Kona Hospital Auxiliary Awards $12,000 in Nursing Scholarships

Kona Community Hospital Auxiliary awards ceremony, August 2018: (L–R) Ken Okagi, Jodi U‘ilnai Peralta, Breinna Finley, Kaimaile Zirker and Dominick Tervino. (Sherille Cabanas is not pictured.)

The Kona Community Hospital Auxiliary awarded $12,000 in nursing scholarships in August to six local students seeking to pursue nursing careers.

The Kona Community Hospital Auxiliary Nursing Scholarship Program annually awards up to $2,000 to each recipient.

This year’s scholarship recipients included Dominick Trevino, Kaimalie Zirker, Sherille Cabanas, Brieanna Finley, Ken Okagi and Jodi U`ilani Peralta.

To be considered for the auxiliary’s nursing scholarship, applicants must submit a resume, school transcripts, two letters of recommendation and a personal essay on why nursing was chosen as a
career.

In addition, students must already be accepted to a nursing school.

The auxiliary’s goal is to provide financial assistance to nursing students, and to aide Kona Community Hospital in meeting its future nursing needs.

Auxiliary President Molly Morgan thanks community sponsors who generously funded three individual scholarships this year. Those sponsors include Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ford and Dr. Veronique Bucherre-Frazier.

Additionally, the Deidra M. Faessler Memorial Nursing Scholarship was founded by Jack Faessler to honor his late wife, Dee Faessler. Dee was a dedicated auxiliary volunteer who served as a member and later, chair of the Scholarship Committee.

The auxiliary is the largest volunteer organization at the Kona Community Hospital. There are numerous volunteer opportunities within the hospital. They also operate the hospital Gift Shop.

Monies for nursing scholarships are generated by the auxiliary’s Friday Bake Sale and their annual fundraiser, as well as other activities.

To volunteer or to donate to the nursing scholarship fund, contact the auxiliary office at (808) 322-4577 or visit http://KCHAuxiliary.org.

About Kona Community Hospital

Founded in 1914, KCH is a 94-bed full-service acute care hospital with 24-hour emergency department recently designated as a Level III trauma center supporting the west region of the island of Hawai‘i. It is a member of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, a special agency of the state of Hawai‘i established in 1996. It is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. KCH is dedicated to providing and enhancing accessible comprehensive healthcare services to the West Hawai‘i community.