September 18, 2001

Contact:

Jennifer Labunetz
Communication Coordinator
856-793-0600x204
e-mail:jlabunetz@bayada.com
 
Local Youths First Recipients of Dale O'Reilley Scholarship Fund

Burlington, NJ - Bayada Nurses is pleased to announce the first two recipients of the Dale O'Reilley Scholarship Fund-Miguel Bardowell and Christopher Welch. The Dale O'Reilley Scholarship Fund was established by the O'Reilley family as a way to honor and respect the nursing profession and the Bayada Nurses who cared for Dale from 1997 until her passing in June 2001.

The $500.00 scholarships were made available to the children of the nurses who cared for Dale in order to assist them in continuing their education after high school. The scholarships will be presented on September 14, 2001 during a ceremony at the Bayada Nurses Burlington Office. The ceremony will begin at 8:00 a.m. The office is located at 1816 Mt. Holly Road, Suite 201, Burlington, NJ.

Miguel Bardowell is the son of Sheila Bardowell, CHHA, who has worked for Bayada Nurses since July 1995. Miguel will use his scholarship to attend Burlington County College in the fall. He plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in accounting. Christopher Welch is the son of Joan Welch, RN, who has worked for Bayada Nurses since September 1997.

Christopher will attend Gordon College in Massachusetts this fall, where he will study youth ministry and theology.

In their essays, both Miguel and Christopher paid tribute to the bond established between their mothers and Dale O'Reilley and the power of the nursing profession. Christopher Welch wrote, "My mom grew from being Dale's nurse to becoming her friend. Because of my mom's work at Dale's home, I have learned many valuable lessons. To appreciate my health and realize what a blessing it is. Conversely, I realized how people with health challenges are a blessing to us. They make us stop and remember how important it is to care for each other."

Dale's husband, and Heather Valteris, Dale's daughter, initiated the scholarship fund as a way to recognize the dedicated and caring service of the nurses who cared for Dale in the last years of her life. Both the O'Reilley family and Bayada Nurses contributed funds for the scholarships. Bayada Nurses will coordinate the management of the fund on the family's behalf, and the hope is that the fund can expand throughout the company.

Founded in 1975, Bayada Nurses is an independently owned home health care agency that employs more than 6,000 nurses, home health aides, and therapists working from more than 65 offices in 11 states.

For more information on Bayada Nurses or the Dale O'Reilley Scholarship Fund, please call 609-386-9300. For more information on Bayada Nurses, go to
www.bayada.com.

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