TCMH Healthcare Foundation awards scholarships to area students

The Texas County Memorial Hospital Healthcare Foundation has awarded $10,000 in scholarships to local students to help with their educational costs for the 2025 academic year. 

 

Samantha Williams, Elizabeth Kuster, Kayla Taylor from Cabool, Tammi Coonts, Sierra Keller, and Haley Long from Houston, Abigail Sullins from Licking, and Reagan Hoerning from Mountain Grove each received a $1,000 scholarship from the TCMH Healthcare Foundation.

 

Williams is a registered nurse in our medical-surgical department and serves as a Clinical Instructor at the Texas County Technical Institute.  She is pursuing a Master of Science in Leadership and Management (RN to MSN) through Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, UT. 

 

Kuster is working towards a Bachelor of Science in Nursing through Missouri State University in Springfield as is currently employed as a registered nurse in the emergency department at TCMH. 

Taylor is a registered nurse in our medical-surgical department and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. She is pursuing a career as a nurse practitioner at Graceland University in Lamoni, IA. 

 

Coonts is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Capella University in Minneapolis, MN. She works as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at TCMH. 

 

Keller is pursuing a master’s degree in occupational therapy at Missouri State University in Springfield and is employed as a certified, licensed occupational therapist assistant in the rehabilitation department at TCMH. 

 

Long is pursuing a career as a licensed practical nurse at Texas County Technical College in Houston. She currently works as a certified nursing assistant in the medical-surgical department at TCMH and plans to further her education to become a registered nurse.

 

Sullins is a licensed practical nurse in our outpatient surgery clinic and is currently pursuing a degree as a registered nurse at Missouri State University in West Plains. 

 

Hoerning is studying biochemistry with a Pre-Med focus at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar. After completing her program, she aims to attend medical school and ultimately become either a pediatrician or a family practice physician in rural Missouri.

 

The Dr. Eugene Charles Honeywell Memorial Scholarship awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Halee Clayton of Licking.  The Healthcare Foundation directors selected Clayton for this honor. 

 

Clayton is pursuing a degree in occupational therapy through Missouri State University in West Plains.  

 

Additionally, the endowed Dr. Joe L. and Judith T. Spears Memorial Scholarship Fund awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Sophia Crites from Bucyrus.

 

Crites is working toward an Associate of Science in Nursing at Missouri State University in West Plains, with the goal of becoming a registered nurse.

 

The Healthcare Foundation holds an annual golf tournament to raise funds for educational scholarships for area students. It has received $5,000 in matching funds from the Healthcare Services Group Foundation (HSGCF).

 

The HSGCF program provides matching financial assistance to students awarded financial assistance by hospitals that are members of the Healthcare Services Association and insured by the Missouri Hospital Plan. HSGCF matches scholarships or healthcare-related tuition reimbursement provided by non-profit member hospitals throughout Missouri. This scholarship program is designed to facilitate, attract, and retain healthcare providers in Missouri.

 

The Healthcare Foundation awards educational scholarships for students pursuing additional higher education each spring and fall.  With the recent scholarship awards, the Foundation has awarded nearly $166,000 in scholarships to area students since the program began in 2007.

 

The TCMH Healthcare Foundation board of directors acknowledges the increasing demand for healthcare providers in rural America. The Foundation aspires that these scholarships will contribute to attracting and retaining qualified residents to work in the local healthcare sector.

 

The Healthcare Foundation plans to grant additional scholarships before the commencement of the spring school semester in 2026. Applications for the spring scholarships will be open for submission in January.  

 

Complete scholarship information and the scholarship application are available online at www.tcmhfoundation.org.

 

For sponsorship opportunities for the annual golf tournament on Saturday, June 7, please contact the TCMH Healthcare Foundation at 417-967-1377 or Jeff.Gettys@tcmh.org. This tournament supports the scholarship program for future healthcare workers. If you're interested in showing your support, we encourage you to reach out to the Foundation.