InterAct for Change Announces Nursing Excellence Awards and a New Fund Honoring Rose Hook, R.N.

April 7, 2008 – Cincinnati, Ohio – A reception on April 16th from 5 – 7 pm will honor two distinguished nurses and seven nursing students. The event is at the joint offices of InterAct for Change and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, 3805 Edwards Road, Suite 500.

Also that evening, President and CEO Donald E. Hoffman will announce the Rose Hook Scholarship Fund at InterAct for Change. This new scholarship fund is named after a current InterAct board member, who also is an emeritus director of the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati and a respected nurse leader in our region. The Rose Hook Scholarship will be awarded to students pursuing a degree in nursing, who reside in or attend accredited nursing programs in Northern Kentucky. Donations to the fund currently are being accepted and the first scholarship will be awarded in 2011. Ms. Hook will be present on April 16th to inaugurate the new fund.

The Nursing Excellence Award is new in 2008. According to Francie Wolgin, who administers the scholarship program for InterAct, "Greater Cincinnatians rely on thousands of nurses who provide or influence nursing care delivered everyday in the community, in schools, or in hospitals. Outstanding clinical staff and those in leadership positions are rarely recognized and seldom thanked for the lives they touch every day" The Nursing Excellence Award honors individuals who demonstrate outstanding contributions to nursing in Ohio, Kentucky, or Indiana. Jane Swaim, Vice President of Nursing at St. Elizabeth Medical Center and Anne Longo, Senior Director, Center for Professional Excellence/Education at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, will be the first persons to receive this award. Jane Swaim will receive the Nursing Excellence-Leadership Award and Anne Longo the Nursing Excellence-Clinical Practice Award.

Seven students will receive nursing scholarships ranging from $500-$2,000. "With critical nursing shortages at nearly every health care facility in the region, we are excited to award seven scholarships this year to help students achieve their dream of a career in nursing," said Hoffman.

Chelsea Bohrer and Nora Corbett, both honor students at Wright State University, have been selected to receive Anna M. Drake Scholarships. The scholarship is named for a public health nurse and founder of District 8 (now known as the Southwestern Ohio Nurses Association) of the Ohio Nurses Association. It is awarded annually to a student enrolled in an accredited associate or baccalaureate nursing program.
The Laura Rosnagle Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to Julie Klonne from The College of Mount Saint Joseph. This scholarship recognizes the first Dean of University of Cincinnati's College of Nursing and Health. The scholarship is awarded annually to a registered nurse who is enrolled in an accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Master in Science Nursing completion program.
Jessica Hawkins (IU East), Cissie Kane (NKU), Askoua Karikari( UC), and Brittany Woods (NKU) are all enrolled in BSN programs. They will each receive a scholarship from the Clinton and Blanche Harden Fund. Created by Lynn Harden, this scholarship honors her parents' commitment to education. The scholarship is open to currently enrolled LPN, ASN, or BSN students.

For more information or an invitation to the April 17th reception, email info@interactforchange.org.

InterAct for Change, the home for active giving, is a full-service philanthropic organization that engages and assists individuals, families, private foundations and nonprofit organizations to achieve measurable results through charitable giving and venture philanthropy. Its mission is to inspire, lead, and support active philanthropy by creating innovative philanthropic solutions. For more information, visit www.interactforchange.org or call 513-458-6680.