When it comes to better health, University of Miami parents and donors Danielle and Vahan Gureghian are firm believers in the old saying, “There’s no place like home.”
The Gureghians established their home care services agency in South Florida with the mission of “improving the quality of life for all in need of home health care.”
One way they have found to support their business’s mission in the community at large is by designating funds for nursing students at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS).
In the past six months, the Gureghians, owners of Independence Home Health, have awarded one-time scholarships to ten students completing the 12-month Accelerated BSN program at SONHS.
Each recipient was selected based on academic achievement and the content of an essay they submitted addressing the role of home health care in the modern medical landscape.
For the Gureghians, home health care has the potential to ensure “a safe, comfortable, and independent quality of life,” according to their company website. “We believe superior health care allows people to age with dignity in the privacy of their own home while simultaneously providing comfort and peace of mind to loving family members.”
As such, they were excited to support nursing students who demonstrated a keen understanding of and affinity for the principles and values related to home health care nursing services.
Andrea Zdrnja was near the end of her third and final semester in the ABSN program when she learned of her scholarship from the Gureghians. “This will help me have more time to concentrate on my studies and be able to afford all the books and school supplies needed,” said Zdrnja, who will graduate on May 10.
For her scholarship-winning essay, Zdrnja recounted her experience shadowing a home health care nurse. “Helping patients on their road to health or maintenance of independence in their own homes was why and how I fell in love with the nursing profession,” she explained. “I remember visiting all those families, checking on clients, and witnessing them improving after every visit. We not only helped them regain their health, but did so in the comfort of their homes, with immense help from their loved ones.”
Another scholarship recipient graduating this month, Britany Tolmachewich, said she chose to go into the health field because, “At the end of the day, a lot of people just need someone to be kind to them.”
The “kindness and grace” evident in the Gureghians’ support reaffirmed Tolmachewich’s resolve “to provide quality care and empathy to my future patients,” she said. “Receiving this scholarship from the Gureghians has given me further encouragement to chase my dreams and further my education in nursing. I cannot wait to make a difference in the lives of so many diverse individuals.”
In her essay, Tolmachewich conveyed with a depth of sensitivity the value of home-based care.
“So often, when people are in strange or stressful environments, one universal exclamation that most humans all share in stating is, ‘I cannot wait to go home,’ and it is because no other spot can provide such a place to be openly vulnerable and shielded from the dangers of society. As we explore the complexities of modern existence, the significance of bringing health care to our doorsteps has become increasingly important,” she wrote. “Being at home creates an environment and sense of tranquility where recovery is not just a medical process but a holistic journey of well-being that no other place can provide.”
Not only did Tolmachewich see the power and dignity afforded by home health care services in her own family, both older and younger generations, she studied practices in places where people are living much longer and better than average, known as “Blue Zones” and noted that home health care had an important role to play in those communities as well. As a result, she sees home health care “as a beacon guiding a path toward a more compassionate and sustainable future,” and one she sees herself contributing to as she begins her journey into the nursing profession.
Like Tolmachewich and Zdrnja, all ten award-winning essay writers articulated significant potential benefits associated with home health care, particularly in the context of an aging population and a global rise of chronic disease. They cited key benefits such as promoting patient-centered care, reducing risk of infection and other adverse events, alleviating family burden, fostering a sense of independence and connection, addressing excessive cost burdens of inpatient care, transforming the patient-provider relationship, and improving overall mental and emotional well-being, among others.
In addition to giving generous financial support for nursing students, the Gureghians have shown an interest in getting to know the students as well, attending a luncheon held on campus for each group of recipients to date.
“Meeting Mr. Gureghian made the entire experience so much more valuable,” said Janet Lee, B.S.N. ’23, who was in the inaugural group of scholarship recipients. “That personal connection was a powerful one. He shared his insights with us and was incredibly encouraging and thoughtful.”
Lee’s fellow scholarship recipient Ana Luisa Ulivi Azpurua, B.S.N. ’23, who graduated in December, added that the couple’s generous commitment to educating a new generation of nurse leaders “will truly make a difference in the lives of many patients who are in need.”
