the torch Spring 2014, Issue 1 | Page 10

MEDED PROFILE ADVANCING NURSING EXCELLENCE program supports nurses while improving care K AT H L E E N D U N H A M , M.D. If anyone represents the face of our health care system, it is the Baylor Health Care System nurse. For the fifth year since its inception, Baylor is proud to emphasize nursing as one of its premier education initiatives via the Advancing Nursing Excellence (ANE) scholarship program. Kathleen Dunham, M.D. is a fourth-year resident in general surgery at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. Originally from Seattle, Washington, Dr. Dunham was a Washington State University fan growing up. When she was eight This special program provides salary stipends for current Baylor employees who want to enhance their passion for helping others via additional education. Many want to fulfill their dream to become a registered nurse (R.N.). Others want to further their nursing skills through an advanced degree (master’s in nursing or other doctoral degrees). The challenge for these hardworking, ambitious individuals is simple: they can’t afford to quit working full-time to pursue additional education opportunities. The Advancing Nursing Excellence scholarship program