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Caring for the Community
Scholars: Capacity-Building Through Education
What is the price tag on excellence? For many people, a tuition payment can be a crucial part of the definition, notes Ann Bollone, Vice President-Human Resources at St. Anthony’s.
Norbert A. Siegfried, Chairman of St. Anthony’s Board, addresses scholarship recipients at a reception in their honor.
“One of our values says that we strive for excellence, through teamwork and mutual respect,” she says. “But in real life, people often face education-related barriers that can keep them from reaching their career goals.”
That’s a critically important gap – both for employers like St. Anthony’s and for the community at large, Bollone says. “In a dynamic field like medicine, excellence requires a continuous effort to upgrade people’s skills. We have to constantly be making ourselves ready for what is new, what has changed.”
As one of the most meaningful ways to build capacity in the communities it
serves, St. Anthony’s has significantly stepped up investment in a broad
range of training and education activities in recent years. The centerpiece
of that commitment is the Norbert Siegfried Scholarship Program. Established
by St. Anthony’s Medical Center Foundation in 2006, the program is one
of the largest in the South County area and one of the best offered by an employer
in the St. Louis region.
- More than $700,000 in tuition reimbursement — FY07
- Almost two times more employees receiving tuition assistance in FY07 vs. FY05
- $1.2 million annual budget for internal education (all staff) Scholars
“We are taking a very holistic approach – not just making education opportunities available to our own employees, but also reaching out to remove barriers throughout the community,” Bollone says.
A good example: The hospital now offers English as a Second Language courses, giving recent immigrants a chance to enter the workforce and expand their career opportunities.
In addition to undergraduate and graduate courses offered by Lindenwood University, St. Anthony’s this year teamed with Central Methodist University to begin offering nursing degree programs – right on the Medical Center’s campus, removing transportation and access barriers that might otherwise keep employees from continuing their education. The hospital also provides a generous tuition reimbursement program for employees.
All told, education and training programs represent a multi-million dollar annual commitment on the part of St. Anthony’s – and, as Bollone puts it, “an extremely valuable investment in the betterment of our community.”
For information or a physician referral, please call 800-554-9550 or visit our online physician referral.
At St. Anthony's, our vision is to be the area's premier health care organization — and your first choice for health care services.