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SLU HIM Program Awards Two Endowed Scholarships

The Saint Louis University (SLU) Health Information Management (HIM) program recently awarded its two endowed scholarships to seniors within the program. The annual Elmo and Jean Poole Endowed Health Information Management Scholarship was awarded to John Korpecki and the inaugural Sr. Mary Servatia Risse Endowed Health Information Management Scholarship was awarded to Ngohile Yakubu.

HIM Scholarship Participants

Sr. Mary Servatia Risse Endowed Health Information Management Scholarship recipient Ngohile Yakubu and Elmo and Jean Poole Endowed Health Information Management Scholarship recipient John Korpecki.

The Elmo and Jean Poole Endowed Scholarship awards $5,000 to the recipient in recognition not only of strong academic performance, but also for demonstrating leadership abilities and a commitment to service in the field of Health Information Management. Elmo and Jean Poole both generously remembered SLU's HIM program in their wills and, because of that gracious act, were able to make a tremendous impact on the program. By giving to the program in their will, Elmo and his wife Jean established an endowment fund which was created in 2003 and named in their honor. Jean Raffley Poole was a graduate of SLU in 1955 with a degree in Medical Record Science (now named HIM).

Korpecki was thrilled to find out he had been awarded the Poole Scholarship – earning this honor is an accomplishment that has been years in the making for him.

“It is something that I wanted since sophomore year, but I never really thought it was attainable,” Korpecki said. “Finding out that I received [the scholarship] was an incredible honor that I will always look back upon in the coming years…it is an honor to be recognized by the HIM community.”

For the first time, the HIM program will be awarding the Sr. Mary Servatia Risse Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship was named in honor of one of the program’s pioneers: Sr. Mary Servatia Risse. Sr. Servatia Risse was the first graduate of the program in 1938 and went on to hold multiple positions within the program throughout her career. This scholarship is open to any HIM student who has at least a 3.3 GPA and has finished at least one semester in the program. The financial aid awarded by the scholarship will vary on a yearly basis.

Yakubu was honored to be chosen as the recipient of the Sr. Mary Servatia Risse Scholarship and spoke about what inspired her to pursue a career in Health Information Management.

“Health Information Management professionals contribute a great deal to the overall patient experience. It is an aspect of health care that doesn’t require a scalpel to save lives,” Yakubu said. “Vital information is key and health information professionals make sure that information is made available.”

SLU HIM Program Director Teresa Neal, MHA, RHIA, was very proud of the recipients of the program’s two scholarships this year.

“Congratulations to both Ngohile and John. They are very deserving of this recognition,” Neal said. “I am very impressed by what they have already accomplished and I anticipate that they will be leaders and change agents in the management of health information and in our future health care delivery system.”

Find out more about SLU’s Health Information Management Program

Saint Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit institution that values academic excellence, life-changing research, compassionate health care, and a strong commitment to faith and service. Founded in 1818, the University fosters the intellectual and character development of nearly 13,000 students on two campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain. Building on a legacy of 200 years, Saint Louis University continues to move forward with an unwavering commitment to a higher purpose, a greater good.