Veterans Home Awards Nursing Scholarships to Staff

The Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook has awarded 10 scholarships to employees who are currently excelling in nursing school, the entity announced Friday.

The $1,000 scholarships accompany the Virgie Bowie Nursing Vision Awards, which are given in honor of Virgie Bowie, the former director of nursing at the veterans' home. This year marks the tenth year they have been given.

“She shared my vision of creating great new nurses,” said Fred Sganga, executive director of the LISVH. “Because without great nurses, you can’t have a great nursing home.”

The awards are also part of a program that has helped keep the veterans' home nursing staff at a vacancy rate below 1 percent, which Sganga said is below state and national averages.

“We are excited to have a role in creating new LPNs and RNs who have chosen geriatric nursing as their specialty," he said. "All of our winners are committed to making a difference in the provision of care. We are also thrilled that a majority of past winners have stayed on to work at our home after they have obtained their nursing license.”

The scholarship receipients are:

• Gabriella Bereczky, RN, of the Nursing Department
• Kelly O’Toole, Dietary Aide in the Food Service Department
• Melissa Montelione, RN, of the Nursing Department
• Jennifer Bratisax, Certified Nursing Assistant, Adult Day Health Care
• Christina Eze, Certified Nursing Assistant, Nursing Department
• Clara Joana Henriques, RN, Nursing Department
• Austin Hines, Certified Nursing Assistant, Nursing Department
• Joanne Leyco-Miller, LPN, Nursing Department
• Melissa Morales, Certified Nursing Assistant, Nursing Department
• Karen Peshkur, Certified Nursing Assistant, Nursing Department