TASCA Funds Academic Scholarships
The Tennessee Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (TASCA) gave out two scholarships to scrub technician students in the state. Victoria Hines, a student at Baptist Health Sciences University (BHSU), and Walt Horton, a student at Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) – Murfreesboro, received the scholarships.
“In the recent past, TASCA decided to have a reserve for unexpected expenses,” says Bert Parnell, treasurer of the TASCA board of directors and senior director of ASC & Hospital Based Operations at OrthoSouth in Memphis, Tennessee. “We wanted a year’s worth of operating expenses and savings for the reserve.” When the reserve went up to more than a year’s worth of expenses, TASCA decided to give back to the community, Parnell says. “We are all suffering from a staffing shortage and we were struggling to find scrub techs, so we decided to do a scholarship for scrub techs,” he says. “We reached out to area colleges that had scrub tech programs and picked two: BHSU and TCAT.”
Hines is the inaugural recipient of the TASCA scholarship, Parnell says. “I got to spend some time with Veronica Hines at the BHSU annual scholarship luncheon. She is originally from Indianola, Mississippi, and moved with her family to the midsouth area for better opportunities. She is very appreciative of this opportunity and is looking forward to pursuing her career in healthcare.”
Hines expressed her gratitude in an email to TASCA: “I am sincerely honored to receive the TASCA scholarship. I deeply appreciate your generosity and support, which will significantly impact me in pursuing my educational and career goals. This scholarship not only provides financial assistance but also inspires me to continue striving for excellence. Thank you for investing in my future and for believing in my potential, I’m committed to making the most of this opportunity and giving back in the future.”
Horton, the second scholarship recipient, also is studying to be a scrub tech, says Christy Gingrow, a member of the TASCA board of directors and clinical director of Endoscopy Center of Murfreesboro Medical Clinic in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. “He’s a father of four children, a husband, and he is working hard to provide a better future for his family,” she says.
“The TASCA scholarship represents the support and encouragement I have received in my pursuit of excellence as a future surgical technologist,” Horton says. “It also reflects the confidence my instructors have in my abilities and dedication, which is both an incredible honor and a meaningful affirmation of my hard work. Thank you, TASCA, for awarding me this scholarship and a special thanks to Shera W. and Mary F. for my promotion for this scholarship.”
The academic scholarships are $3,000 each, Gingrow says, $1,500 for the fall semester and $1,500 for the spring. TASCA also gave out a scholarship of $675 to one person who attended its fall conference, she says.
“Our requirements for the academic scholarships were an accumulative GPA of at least 3.0; enrollment in an accredited surgical program; demonstrated financial needs; and a letter of recommendation from an academic instructor or a TASCA-affiliated medical professional,” Gingrow says.
Legislation to Open Up More Scrub Tech Certification Programs
TASCA picked scrub techs for its scholarship program instead of nursing because its members experienced a severe shortage of scrub techs. “The scrub techs travel, like the traveling nurses, and we felt the shortage after the pandemic,” Parnell says. “There was a very narrow path to offer the program, so that had to change through legislation. In Tennessee, there was a limited number of certification opportunities for scrub techs. We worked with our state legislators to pass a legislation that expanded the certification programs.”
HB 186/SB 174, sponsored by Representative William Slater in the House and Senator Becky Massey (R) and Senator Jeff Yarbro (D) in the Senate, sought to address workforce concerns in hospitals and surgery centers. Previously, the law limited the list of entities approved to issue the credential required for a surgical technician first assistant (scrub tech) to three organizations: the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, the National Surgical Assistant Association, and the National Commission for Certification of Surgical Assistants. The new law added the American Board of Surgical Assistants to the list of approved entities. The bill passed both chambers unanimously during the 2025 legislative session and is now in effect as Public Chapter 59.
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This article was originally published on ASC Focus.