Banner Health has teamed up with Eastern Wyoming College to offer scholarships to Banner Health employees nationwide and their immediate family members.

“Eastern Wyoming College is excited about Banner Health’s investment in the college and our community,” EWC president Jeffry Hawes said. “The scholarships will be utilized to support people interested in pursuing the nursing program at the college.”

The scholarships will help open a pathway to a rewarding career in nursing by covering 100% tuition and fees for required classes toward a student’s completion of the Associate Degree in Nursing, Hawes added.

“The pandemic showed us that we needed to grow and further develop the nursing pipeline,” Torrington Community Hospital and Platte County Memorial Hospital CEO Zach Miller said. “Specifically in rural areas we want to train local people who will stay local and care for Wyoming residents.”

To help achieve this goal Banner Health is teaming up with EWC whose Nursing program recently was ranked one of the top nursing programs in the state of Wyoming for first time NCLEX pass rates, according to the National Council for State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) exam report. Other Wyoming state colleges to earn this honor include Central Wyoming College, and University of Wyoming.

“EWC is committed to expanding the pipeline development that Banner Health seeks to achieve in our region and doing our part to support the training and education of healthcare workers,” Hawes said.

Students can earn an Associate Degree in Nursing, which prepares graduates to function as a Registered Nurse in providing care to clients with complex health care needs. Upon successful completion of the program, students are eligible to take the national licensure examination.

For more information on the Banner Health Scholarships, and the nursing program, contact Blanca Jaime at 307-624-7012, or bjaime@ewc.wy.edu or nursing@ewc.wy.edu.