ConnextCare recently announced the winner of its annual Kathy Ellis Scholarship. This year’s $500 scholarship winner is Carrie Kelley, a licensed practical nurse.
The Kathy A. Ellis Scholarship is awarded annually to an individual entering a program or continuing education in the field of nursing. Kelley works at ConnextCare and is continuing her education to become a registered nurse through Excelsior College.
In Kelley’s application she outlines her goals of continuing her education in health care stating; “I plan to continue my education and hope one day to follow in Kathy Ellis’s footsteps and not only become a registered nurse, but eventually a clinical nurse practitioner committed to patient care and rural health care excellence.”
Kathleen A. Ellis, was the first nurse practitioner in New York state. Ellis was well known locally for her passion and commitment to serving the rural population. She worked at Northern Oswego County Health Services, Inc. (NOCHSI), which is now ConnextCare, at the Pulaski location, and spent four years working at NOCHSI’s Mexico Health Center.
The community mourned the loss of Ellis when she lost her battle with cancer and died in December of 1996 at the age of 52.