Myrtue's Specialty Clinic Manager Receives IHERF Scholarship

July 6, 2021, Harlan, IA – Nicole Ohlinger of Portsmouth, IA, an employee of Myrtue Medical Center who is studying Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Nebraska Wesleyan University has been awarded a $3,500 scholarship from the Iowa Hospital Education and Research Foundation (IHERF), which is supported by the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA). Nicole has been with Myrtue Medical Center for nine years and she is currently the manager of the Specialty Clinic. Before her role as Specialty Clinic manager, she worked as an RN in the Emergency Room, Cardiac Clinic, Med/Surg, and Postpartum Care. Ohlinger is among 60 students from Iowa who have received assistance this year from the IHERF Health Care Careers Scholarship Program.

IHA established the IHERF Health Care Careers Scholarship Program in 2004 to help address the shortage of health care professionals and encourage young Iowans to establish or continue their careers with Iowa hospitals. The first scholarships were awarded in 2005 and now more than 625 students have benefited from the program.

In exchange for this financial support, students agree to work one year in an Iowa hospital for each year they receive an award. In this way, the scholarship program helps stabilize and enhance Iowa’s hospital workforce. Today, 380 scholarship recipients are working in Iowa hospitals.

IHERF is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Iowa Hospital Association. IHERF is a charitable nonprofit and exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.