A regional orthopedic health care provider is reaching out to Richmond Community College students through scholarship. Starting this fall, the OrthoCarolina Foundation will provide a full financial aid package for one deserving student entering his or her second year of the Medical Assisting or Health Information Technology curricula.
“The OrthoCarolina Foundation supports educational progress that improves the quality of health care at all levels,” said Dr. Paul Rush, M.D., who practices at OrthoCarolina’s Laurinburg and Bennettsville locations. “This scholarship will help students improve their education and gain the knowledge necessary to keep up with the complex environment in which we work.”
The scholarship is the largest single award in the Richmond Community College Foundation portfolio.
“Partners such as OrthoCarolina are critical to our students’ success, and we are very appreciative of their generosity,” said RCC President Dale McInnis.
The award amount is enough to fully cover the cost of Allied Health tuition, books and fees for one year.
“The OrthoCarolina Scholarship is a generous, much appreciated award,” said Renea Craven, Department Chair of the Allied Health programs at RCC. “The student chosen by the panel works diligently to prepare herself to service our community as a provider of quality health care, and could not be successful without the assistance of this gift from supporters such as OrthoCarolina. As Department Chair of the Allied Health programs at RCC, I extend my greatest appreciation for the support received for our programs and our future medical professionals.”
This year’s recipient is 21-year-old Kendra Cooper of Hamlet. A graduate of Scotland High School, Cooper said she chose the Medical Assisting program at RCC because she could stay close to home while also pursuing work in a field that she feels passionately about.
“I want a steady job in a medical office where I can help patients get the care that they need,” said Cooper, adding that she was often sick as a child and can better empathize with patients as a result of her experiences. “I want every patient to know that they are taken seriously. I may have a bad day once in a while, but I want to be able to wrap that bad day in a ball and put it aside and help that patient.”
According to OrthoCarolina Marketing Director Blair Primis, OrthoCarolina’s emerging strengths in Clinical Excellence and Research are fostering an opportunity to give back to the wider community.
“As a result of our collaboration with other providers, health care systems, university research programs and equipment manufacturers we see the importance that continuous learning plays in providing the very best evidence based care to our patients,” said Primis. “The OrthoCarolina Foundation draws its energy from this dynamic and seeks to amplify learning and education in our local medical community and in the world beyond.”
Cooper said the OrthoCarolina Foundation Scholarship will go a long way for her and her family.
“I am trying to finish school and take care of a two-year-old at the same time,” she said. “Just because a school is close to home doesn’t mean it doesn’t get expensive. You have tuition, books and fees but you also have all the materials and equipment — stethoscopes, watches, uniforms — a scholarship goes a long way in helping you get what you need.
“I am thankful from the bottom of my heart.”
For more information about Richmond Community College and RCC Foundation scholarships visit www.richmondcc.edu.
For more information about Orthocarolina and the OrthoCarolina Foundation visit www.orthocarolina.com.
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