Pali Momi Medical Center Employees Receive Scholarships to Advance Healthcare Careers

Pali Momi Medical Center has awarded nearly $19,000 in scholarships to five employees who are pursuing higher education to advance their healthcare careers while continuing to work at the medical center.

The awards came from an endowed scholarship created by Maude Nishimoto and her husband, Dr. Joseph Nishimoto, Pali Momi’s founding physician. Since its inception more than two decades ago, the Dr. Joseph and Maude Nishimoto Employee Scholarship has helped more than 100 Pali Momi employees, both in clinical and non-clinical positions, further their careers at the not-for-profit medical center. In total, the Nishimoto Scholarship has awarded more than $170,000.

Three of this year’s recipients — Danielle Dela Cruz, Caleb Hansen, and Christopher Wendehorst — are Pali Momi registered nurses who are pursuing a master’s degree in nursing. Briana Ortiz, an oncology program liaison at Pali Momi’s Dr. James T. Kakuda Cancer Center, is studying psychology with the goal of one day becoming a registered nurse. Marcela Saldate, a medical assistant at Pali Momi’s 360° Weight Management Center, is working toward a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

“Receiving this award means so much to me and will make a real difference in my ability to pursue my academic and professional goals,” said Dela Cruz, who currently works in Pali Momi’s telemetry medical-surgical unit. “Thank you for investing in students like me and for believing in the power of education.”

Ortiz, whose long-term aspirations include becoming an oncology nurse or a counselor for cancer patients, said, “This scholarship not only eases the financial burden of my education, but it also strengthens my motivation to continue working toward my goals.”

This year, the awards received a funding boost from an anonymous community member who provided additional scholarship support to Pali Momi employees on advanced nursing pathways. The gift was made in honor of the donor’s mother, who was a longtime nurse in ʻAiea. 

“Presenting the Dr. Joseph and Maude Nishimoto Employee Scholarship to dedicated employees every year is one of our proudest days at Pali Momi,” said Gloria Brooks, Pali Momi chief operating officer. “It acknowledges employees who not only work hard to care for our patients but also continue to advance their education and skills to make an even greater impact in serving our community.”