BCHHC Foundation

From left: Dorothy Zimmerman and Mary LaBarre

2018 Ken Zimmerman Health Education Scholarship recipient:

From left:  Sam Rennick, Abigail Witulski and Dorothy Zimmerman

As Dorothy Zimmerman tells the story, her late husband, Ken, was always promoting health careers to the young people he encountered.

Ken Zimmerman, who served as a Beatrice Community Hospital Administrator from 1976 until his death in 2000, believed strongly in the power of healthcare and took every opportunity he could to encourage and recruit new talent to the professional ranks. Seldom did he miss a chance to point a young person in the direction of a health career.

Recognizing her late husband's passion for recruiting, Dorothy Zimmerman and her daughter, Mary LaBarre, recently created the Zimmerman Family Scholarship Endowment.  This fund will allow the Kenneth Zimmerman Health Education Scholarship to continue to support the educational journeys of local high school graduates who wish to pursue careers in healthcare.

"Mary and I can't think of a better way to memorialize Ken," stated Dorothy.  "I believe strongly in our local hospital and know that some of those scholarship recipients will find their way back to Beatrice and join ranks with the hospital.  It is a great way to promote a healthy future for our community."

In the short term, earnings from the endowment will be used for a single annual scholarship.  As the endowment grows over time, the expectation is that multiple scholarships will be awarded each year.

"We are so thankful that Dorothy and Mary decided to honor Ken in such an appropriate fashion." said Sam Rennick, Executive Director of the BCH Foundation.  "As with any endowment, since only the earnings are used each year, this fund creates a legacy that will continue in perpetuity."

(If you have interest in creating an endowed fund to support the work of the Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, please be sure to contact Sam Rennick at the BCH Foundation.  All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.)