Annual NCCHC Conference Scholarship
The Academy of Correctional Health Professionals Scholarship program was established in 2005 through the generous donations of Academy members. The award provides financial support to assist current members who may be unable to attend the conference or need financial assistance.
Our upcoming scholarship awarding registration to the NCCHC fall conference will be announced in September 2023. The scholarship fund covers the cost of the NCCHC Conference registration and one pre-conference session of your choice. Expenses for travel, hotel, or other personal costs will be required by the recipient.
Scholarship Eligibility
- Complete the application explaining how you will benefit from conference attendance
- To be eligible to receive this scholarship, an individual must be a current member of the ACHP in good standing.
- Submit one Letter of Reference to email: academyofcorrectionalhealthprofessionals@outlook.com
Scholarship Awardee Expectations:
If you are awarded the scholarship, please be prepared to attend the conference and agree to write a brief statement about your experience and submit it to the Academy within 30 days of the conference end date.
Additionally, while attending the conference, please plan to participate in the Annual Academy of Correctional Health Professionals Member Meeting for membership introduction and photo.
We welcome all eligible applicants to apply and look forward to your participation in this national organization of correctional health professionals.
Questions? Contact the Academy of Correctional Health Professionals at academyofcorrectionalhealthprofessionals@outlook.com.
Academy Scholarship Winner 2023
Tammy Moore, LPN
Corporate Nurse Educator
Richmond, Virginia
Tammy Moore is a Corporate Nurse Educator for MediKO Correctional Healthcare out of Richmond, Virginia. She graduated from Tennessee College of Applied Technology with her LPN in 2009. She has been employed with MediKO since 2020 when she signed on as a corrections staff nurse. In May of 2021, she transitioned into a new role as her company's first Regional Nurse and was assigned to multiple North Carolina facilities. In May of 2023, she was promoted to her current role where she is responsible for five states and 22 sites. She is enthusiastic and passionate in her approach to teach other nurses about correctional healthcare and believes that education and communication is the key to being successful in this industry. Tammy encompasses a broad background in EMS, Family Medicine, Labor and Delivery, Urgent Care, and Cardiology with time as a scrub tech specializing in cesarean sections, vascular studies, and podiatry. She most recently obtained training and certification in peer support both for individual and group work for first responders through VALEAP. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband Kevin, their six children, and three dogs. She likes to travel, go camping, and watching sports.
"I would like to take a moment to thank the Academy of Correctional Health Professionals for this scholarship to attend the NCCHC conference. I am looking forward to utilizing this time as an opportunity for me to absorb the most up to date information in my field of practice. I am enthusiastic to be able to take what I have learned that back to my colleagues and share what I have learned. As an Educator, my top priority is making sure that we are innovative in our approach to inmate healthcare and delivering the best in patient care." -Tammy Moore, LPN
Academy Scholarship Winner 2022
Dr. Joseph Molina MD
San Diego, CA
Joseph Molina MD is a jail physician for the San Diego Sheriff in California. He graduated from St. George's University in True Blue, Grenada in 2017 and finished Internal Medicine residency in 2020 at Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan. He discovered corrections after his father, a physician at Twin Towers jail, recommended the field to him while he was working full time as a hospitalist at Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. After his first few shifts at the detention facility he decided to make corrections to his full time position and is enjoying everything the field has to offer.
"The NCCHC conference was empowering and insightful in contributing to my career in correctional medicine. I met multiple people to share my experience in the field and it was humbling to hear other professionals stories on how they ended up in this specialized niche of practice. Everyone I met was passionate about the field.
Because of this opportunity, I plan on going to NCCHC yearly to further my knowledge in the field and to continue to network for opportunities. Thank you to the Academy of Correctional Healthcare Professionals for the opportunity and privilege to attend this convention." -Joseph Molina, MD
Academy Scholarship Winner 2021
Rae Simpson
Chief Nursing Officer
Washington State Department of Corrections
Olympia, WA
Rae was awarded the 2021 Academy Scholarship and will be attending the 2021 Fall Conference on Correctional Health Care in Chicago. The scholarship will be presented to her at that time and her statement about her experience will be posted here after that date.
