PORT ANGELES — The Olympic Medical Center Foundation scholarship is making dreams come to life for those passionate about pursuing careers in health care but lacking the means to do so.
At the same time, the scholarship program aims to expand the employee pool.
Launched in September 2023, the program funds the training of locally grown talent to fill positions at Olympic Medical Center in nursing and a variety of other health care professions, ranging from lab technicians to medical assistants.
Applications are being accepted now for the $500,000 scholarship fund. The deadline for the fall quarter is Aug. 12. To apply, go to the OMC Foundation website at https://www.omhf.org.
“We had gotten to the point that I wouldn’t have been able to continue,” without financial assistance, said Tamee Wood, 33, a married mother of two who recently graduated from Peninsula College’s two-year registered nursing program.
Sharon Kiplagat, 29, of Kenya said her grades were suffering before she received the scholarship, which allowed her to cut back on hours at work.
Wood will begin work as a registered nurse at OMC in August while Kiplagat plans to apply there after she graduates next year.
“The need is huge,” said Vickie Swanson, chief nursing officer at Olympic Medical Center.
The scholarship not only pays for tuition, books and fees but also such living expenses as rent and child care. In the last nine months, it has awarded more than $365,000 in scholarships and financial assistance for 26 students at Peninsula College.
It aims to increase potential employees who will enter the medical field or upgrade their skills to continue their health care careers.
“We’re taking cost out of the equation,” said Bruce Skinner, executive director of the Olympic Medical Center Foundation, which operates the scholarship fund. In return, most will move on to careers at OMC, where they expect to stay for at least two years.
The scholarship does not guarantee employment at OMC, “but the need is so great, I don’t see us saying we don’t have a position open,” Swanson said.
It is expected that half of the $500,000 available will go to employees seeking continued education in health care while the other half will fund area students who want to take medical courses at Peninsula College.
The idea for the scholarship fund came from OMC’s CEO Darryl Wolfe when Skinner asked about specific hospital needs for foundation fundraisers.
“The foundation has supported us for many, many years, primarily on capital equipment purchases,” Wolfe said. “I was talking to my leadership and I said what do we need?
“We need people,” Wolfe said.
OMC, which employs some 1,700 people, presently advertises for 195 positions on its website at https://www.olympicmedical.org.
“We’re in a nursing shortage,” Swanson said, adding that shortages also are seen in every aspect of health care, from lab techs to medical assistants.
“You don’t have to be a doctor or nurse to have a thriving successful career in health care,” Swanson said. “The sky is the limit.”
Rachel Pairsh, medical assistant program director at Peninsula College, told of a phlebotomy student who “stated she would have had a really hard time completing the program without scholarship assistance.
“Not just help with tuition and fees but the living expenses is a game changer,” Pairsh said.
Some use opportunities at Peninsula College to stack their skills.
Pairsh spoke of a woman who used massage therapy skills learned at the college to propel her through a medical assistant program.
Students in health care programs range from 18 to 68 years old, Pairsh said.
“The majority of students are in the 30-45 age range, predominately female, predominately single parent,” she said.
She recently met with a potential applicant who is 65. Another who joined the program is 62.
“We take people of all ages in all stages of life,” Pairsh said.
In addition, many chose health care programs for retraining after suffering injuries on the job, such as loggers form Forks.
Shortages in nursing and other health care fields became more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wolfe and Swanson said.
“The workforce just shrank,” Wolfe said. “We came to rely heavily on contract labor, which is expensive and relying on people out of area.
“We’ve been trying to decrease reliance on contract labor,” Wolfe added. “The thing we need to be doing is growing our own. If you have people who already live here, let’s get them into the workforce. The goal is to recruit permanent positions rather than contract labor.
“We have a college, we have a foundation, so let’s create opportunities for folks on the Peninsula who want to go into the field,” he said.
Students are welcomed and encouraged, Pairsh and Swanson said.
“We recognize that you are the future generation,” Pairsh said. “You are the ones who will be taking care of us, so we want to guide and support you.”
Swanson said nursing is “a caring profession. They want people to succeed.”
She hopes that eventually a mentorship program will be established. Already, there have been visits to high schools to let young people know about opportunities.
“I see this scholarship as just the beginning,” she said.
Questions regarding the application submission process can be directed to the OMC Foundation office at 360-417-7144.
Those interested in making donations are urged to call the office or email bruce@omhf.org. Donations also can be mailed to 1015 Georgiana St.
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Leah Leach is a former executive editor of the Peninsula Daily News.
