Memphis, Tenn., Jan. 21, 2005 - Baptist Memorial Health Care’s metro medical executive team, comprising physician representatives from the organization’s metro-Memphis hospitals, recently awarded six Metro Physicians’ Nursing Scholarships for $2,000 each to Baptist nurses.

Administered by the Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation, scholarships are awarded to one nurse from each of the Memphis-area Baptist hospitals to further their education through seminars, classes, programs and conferences. The recipients were nominated by their peers or physicians. Nomination criteria include being a good communicator and leader, a strong patient advocate and an excellent student and team worker.

The recipients of this year’s scholarships were Brandy Strangfeld, R.N., from Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis; Ozenna Acerson, R.N., from Baptist Memorial Restorative Care Hospital; Theresa Atchley, R.N., from Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto; Elizabeth Signago, R.N., from Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women; Rhonda Glissen, R.N., from Baptist Memorial Hospital-Germantown; and Gail Staples, R.N., from Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville.

“The nursing scholarships are intended to advance the training of the bedside nurse – doctors may spend several hours a day with patients while nurses spend 24 hours a day caring for them,” said Henry Sullivant, M.D., former chair of the metro medical executive team. “Our medical staff realizes the importance of the outstanding nursing care given to our patients, and these scholarships are given in appreciation of this care.”

The Baptist Memorial Health Care system, which consists of 15 hospitals and 2,500 affiliated physicians across Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee, includes minor medical clinics, home health and hospice offices, behavioral health centers and a rehabilitation network that contains about half the rehabilitation beds in the Mid-South area. Baptist has 2,577 licensed beds systemwide, employs more than 11,000 people and has more than 83,000 admissions annually.

For more information about Baptist, please visit www.baptistonline.org or call (800) 4-BAPTIST.

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