In the two years since Longs Peak Hospital Foundation was established, the generosity of private donors and community business partners has contributed to a total of $44,525 in awards to 32 dedicated and top-performing hospital employees.
Scholarships are one of the most potent ways to invest in a community, and such educational assistance has a multiplier effect. The scholarship program helps our high-caliber workforce advance their training, enhance our health system, and ultimately provide exceptional care for patients.
Ultimately, scholarships make a tangible, positive difference in our community’s well-being, as these comments from some of our recipients demonstrate:
“I have been in health care for over 20 years and have a great appreciation for the importance of nursing leadership in health care and for the significance of obtaining higher education. I am pursuing my master’s degree in nursing leadership and health care administration, and I hope to graduate in the fall of 2020. Thanks to your helping hand, I am one step closer to that goal.”
— Joanne Forster, RN
“I have come to understand that the culture of UCHealth is one that appreciates their employees, and I feel the organization truly wants each employee to gain professional as well as personal accomplishments. Earning a master’s degree is not only a personal goal of mine, but also a professional goal. My intention is to use my education to become a better leader to my group and to further contribute to the success of my department.”
— Shannon Griffith, nuclear medicine technologist
“Academic success has not always come easy for me. As a high school dropout, I found that my options were limited when I first entered the workforce at 16. It took years of hard work to be at a point where I am now in a position to obtain a master’s degree. The scholarship has opened a door, and the prospect of a brighter future. Your generous contributions will play a key role in shaping me into a woman my children will be proud of. Donors like you make achieving academic success an option. I can only hope that one day, I too will be in a position to make a positive impact on another student in need. I cannot express my gratitude enough, and I want you to know that your generous support will help me achieve my dreams. Thank you for your support and for investing in my future.”
— Jessica Liberatore, respiratory therapist
“I want to thank you for the scholarship to help pay for my studies of math for the trades, and specialized HVAC education. Being trained and certified in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) will better my work for UCHealth and will help me better myself personally. I am a married man with three children, and I know my family will be proud and my children will be inspired to see me grow and build a career.”
— James Gottlob, HVAC mechanic
Philanthropic support is crucial to a thriving scholarship program that transform lives and communities. You can donate any amount to our scholarship funds by visiting longspeakhospitalfoundation.org/donate and selecting one of three scholarship-related options:
- LPH Employee Education
- LPH Nursing Scholarships
- LPH Dan Robinson Endowed Scholarship
If you have questions about these choices, or if you are interested in establishing a specific scholarship fund in honor of a person or health care cause, please reach out to the foundation.
Last year’s scholarship recipients gathered for a group photo in October 2019. (L to R) Sara Underwood, Teresa Smith, Elizabeth Shaw, Lauren Brown, Zuzi Pavlik, Alyssa Tucker, Shannon Griffith, Jessica Liberatore, Ona Babicuite, JoAnn Forster, Jody DeStigter, Heather McRoy, Noreen Bernard (award presenter and chief nursing officer).