Scholarships totaling more than $25,000 in online palliative care education were recently awarded by The California State University Shiley Institute for Palliative Care to 17 healthcare professionals in San Diego County.
The Donald and Darlene Marcos Shiley Scholarships cover the full cost of tuition in any Institute course and are designed to expand and elevate the delivery of palliative care throughout the San Diego region. Made possible through a generous gift from Darlene Marcos Shiley, the scholarship program is now in its fourth year; scholarships are awarded each November in honor of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.
This year, more than 26 nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other healthcare professionals applied for the scholarships, working in fields ranging from specialty palliative care to pediatrics to respiratory therapy. The quality and depth of the applicant pool made the selection process particularly challenging, judges said.
“These applicants demonstrated an inspiring passion and commitment to caring for patients and families with serious illness, and to deepening the skills they need to provide the best care possible,” said Jennifer Moore Ballentine, Executive Director at the CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care. “We’re thrilled to award these scholarships to 17 very deserving recipients, and we’re very grateful for the generosity of Darlene Marcos Shiley in making these awards possible.”
- Hulya D’Arrigo, MSW, LCSW, of San Diego, The Elizabeth Hospice
- Kristen Carlson, BCC, of Poway, Mission Hospice
- Christine Decker-Hughes, RN, BSN, of Chula Vista, Rady Children’s Hospital
- Jamie Escobedo, STB, of San Diego, Lightbridge Hospice & Palliative Care
- Adriana Gonzalez, LCSW, of Imperial Beach, UCSD Parkinson’s & Other Movement Disorders Center
- Charleen Harvey, BSN, RN, of Lemon Grove, Sharp Grossmont Hospital
- Bogar Hernandez, BCC, of San Diego, Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center
- Emma Lopata, RN, BSN, of San Diego, UCSD Health
- Deborah Monaghan, RN, MSN, Ed, of San Diego, Sharp Memorial Hospital
- Courtney O’Rourke, DO, San Diego, San Diego Hospitalist Associates
- Queenie Samonte-Iglesia, RN, of San Diego, Scripps Health Plan Services
- Katherine Schubert, BSN, RN, of San Diego, Sharp HealthCare
- Sylvia Searleman, NP, of San Diego, Mission Health Hospice
- Shama Shrestha, BSN, RN, of San Diego, UCSD Health
- Irene Soriano, MSW, of Chula Vista, Bridge Home Health and Hospice
- Dawn Stiefeld, RRT, of Oceanside, Tri-City Medical Center
- Katy Swanson, BA, of San Diego, Sharp HealthCare
Since 2012, the CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care has been providing in-depth, interactive online palliative care education to healthcare providers and organizations across the country seeking to build or enhance their palliative care programs and improve care for seriously ill patients and families. For more information, visit csupalliativecare.org or call 760-750-4006.
