Roots that Run Deep
More than 250 guests gathered at the Balboa Bay Club on November 17 for the annual Choose Nursing, Choose Hoag (CNCH) Luncheon to honor Hoag’s nursing scholarship recipients and the donors who so generously support advancing the level of nursing excellence at Hoag.
During the program, Hoag Hospital Foundation President, Flynn A. Andrizzi, Ph.D., announced that CNCH raised more than $2.5 million and funded a record 465 scholarships in FY 2015. He also had the honor of announcing that, as a lead gift in the Hoag Promise Campaign, the Crean Foundation committed $3 million to establish the Crean Nursing Education Fund. This is the largest gift to date in support of the educational advancement of Hoag’s nursing staff.
Roots that Run Deep
During the luncheon, CNCH announced that it is honoring long-time Hoag nursing supporter, Jim Newkirk by inducting him into the CNCH Hall of Fame. Hoag Hospital Foundation board member, CNCH Committee Member and Hoag Promise Campaign Leadership Council Member, Jim Coufos presented the honor to Jim Newkirk. During his introduction, he spoke from the heart about his good friend and golf partner.
Jim Newkirk shared that his connection to Hoag goes back to its earliest days when his mother, Alta Newkirk joined the first group of hospital employees as a nurse’s aide in 1952. Alta spent the next decade working tirelessly in the hospital nursery and in the “Grace Wing,” named for Grace E. Hoag.
To celebrate their mother’s long association with Hoag, Jim and his late sister Patricia, generously established the Alta Newkirk Nursing Scholarship Fund. Their gift has been used to fund nursing scholarships each year and will continue in perpetuity.
Overcoming the Odds
Guests enjoyed hearing from nurse scholarship recipient, Danielle Miller, R.N., B.S.N., M.S.N.-c. She shared her inspirational story of overcoming health issues to continue in the tradition of her grandmother, mother and aunt who were all nurses. A Hoag nurse for five years, Danielle is in the CSU Long Beach-Hoag Family Nurse Practitioner program.
“As a health care provider, your educational journey never ends, and this is one of the things I love most about the medical field,” she said. “The generosity and support of the Hoag Hospital Foundation, Hoag and all of the individuals who have touched my journey along the way is an incredible blessing.”
Since its inception in 2004, CNCH has raised more than $27.5 million which has funded more than 1,200 scholarships awarded to Hoag nurse scholars for continuing education, training and advanced degrees.
We extend a special thank you to CNCH luncheon co-chairs Sharon Bridges and Marilyn McIntyre for all of their great work and generous support.
For information on how you can support Choose Nursing, Choose Hoag, please contact Angelina Morano at (949) 764-7221 or Angelina.Morano@hoag.org.
Sign up for our Newsletter
