second year student at UNB in Moncton for a Bachelor of Nursing.

“As in the past, these awards were made based on the applications received and the organization’s future human resource needs,” commented CEO Bruce Quigley.  “We look at the staffing projections for the various sites and services,” said Mr. Quigley, “and then interview those candidates who are entering or are in programs of study where we know there will be potential vacancies when the student will be graduating.”

The bursary program, which is only open to Cumberland County students, requires all recipients to sign an agreement for a "return for service" equal to the number of years for which they receive a bursary. That return for service commitment could include working at any of the CHA’s five health care sites around the county.  Since the first bursaries were awarded in 2005, a total of 12 students have come to work for the CHA and 11 others continue in their programs of study.

The CHA and the bursary program are very fortunate to be supported by five health care foundations - All Saints Community Health Care Foundation, Bayview Communities Health Foundation, Cumberland Health Care Foundation, North Cumberland Community Health Foundation and South Cumberland Community Care Centre Foundation.  Each of these foundations makes an annual financial commitment to assist the bursary program in addition to funding various other projects in support of health care in their respective communities.