Foundation
The West Virginia Health Care Foundation was incorporated in December 1998. The purpose of the foundation is to aid deserving students who are employed in long term care member facilities of the West Virginia Health Care Association. The Herman Conaway Scholarship was formed early in 1999 to assist employees of member facilities seeking to further their careers in long term care. The goal of the foundation is to increase the size of the awards and frequency of their scholarship program. The foundation is seeking additional scholarship programs that encourage careers in the long term care profession.
Criteria for applicants: A demonstrated interest in long term health care, current employment with a WVHCA member facility for at least 1 year, acceptance of enrollment in an approved educational institution and meeting the deadline for the year using Scholarship Application Forms available at www.wvhca.org.
Herman Conaway Scholarship recipients receive $500-$750 in financial awards for higher education expenses paid directly to the school, college or institution in which they are enrolled. Applications are due by March 1 of each year. The foundation board reviews the applications and makes recommendations for awards. The board has revised and updated the scholarship application forms beginning with the 2006 awards.
From 1999 to 2010, 163 students working in long term care member facilities received a Herman Conaway Scholarship. Each year the winners of the scholarship are announced in May during the Annual Convention Awards banquet and awarded in time for fall registration of classes.
In 2009, the Foundation Scholarship Program introduced the Serra Family Foundation Scholarship. This scholarship will award $2,250.00 annually to an outstanding and deserving student.
The second new scholarship to be awarded beginning in 2009 comes from the West Virginia Long Term Care Service Corporation in the amount of $1500 - $2,000 annually to be awarded to an exceptional student working in the long term care profession.