The Edward Foundation has awarded $58,000 in nursing scholarships to 21 Edward Hospital employees who are entry level nursing students, RNs pursuing BSNs and nurses pursuing advanced nursing degrees.
Jennie Nash and Paula Russo were each awarded the first two $10,000 Peter Veit Nursing Scholarships.   Grateful for the care he received from the nursing staff at Edward, Veit created the nursing scholarship fund in his name with a $120,000 gift to the Foundation. From those funds, two $10,000 scholarships will be awarded annually to Edward nurses so they can further their nursing education. Veit passed away at his Naperville home in July 2014 at age 86 from complications due to pancreatic cancer.
Christine Gutwein was the recipient of a $2,000 Agnes A. Book Memorial Nursing Scholarship, which comes from a fund established by the Book family in memory of their mother, Agnes, who was a nurse at Edward for more than 20 years.
The Foundation awarded $2,000 nursing scholarships to 18 Edward employees:Â Â Tunisheltta (Lisa) Adetunji, Jennifer Bauer, Gina Comonal, Venessa Dolan, Jean Dwyer, Jessica Dyrek, Elizabeth Francis, Elizabeth Gasiorek, Amy Granato, Sara Horvath, Justyna Lagman, Jennifer LaMantia, Tonya Mangiaguerra, Jacquelyn Oliver, Kristen Olszewski, Erika Pavey, Suzette Smolar and Beverly Wendell.
Did you know?
Edward was recently re-designated a Magnet hospital for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Edward, which employs 1,200 nurses, was originally recognized as a Magnet hospital in 2005 and was first re-designated in 2010. The second re-designation means Edward is one of only six hospitals in Illinois to have achieved Magnet status three times or more. There are 38 Magnet organizations in Illinois. Edward is one of only three hospitals in DuPage County and the only one serving Will County to have earned the prestigious designation. Of the nation’s 6,000 hospitals, only seven percent (about 400) are recognized as Magnet facilities by the ANCC.
The Edward Foundation was established in 1990 and has raised more than $35 million in its mission to support Edward Hospital’s community healthcare initiatives, centers of excellence like Edward Heart Hospital and Edward Cancer Center; and programs that make Edward unique, like the Ronald McDonald Family Room. To make a donation to or for more information about the Foundation, call (630) 527-3954 or visit www.edward.org/foundation.
Story and photo submitted by Keith Hartenberger, Public Information Officer, Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare
