National Park College (NPC) received a generous donation Monday from Lakewood Healthcare,
Inc. (formerly known as Lakewood Convalescent Home, Inc.). The gift totaled $445,000
and will be used to endow scholarships for NPC’s nursing programs.
Lakewood Healthcare, Inc. operated a nonprofit skilled nursing facility on Lake Park
Drive for over 25 years. They sold the facility in 2018 and are now dissolving the
nonprofit. The board wanted the funds to be used to serve senior citizens in the Garland
County area and believed supporting the nursing workforce was critical to that goal.
The board established the endowment in memory of Judge Henry Britt who was the driving
force behind the formation of the nonprofit skilled nursing facility with the goal
of serving the senior citizens of Garland County. Britt was elected Circuit Judge
of Garland County in 1966 and served four terms. He also served as the board’s second
chairperson.
Britt’s daughter, Nancy Britt was present for the check presentation. She shared the
impact nursing had on her family. Her mother, Barbara Holmes Britt served as a nurse’s
aide at Chanute Air Force Base during World War II. “This would mean something to
her too,” she noted.
“On behalf of the Lakewood Nursing Home board, we are delighted to share this money
with the college so that our supply of nurses will continue to flow into the community.
We realize the importance of continuing nursing and we hope that they will be directed
into caring for the older folks. You do a wonderful job here and we just want to encourage
it,” said Lakewood Healthcare board chair, Clyde Covington.
Pictured left to right in the NPC Registered Nursing lab are Tammy Burkhart(Lakewood
Healthcare board member), Dr. John Hogan, Nicole Herndon, Clyde Covington (Lakewood
Healthcare board chair), Janice Ivers (Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences), Janet
Smith (Registered Nursing Director), Angie McJunkins (Practical Nursing Director),
Charles Tapp (Lakewood Healthcare board member), and Nancy Britt.