"I would like to take a moment to thank the Academy of Correctional Health Professionals for the scholarship that allowed me to attend the 2021 NCCHC conference in Chicago. It was my first opportunity to attend the conference and I found it to be very helpful in my role of Chief Nursing Officer with the Washington State Department of Corrections. The NCCHC standards provide us with a North Star as we implement a plan to improve patient care and staff engagement. I returned to my office motivated and excited to share what I have learned with our multi-disciplinary leadership team. Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity." -Rae Simpson
Academy Scholarship Winner 2020
Ranee' Wright
MSN, APNP, PMHNP-BC, CCHP-MH, CCHP-RN
Wisconsin Resource Center
Appleton, WI
Ranee' was awarded the 2020 Academy Scholarship and will be attending the 2021 Fall Conference on Correctional Health Care in Chicago. The scholarship will be presented to her at that time and her statement about her experience will be posted here after that date.
"I would like to thank the Academy of Correctional Health Professionals for the scholarship to attend the conference! I am thankful that we got to finally have an in-person conference! This year's fall conference in Chicago was a great experience. I have recently graduated as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner this spring. I found conference sessions that fit perfectly into my new role as well as they had previous years in my role as a nurse. I am grateful for the multitude of different educational opportunities that are provided for correctional nurses at the NCCHC Conferences. It is also encouraging to network with peers that have the same passion for patient advocacy in this specialty field of Correction Healthcare." -Ranee' Wright
Academy Scholarship Winner 2018
Jacalee Michaelis, RN3
RN3 Nursing Supervisor
Washington Department of Corrections
"Attending the NCCHC National Conference was fantastic! As a newbie to Corrections, I was eager to learn more about the nuances of health care in this type of setting."
"The sessions were very informative and had practical application throughout. The speakers were obviously very knowledgeable with several years’ experience working in Corrections. I will be presenting information to my staff to not only raise our overall skill level but to also let them know that others in similar facilities share many of the same concerns."
"Best of all was the networking! I met so many people and while some were nursing staff, like me, others were in Mental Health or Dental or were medical practitioners. While we each had our own perspectives, we all shared Corrections as a common theme."
"There was also a wide variety of vendors, with not just a single focus on a particular area or issue. Of course, the free hand-outs were great; more importantly, though, there were several who presented real solutions to some of my facility’s challenges."
"I am looking forward to next year’s National Conference and would encourage anyone working in the Health Services field of Corrections to consider joining the Academy of Correctional Health Professionals. There are many benefits of having this membership and for the price of less than one average Starbucks’ coffee a month, it’s well worth it." -Jacalee Michaelis
Academy Scholarship Winner 2014
Shannon Miller, LPN
Corrections Corporation of America
Burlington CO
Shannon Miller, LPN was awarded the annual Academy scholarship because of her potential to learn and grow in the field. Here’s what she had to say about her experience:
“I love to learn new things about my job and love to share that information with my fellow colleagues. I greatly enjoyed the time and company that I had in Las Vegas and attended sessions with ideas that my facility could adopt.”
“Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity that I was given. I was able to come back and give a great presentation to my facility about what I had learned.”
“I highly encourage anybody who is in correctional health care to attend of these conferences. The great learning experience and great company that you will find will be something that you will remember for the rest of your life!”
Academy Scholarship Winner 2013
Nancy Vander Berg, RN
Head Nurse
Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility
Sussex County Sheriff’s Office
Newton, NJ
Nancy Vander Berg, RN, applied for the annual Academy scholarship, which granted free registration to the NCCHC National Conference on Correctional Health Care, to enhance her knowledge, meet colleagues, and network with professionals who shared her passion for corrections. What did she think about her experience?
“The Conference not only met, but exceeded my expectations,” she gushed. “I am very grateful to have been the recipient of the scholarship…and was excited to share all I learned with my co-workers when I returned.”
She welcomed the variety of educational sessions and enjoyed partying one evening at the Academy’s “Meet and Greet,” in downtown Nashville TN.
As a result of her participation, she intends to become an active Academy member, sit for the CCHP exam, and prod her facility into applying for NCCHC accreditation.
Scholarship Program
ACADEMY OF CORRECTIONAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
YOUR PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY FOR CORRECTIONAL HEALTH CARE
Submit by August 1st, 2024