Northern Regional Hospital Establishes the Robin Hardy Hodgin Education Fund
Mount Airy, NC (October 2, 2019) — Northern Regional Hospital has established an innovative scholarship program designed to help eligible students achieve their educational goals in the pursuit of healthcare careers in the areas of nursing, pharmacy and other allied-health professions. Named in honor of Northern’s current Vice President for Patient Services & Chief Nursing Officer, the Robin Hardy Hodgin Education Fund is also a testament to the talents and leadership of the hospital’s top nursing executive – who has served for decades as a strong advocate for quality patient care, a champion for advanced and continuing healthcare education, a tireless mentor for young healthcare professionals, and an inspirational cheerleader for Northern Regional Hospital and the communities it serves.
“This is a quadruple win for all key Northern stakeholders,” said Chris A. Lumsden, President and Chief Executive Officer of Northern Regional Hospital, in announcing the creation of the Robin Hardy Hodgin Scholarship Program. “This valuable program provides a much-needed helping hand to deserving students who have chosen to pursue fulfilling careers in healthcare; it recognizes and honors the distinguished … and ongoing … career of Robin Hodgin, one of the most gifted and committed nursing leaders we have; it helps ensure Northern’s ability to provide seamless quality care to patients; and it exemplifies the hospital’s longstanding commitment to giving back to the community.”
The Robin Hardy Hodgin Scholarship Program has and will be funded through private donations – to be matched dollar-for-dollar — by the Northern Regional Hospital Foundation. To date, more than $270,000 has been raised, exceeding the program’s original goal of $250,000. Starting with the 2020 academic year, the Hospital’s designated Scholarship Committee will award annual scholarships, based on merit and financial need — to approximately three-to-five eligible students enrolled in a health-sciences degree-granting program at an accredited college or university of their choice. Scholarships in individually-determined amounts will be awarded to prospective students who reside in Surry County or the surrounding region and aspire to a career in nursing or any recognized allied-health professions – including respiratory therapy, physical therapy, medical imaging technology, laboratory science, pharmacy, and others.
Following their successful graduation, each scholarship recipient will agree to work initially at Northern Regional Hospital – should a position of employment be available that would make use of their newly-acquired education and training.
New Face for Northern; New Futures for Students
The genesis for the scholarship program began with the planned announcement of the hospital’s new name – Northern Regional Hospital – which more appropriately captures the breadth, depth, scope, and expanded reach of the hospital’s multi-disciplinary programs and services. “Just as our new identity speaks to our strategic growth and expanded footprint, we felt it was important to complement that message with a bold and meaningful initiative that would speak to how highly we value our employees and community,” said Lumsden.
To that end, the hospital’s leadership team (with the exception of Chief Nursing Officer Robin Hodgin, from whom the plan was initially kept secret) developed a scholarship program that highlights the critical connection between the sustained success of the hospital’s mission and its reinvestment in personnel and the community. Working from a foundational concept that quality patient care starts with well-educated and highly trained physicians and employees, the scholarship program was designed to help jumpstart the careers of students destined to become quality caregivers, while simultaneously honoring an esteemed colleague who exemplifies the positive traits and characteristics of a superb healthcare leader. “We are delighted and proud – in equal measure – that the resulting program is both an investment in growing the next generation of healthcare leaders and a recognition of someone who has given back so significantly to this hospital and the community,” said Lumsden.
The program’s namesake, Robin Hodgin, RN, BSN, MHA, NE-BC, admitted she was “totally surprised and overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude, humility and pride” upon learning of the scholarship program only on the day of its announcement. “I am honored to be forever associated with an educational program that opens the door for deserving students to gain the tools they need to join the exciting world of healthcare,” she said. “I am also eternally indebted to my wonderful colleagues for this very high honor. I hope to always live up to their expectations as, together, we continue to strive for excellence in the care of our patients and remain committed to teaching and nurturing promising new talent.”
The Best Way to Build Growth
“In the short period of time that Chris Lumsden has been at the helm of the hospital, there’s been a renewed sense of purpose and an abundance of energy and fresh ideas into how Northern will continue to evolve as a premiere provider of quality healthcare and effectively translate our culture of giving back into positive actions that benefit others. The creation of the Robin Hardy Hodgin Scholarship Program is one such action,” said William K. Woltz, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Northern Regional Hospital.
“We are pleased that this new scholarship program and other existing hospital-based educational-enhancement programs are available so students and employees of Northern Regional Hospital may improve their opportunities for professional growth,” Woltz added. “As one of the region’s major employers, we understand that growth is achieved not only through bricks and mortars, but through the educational elevation of people, too.”
Anyone seeking additional information on the Robin Hardy Hodgin Education Fund may contact Matt Linville, Director of the Northern Regional Hospital Foundation.
