Jonas Philanthropies and the Flynn Foundation Award Five Scholarships to Advance Oncology Nursing
NEW YORK, August 16, 2023 – Jonas Philanthropies and the Flynn Foundation are proud to announce the latest scholarship recipients to receive support through a joint scholarship program created to recognize doctoral nursing students seeking to improve health care for cancer patients. The scholarships represent the third cohort of Jonas-Flynn Oncology Nurse DNP Scholars program (“Jonas-Flynn Scholars”), made possible by a grant from the two organizations. To date, fourteen Jonas-Flynn scholarships totaling $380,000 in support have been awarded. An additional scholarship will be awarded in 2024.
The following recipients are all Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program candidates pursuing doctoral degrees with a specialization in Oncology Nursing:
- Sara Fontaine, MS, BSN, RN, is an Oncology Nurse Manager at Hartford Hospital Avon Cancer Center. She is pursuing her DNP degree at the University of Hartford. Her career goal is to become the Director of the Cancer Institute at Hartford Hospital. Ms. Fontaine was a Flynn Fellow at Hartford Hospital in 2017 and completed her BSN at the University of St. Joseph in 2018 and her MSN from the University of Hartford in 2022.
- Alexandra Ford, BSN, RN, is a Pediatric Oncology Nurse at Connecticut Children’s. She is pursuing her DNP degree at Quinnipiac University. Her career goal is to be a Family Nurse Practitioner in Pediatric Oncology and use her doctoral degree at the clinical level and eventually in academia. Ms. Ford was a Flynn Fellow at Connecticut Children’s in 2018 and completed her BSN at Quinnipiac University in 2019.
- Stephanie Jorgensen, MS, BSN, RN, is a Nurse Practitioner in Pediatric Oncology at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. She is pursuing her DNP degree at Rutgers University. Her career goal is to maximize her clinical and patient care experience in Pediatric Oncology and ultimately teach. Ms. Jorgensen was a Flynn Fellow New York Presbyterian Hospital in 2016 and completed her BSN and MSN at Molloy University in 2017 and 2022 respectively.
- Katelyn McGaughey, MS, BSN, RN, is a Nurse Practitioner in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is pursuing her DNP degree at Duke University. Her career goal is to contribute to the world of global Pediatric Oncology care. Ms. McGaughey was a Flynn Fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2016 and completed her BSN at Boston College in 2017 and her MS at Duke University in 2021.
- Sarah Woods, BSN, RN, is an Oncology Nurse at Mass General Hospital. She is pursuing her DNP degree at Johns Hopkins University. Her career goal is to teach future clinicians. Ms. Woods was a Flynn Fellow at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in 2016 and completed her BSN at Boston College.
The following recipient plans to enroll in a DNP program in fall of 2024 with a specialization in Oncology Nursing:
- Meagan McKenzie, BSN, RN is an Oncology Nurse at Providence St. Patrick Hospital, Montana Cancer Center. She plans to enroll at the University of Washington in 2024 to pursue a DNP degree. Her career goal is to be a Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner. Ms. McKenzie was a Flynn Fellow at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in 2016 and completed her BSN at Boston College in 2017.
“We are proud to be partnering with Jonas Philanthropies to recognize and reward future nurse leaders with a passion for providing expert oncology care,” said Frederick C. Flynn, Jr., founder of the Flynn Foundation. “We are also grateful for this unique collaborative opportunity to continue our support of oncology nursing clinical practice and research in order to improve the prevention, treatment, and quality of life outcomes for cancer patients and their families.”
The Flynn Foundation was created by Mr. Flynn in loving memory of his wife who died of ovarian cancer in 2013. Out of respect for the wonderful quality of nursing and palliative care she received during her illness, the program was developed to help stimulate the career interests and foster the professional development of potential Oncology Nurses. Since its inception in 2014, 300 Flynn Fellows have completed this unique Fellowship program. Of the 250 Flynn Fellows in the workforce so far, 165 are already working as Oncology Nurses.
“Mr. Flynn’s vision and support of oncology nursing at the doctoral-level is critical to the support of developing practitioners who are prepared at the highest level. These individuals will contribute to the research, practice, and developments within oncology nursing at a national and global level,” stated Lendri Purcell, Co-President of Jonas Philanthropies. “It is through partnerships such as the one with the Flynn Foundation, that Jonas Philanthropies can continue to expand its reach and contributions in critical healthcare areas. The Jonas-Flynn Scholars are leaders whose work will have a lasting impact on the nursing profession and for healthcare as a whole, ” states John Jonas, Co-President of Jonas Philanthropies.
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About Jonas Philanthropies
Jonas Philanthropies is improving healthcare for the better by investing where it matters most. We address high-need issues and audiences with high-impact solutions: promoting leadership in nursing and veterans healthcare, preventing and treating low vision and blindness, and protecting our children’s environmental health. For more information about Jonas Philanthropies, visit jonasphilanthropies.org, follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook.
About the Flynn Foundation The Flynn Foundation works to stimulate the career interest and foster the professional development of the next generation of Oncology Nurses. By raising the visibility of Oncology Nursing as a career choice and providing a vehicle to expose the “best and brightest” undergraduate nursing students to this critically important and highly rewarding field, the foundation promotes effective partnerships between the leading cancer care Hospitals and top Nursing School programs to help attract and develop future Oncology Nurses and improve the quality of care for future cancer patients and their families. For more information about the Flynn Foundation, visit theflynnfoundation.org.