Thompson Associates Grateful for "Life-Changing" Fund

When music lovers packed the Fort Hill Performing Arts Center for Don Potter recently, they knew they were going to be treated to a special night with a Rochester Music Hall of Fame inductee. What they may not have realized was they were also supporting local healthcare workers and their families, with proceeds raising $15,000 for our Healthcare Education Fund.

Amy Logan, for one, is grateful. The certified nursing assistant (CNA) is one of the Thompson associates getting a boost from the fund while pursuing her goal of becoming a licensed practical nurse.

The fund sponsors stipends, making it possible for entry-level associates to work part-time while attending school. It has helped not only CNAs and patient care technicians, but is also supporting a supply tech in qualifying for a higher-paying position within surgical care, and a transport aide who is becoming a registered nurse.

“We’re a family of seven, so the extra funding for me is important because I wouldn’t be able to pay for the extra childcare I need in the mornings to get my kids on the bus from a safe environment,” Amy told donors earlier this year.

Jacquelyn Pollotta, who completed her transition from CNA to LPN in 2023, echoed the importance of the support.

“To have these funds available so that we can better ourselves and we can bring ourselves up in the world and not have to worry so much about scraping by, it’s just an amazing opportunity and it really is life-changing,” she said.

To make a gift to the Healthcare Education Fund, call 585-396-6156 or email Heather_Rickett@URMC.Rochester.edu.