Methodist Hospital Foundation: Investing in Dreams – and Care

She’s on track to earn her doctorate in August 2020, seven years after she graduated from NMC and began working at Methodist Hospital. For Jones, becoming a nurse was a tribute of sorts, a positive that sprang from incredible pain. At the age of 18, she lost both of her parents to separate illnesses.

“Being in the hospital with my parents, I saw the nursing staff and the great care they gave them and how they supported my sister and me,” she said. “The care that I received was something I wanted to give 
back to others.”

Methodist Hospital Foundation and its generous donors have been supporting Jones throughout her educational journey and easing her financial burden, most recently with two Carolyn Scott “Spirit of Excellence” Scholarships in 2017 and 2019.

“This latest scholarship means no financial stress during my last year of DNP school, so I can focus on my boards and my clinicals,” Jones said.

This year alone, Methodist Hospital Foundation will help provide more than $2 million in scholarships. Almost 660 scholarships and grants were awarded in 2018 to current and future health care workers.

“Without scholarships, many of the students simply would not be able to attend school,” said Elizabeth Borisow, a Methodist Hospital Foundation philanthropy officer.

A majority of NMC students – 63% – receive grants or scholarships. Most recipients go on to become Methodist employees.

“When donors support scholarships, they’re not only helping students. They’re also impacting the entire community,” Borisow said. “There’s a nationwide nursing shortage, and scholarships help to address that growing need.”

In the final leg of her doctoral work, Jones is energized about her future while ever mindful of her past: “It makes me the nurse I am today – and the person.”

Pictured above: Methodist Hospital Nurse Coordinator Natalie Jones, RN, speaks with patient Harriette Dee Tallman.

Photo by Daniel Johnson.