Fresenius Medical Care North America, American Nephrology Nurses Association Announce Recipients of Nursing Educational Scholarships

5 NURSES RECEIVE NURSING EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS | FMCNA

WALTHAM, Mass., April 18, 2018 – As part of an ongoing commitment to support nurses dedicated to caring for patients with kidney disease, Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the nation’s leading renal care company, and the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA) announced five recipients of educational scholarships at ANNA’s 2018 National Symposium in Las Vegas.

The five scholarship recipients were selected out of 32 applicants and will receive $4,000 ahead of the fall 2018 academic year.

The scholarships were made possible through a $20,000 grant from FMCNA provided to ANNA for the education of its members.

“We are thrilled to honor these five inspiring nephrology nurses and students,” said Lynda Ball, MSN, RN, CNN, ANNA president. “We thank Fresenius Medical Care North America for their partnership and commitment to furthering education for our nephrology nurses.”

“As a leader in renal care, we are committed to recognizing the passion and dedication of nephrology nurses across the country,” said Ron Rodgers, Executive Vice President, FMCNA and President, Fresenius Kidney Care. “Congratulations to the scholarship recipients and thank you for the incredible work you do for people living with kidney disease.”

Recipients were selected by ANNA based on their academic records, letters of recommendation and essays from each applicant describing their career and educational goals; they include:

• Genna Hirsch, RN, CDN, a clinic manager at Fresenius Kidney Care in Garden City, Kan., is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Fort Hays State University. Her best friend passed away from kidney failure at a young age. From that experience, Genna knew nephrology nursing was her calling, and it shapes how she connects with her patients.
• Sonya Jeevanandam, BSN, CDN, RN, a charge nurse at Fresenius Kidney Care in Schaumburg, Ill., is pursuing her master’s degree in nursing. After earning her bachelor’s degree in India, her first job was at a dialysis clinic, and she has been passionate about nephrology ever since. Sonya was nominated for the scholarship by her clinic manager.
• Stacey Meier, BS, RN, a nurse and team leader at Fresenius Kidney Care in Kingman, Ariz., is pursuing her master’s in education. Teaching is her passion, and with a master’s degree, she hopes to educate and train new dialysis center staff.
• Amber Paulus, BSN, RN, CPHQ, an end stage renal disease (ESRD) data analyst at Quality Insights, is currently a second-year Ph.D. student at Virginia Commonwealth University. Amber is passionate about improving quality of care and enriching her patients’ lives.
• James Thoms, RN, CDN, a hemodialysis nurse at Rice Memorial Hospital in Wilmar, Minn., is pursuing a master’s degree in nursing with a focus on leadership and management so that he may one day fulfill his dream to manage dialysis units.

The scholarship recipients are also featured on a “Wall of Fame” built specifically for the ANNA National Symposium, the premier nephrology nursing meeting of the year. The three-day event offers opportunities for attendees to expand their knowledge base, enhance their clinical skills and widen their professional network. FMCNA supports ANNA year-round as a Corporate-Plus Member.

For more information on the ANNA-FMCNA partnership and scholarship program, go to https://fmcna.com/company/corporate-responsibility/american-nephrology-nurses-association-partnership/ and https://www.annanurse.org/clinical-practice/award-scholarship-grant-program/2018-anna-scholarship-recipients#fresenius.

About Fresenius Medical Care North America
Fresenius Medical Care North America is the premier healthcare company focused on providing the highest quality care to people with renal and other chronic conditions. Through its industry-leading network of dialysis facilities, outpatient cardiac and vascular labs, and urgent care centers, as well as the country’s largest practice of hospitalist and post-acute providers, Fresenius Medical Care North America provides coordinated health care services at pivotal care points for hundreds of thousands of chronically ill customers throughout the continent. As the world’s largest fully integrated renal company, it offers specialty pharmacy and laboratory services, and manufactures and distributes the most comprehensive line of dialysis equipment, disposable products and renal pharmaceuticals. For more information, visit the FMCNA website at https://fmcna.com.

About American Nephrology Nurses Association
ANNA is a professional nursing association with more than 8,500 members. ANNA’s mission is to improve members’ lives through education, advocacy, networking and science.