The Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation recently issued three education awards to two hospital employees, Melissa Brooks and Mark Houghton, and a WSU graduate student, Kayla Leland, for the 2020 Fall semester.
Melissa Brooks, a registered nurse, received a $1,000 education award to pursue a Bachelor of Science Nursing degree. Melissa, has been an integral part of the ICU team at Pullman Regional Hospital for three years. Upon completion of her bachelor of science in nursing degree, Melissa plans to start working towards her Critical Care Registered Nurse certification. The RN to BSN education award is available to Pullman Regional Hospital registered nurses enrolled in an accredited BSN program who have been employed at the hospital for at least one year and work a minimum of twenty hours a week.
Mark Houghton received the Pullman Regional Hospital Staff Education Award, which provides $2,500 to employees seeking to improve their skills and advance their education and healthcare career to benefit the patients of Pullman Regional Hospital.
Mark, a registered nurse working in the ICU and medical/surgical unit, is a previous recipient of the RN to BSN award and is now pursuing a master of sciences degree in Adult-Gerontological Acute Care with a cardiovascular subspecialty. “I love helping people, and I am very much looking forward to having an expanded set of skills to offer my Pullman Regional Hospital and Palouse community,” he said. This program will enable Mark to further his nursing career in the community as a nurse practitioner – providing advanced nursing care for a diverse and complex patient population.
The Pullman Regional Hospital Staff Education Award is available to any employee who has been employed at the hospital for at least one year and works a minimum of twenty hours a week. Awarded funds may be used for tuition, books and school expenses.
Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences student, Kayla Leland, is the 2020 Fall semester recipient of the Gaskins Scholars Program Award. The award program was founded by Bill Gaskins, a beloved and now retired Pharmacist for Pullman Regional Hospital. The $2,500 award is available to eligible applicants seeking to practice pharmacy in a rural environment or provide services to underserved populations. Funds may be used to assist with tuition, fees, books, travel and living expenses.
Kayla is a third-year WSU doctor of pharmacy student from Spokane. As an undergraduate at Whitworth University, Kayla’s impressive athletic achievements include recognition as a top finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year. Her devotion to excellence was equally present in academics, graduating with high honors from Whitworth and maintaining Dean’s List and Rho Chi Honor Society status at WSU. Kayla’s multiple internships in retail and hospital pharmacy have strengthened her drive to “make a difference in the world by bringing medications and health guidance to rural communities,” she said. Upon graduating from WSU, Kayla will focus her pharmacy career on caring for underserved, rural populations, particularly in Spanish-speaking areas.
The Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation announces education awards twice a year. Applicants are eligible to receive one Staff Education Award a lifetime, but may additionally apply for and receive a BSN Education Award through the RN to BSN program.
Applications for Spring education awards will be available through Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation in November of 2021.
Contact: Alison Weigley
Assistant Director of Development, Marketing & Major Gifts
Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation
(509) 332-2041
