MOULTRIE, Ga. -– The Colquitt Regional Medical Foundation recently hosted its first Scholarship Luncheon to award three annual medical scholarships, the Diane and Jim Lowry Scholarship, the Jane and Sam Perry Scholarship and the Hosptial Authority Trustee Scholarship.

The Hospital Authority Trustee Scholarship has been given annually since 1982. The Diane & Jim Lowry Scholarship and the Jane and Sam Perry Scholarship were awarded to their first recipients this year. Each of the scholarships were given in the amount of $5,000.

“To be able to assist three individuals in pursuing healthcare degrees is wonderful,” said Hospital Authority Chairman Richard Bass. “We are excited about what the future holds for our scholarship recipients, and there is no doubt that they will make great contributions to healthcare in our community.”

The Diane and Jim Lowry Scholarship is named after its donors. Diane and Jim Lowry both retired from healthcare professions. With their years combined, they have served 94 years in healthcare. Diane served as a registered nurse for 47 years; Jim, who was first hired as the chief financial officer and chief pharmacist at Vereen Memorial in 1971, retired as Colquitt Regional’s fourth president & CEO in 2011. To date, he has held the longest-serving tenure with 28 years as the chief executive officer. 

Both felt gratification from their careers in the medical field and wanted to provide an annual scholarship to encourage and assist employees of Colquitt Regional in achieving a higher level of education as a healthcare provider, according to a press release from the hospital.

The Jane and Sam Perry Scholarship was given by the Brooks Sheldon Family and named in memory of his parents.

Jane and Sam Perry were active contributing citizens of Moultrie and Colquitt County, the hospital said. Sam passed away in 1991 and Jane in 2006. Jane grew up in Moultrie, and in 1942 she married Brooks Sheldon Sr. and they had a son, Brooks Sheldon Jr. In 1944, Jane’s husband became a casualty of WWII while flying his B-24 from Southern Italy over Germany.  

In 1950 Jane married Sam Perry, a native of Tifton, and they had two daughters, Beth and Laura.

The Brooks Sheldon family established this scholarship to provide financial support to an employee of Colquitt Regional that was continuing their education in the medical field.

In addition to these scholarships, the Hospital Authority presents a Trustee Scholarship to recognize a student from Colquitt County pursuing a medical career who exemplifies outstanding academic skills and commitment to helping others. Each year this scholarship is presented in honor of someone who has made a significant impact on the medical community. This year it was presented in honor of the Rev. Hugh B. Ward, a former Trustee of the Hospital Authority. During his nine-year term, he held positions on the Quality Committee and Finance Committee. Since his service with the Hospital Authority, he has been elected to the Colquitt Regional Medical Foundation Board of Directors and is currently the chairman. In addition, Ward serves as the chaplain for Colquitt Regional.

The Diane and Jim Lowry Scholarship was awarded to Christopher Medders, RN. Medders works in the Emergency Department at Colquitt Regional and is enrolled at Walden University pursuing a degree to become an acute care nurse practitioner.

The Jane and Sam Perry Scholarship was awarded to Angie Hurst, RN. Having already attained a BSN degree, Hurst is pursuing a Master’s of Science in Nursing degree in healthcare leadership and management.

The Colquitt County Hospital Authority awarded its Trustee Scholarship to Grayson Perryman, a Moultrie resident who will begin the nursing program at Valdosta State University this fall.

“The success of Colquitt Regional is directly tied to the quality of our workforce,” said Colquitt Regional CEO Jim Matney. “Chris Medders and Angie Hurst are exceptional employees, and I am proud of them for continuing their education. Grayson Perryman has a bright future ahead of her, and we hope that she is a part of our nursing team when she graduates.”

For more information about scholarships presented by Colquitt Regional contact Nicole Gilbert, Colquitt Regional Medical Foundation director, at 229-890-3416 or ngilbert@colquittregional.com.