KNOXVILLE, IA – Braylee Mason, a 2024 graduate of Knoxville High School, was recently awarded
a $2,000 scholarship from the Iowa Hospital Education and Research Foundation (IHERF), which is
supported by the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA). She is among 100 outstanding students – 40 high
school seniors and 60 college students – from all over Iowa who have received assistance this year
from the IHERF Health Care Careers Scholarship Program.
Currently employed at Knoxville Hospital & Clinics (KHC) as a CNA in the Emergency Department
and as an Environmental Services Tech, Braylee will be attending DMACC in the fall to begin her
pursuit of a nursing degree. Having known she wanted to do something in the health care field since she was young, Braylee was first exposed to the nursing profession when she completed the CNA class offered through Knoxville High School and KHC and started working at KHC.
“I love working in the hospital. Working in Environmental Services has allowed me to experience
things behind the scenes and now that I have the opportunity to work in the Emergency Department,
I’ve come to realize even more that I want to go into the health care field. I want to help and serve
others in a way that not all people can,” said Braylee.
IHA established the IHERF Health Care Careers Scholarship Program in 2004 to help address the
ongoing shortage of health care professionals and encourage young Iowans to establish or continue
their careers with Iowa hospitals. The first scholarships were awarded in 2005 and now more than
700 students have benefited from the program that has provided over $205 million in financial
support.
“The Iowa Hospital Education and Research Foundation scholarship has been a wonderful benefit to
so many current and future health care professionals,” said KHC CEO and IHA Board Chair Kevin
Kincaid. “We are grateful to IHERF and IHA for making this scholarship available and congratulate
Braylee on her tremendous accomplishment.”
Hospital leaders from all parts of the state evaluated scholarship applications from dozens of qualified students who were judged on grade-point average, a written personal statement, letters of reference,
and extracurricular, community and health care-related activities.
IHERF is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Iowa Hospital Association. IHERF is a charitable nonprofit
and exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Knoxville Hospital & Clinics is a non-profit community hospital serving Marion County and the surrounding area. Named a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital, KHC’s highly skilled medical staff and specialists provide personal, compassionate, and innovative quality health care to patients. For more information regarding this release and other happenings at Knoxville Hospital & Clinics, call Public Relations at (641) 842-1418.
Pictured: Braylee Mason, a 2024 Knoxville High School graduate, was recently awarded a $2,000
scholarship from the Iowa Hospital Education and Research Foundation (IHERF). She is pictured with
Knoxville Hospital & Clinics CEO and Iowa Hospital Association Board Chair Kevin Kincaid.
