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A group of PATH graduates pose in front of a BMH banner

On Wednesday, April 24, Beaufort Memorial held a graduation to recognize eight employees who completed the PATH (People Achieving Their Highest) Program's sixth cohort and hosted a pinning ceremony for 12 PATH alumni who recently earned national certifications.

The event also featured the announcement of the new Marmo Family Nursing Scholarship.

Special guests Trisha and Chris Marmo congratulated the graduates and, alongside BMH Foundation Associate Vice President and Chief Development Officer Kimberly Yawn, announced the establishment of the new scholarship, which will offer direct incentives for area residents pursuing a career in nursing.

Created in partnership with the Beaufort Memorial Foundation, the scholarship is designed to offer nursing students in Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton counties “a hand up rather than a handout,” according to Trisha Marmo, a retired nurse and Bluffton resident. The fund will award five nursing school scholarships annually for those pursuing their RN degree, with the first recipients to be chosen this summer. Recipients are eligible for up to $4,000 per semester provided they are enrolled with good standing in their nursing program.

“South Carolina already has too few nurses and is projected to have as many as 10,000 nursing vacancies by the end of the decade,” said Yawn. “It’s only going to get worse unless we find a way to attract more qualified people to the profession. This gift is going to have a major positive impact on both the nursing students who receive the scholarships and the residents who will one day receive their care.”

Paying it Forward

Chris and Trisha Marmo smile in front of a BMH banner

A native of south Florida, Trisha worked her way through nursing school while carrying multiple jobs in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Faced with an uncertain future and a lack of money for tuition, she was preparing to leave the nursing program before graduation. When she arrived at a meeting with her Dean of Nursing to resign from the program, she was met with a check – a gift! – that would cover her expenses and allow her to graduate with honors from the University of Florida’s College of Nursing in 1992 (she repaid the “gift” six months later). She met her husband, Chris, the same weekend.

Chris was born and raised in Upstate New York to a second-generation Italian father and a mother whose own father was instrumental in advancing graduate public health training at Albany Medical College, where he was a professor. Chris completed his undergraduate studies at Union College and interned at General Electric, in Schenectady, before attending the University of Florida where he earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry.

Chris was a successful pharmaceutical entrepreneur for 30 years while Trisha, in addition to raising their children, had careers in nursing and as a board-certified health and wellness coach. The two retired to Bluffton in 2021. Together, they raised five children, are grandparents to six grandchildren, and recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary.

“It sounds cliché,” she said. “But Chris and I had a successful run, and we’re ready to give back. Education was the ticket out of poverty for us both. And we hope with this fund to be an example to others of all that can be accomplished through education. We also hope our scholarship recipients will pay it forward themselves one day by providing exceptional health care to the community.”

PATH Program Graduation

A lapel pin is placed on Letitia Washington

Among those honored at the April 24 ceremony were Adam Flores and Olivia Pace, who mark the PATH Program's first registered nurses to complete the external pathway. Both will graduate from USCB’s nursing program April 26. Flores has accepted an offer to work at Beaufort Memorial Hospital's third floor pediatrics/stroke center and Pace has accepted a position at the hospital's emergency department.

In addition to Flores and Pace, the ceremony celebrated the eight most recent PATH program graduates, who will advance into careers as patient care technicians and clinical medical assistants.

During the April 24 event, 12 PATH alumni received lapel pins to mark their achievements passing the national certification exam. The certification demonstrates the employees have achieved the highest standards in their chosen field and have shown proficiency in their skill levels.

April 2024 Graduates:

  • Gina Anderson, PCT
  • Hope Cox, PCT
  • Katharine Troy, PCT
  • Chandra Deans – 6-week PCT
  • Cristina Capers – 6-week PCT
  • Leslie Gant, CMA
  • Shan’Terrah Nelson, CMA
  • Teresa Slattery, CMA



Certification Pinning:

  • Latasha Brown, CCMA
  • Antionette Gaskins, CCMA
  • Lauren Miller, CCMA
  • Charity Pratt, CCMA
  • Alanna Robbins, CCMA
  • Dikiaha Williamson, CCMA
  • Emma Beach, CPCT
  • Sylvia Brown, CPCT
  • Alfreda Delaney, CPCT
  • Connie Sauls, CPCT
  • Tyesha Storey, CPCT
  • Letitia Washington, CPCT

Since 2022, Beaufort Memorial has graduated or certified more than 55 employees through its innovative workforce development program, allowing employees to advance their careers in the organization. PATH Programs include a variety of clinical pathways, and last November graduated its first class of certified medical coders.

A group poses in front of a BMH banner

“We are extremely proud of our employee graduates and the future their hard work affords them,” said BMH President and CEO Russell Baxley, MHA. “They are shining examples of our mission and vision, and our shared commitment to helping our employees achieve their goals.”

The PATH Program has been showcased by the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) as an innovative example of workforce development. The program includes scholarships, clinical training, traditional education, and non-traditional financial assistance to encourage and incentivize individuals to advance their careers and support a better healthcare network.

Applications for the Marmo Family Nursing Scholarship will be accepted from April through June each year. Awardees will be notified in July. To learn more about or apply for the scholarship, visit BeaufortMemorial.org/MarmoScholarship.