ConnextCare is pleased to announce the winners of the annual Kathy A. Ellis Scholarship. This year’s winners were Mea Coppola and Raechel Fleischmann, both 2024 graduates of Paul V. Moore High School. This marks the first year that ConnextCare chose two awardees for this scholarship.
This fall, Coppola will be pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at Siena College. Coppola plans to become a Registered Nurse and then ultimately become a Nurse Anesthetist.
Fleischmann will be pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at Niagara University this fall. Upon her anticipated graduation in 2028, Fleischmann plans to join the United Stated Army Nurse Corps and eventually go back to school to complete her Masters and Doctoral Degrees.
“We were delighted to award two winners of the Kathy Ellis Scholarship this year. This award means a great deal to our community as it celebrates the life of Kathy Ellis, a trailblazer in the nursing profession in New York State,” stated Nancy Deavers, ConnextCare Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing and Quality Officer. “Both Mea and Raechel presented exceptional applications and the ConnextCare team is thrilled to assist them in continuing their education in the field of Nursing. We are excited to see the great successes in their future.”
Kathleen A. Ellis, was the first Nurse Practitioner in New York State. Ellis was well known in our local community for her passion and commitment to serving our 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 passed away in December of 1996 at the age of 52. Every year ConnextCare gives a scholarship to a local individual(s) who is pursuing a career in the field of Nursing.