MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center Foundation Awards More Than $71,000 in Donor-Funded Scholarships to 19 Employees

Laguna Hills, CA - August 21, 2025 - Nineteen MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center employees were awarded more than $71,000 in total to support their educational journeys to earn bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees at Saddleback Medical Center Foundation's 48th annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony.

Since the scholarship program's inception, Saddleback Medical Center Foundation has awarded more than $1.4 million to employees, thanks to generous donors' contributions to the Foundation's scholarship fund.

To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must be permanent full- or part-time Saddleback Medical Center employees with a minimum of six months of continuous employment. All scholarship winners completed a detailed application that was reviewed by Professional Development leaders for Saddleback Medical Center.

"At Saddleback, we are proud to support a culture where our team members continue to grow, lead and bring new ideas to patient care," said Shela Kaneshiro, MBA, RN, BSN, FACHE, NEA-BC, CPHQ, CEO of Saddleback Medical Center. "When our employees are empowered to advance their education, it strengthens the entire community and enhances the quality of care we provide to our patients."

The awards ceremony featured Elizabeth "Liz" Chassagne, BSN, RN, NE-BC, a recipient of the Bill Stephens Nursing Scholarship and this year's guest speaker. Chassagne serves as operations manager for the Heart & Vascular and Float Units at Saddleback Medical Center and is currently pursuing a graduate degree from the University of Michigan focused on leadership, analytics and innovation in nursing.

Her path to nursing began in junior high and high school, when she volunteered more than 600 hours at a local hospital as a "candy striper." Although she later earned degrees in English and French and spent time teaching abroad, her passion for health care never faded. From her earliest days in nursing school, she knew she had found her calling at Saddleback. Chassagne has held a variety of clinical and leadership roles and is a graduate of MemorialCare's Nursing Leadership Academy.

In 2022, she attended the national Magnet Conference, which recognizes hospitals for nursing excellence, innovation and high-quality patient care. A session on improv in nursing leadership sparked new thinking around collaboration, communication and creative solutions to long-standing challenges in health care.

"This scholarship made a dream possible," Chassagne said. "It lifted a burden and gave me the opportunity to bring new tools, ideas and energy back to my team. I want to help others grow and keep making the patient experience better for everyone."

"Liz represents the heart of what our donors make possible," said Christy Ward, chief development officer of the MemorialCare Orange County Region and president of Saddleback Medical Center Foundation. "Her story reflects how philanthropy fuels professional growth, innovation and the highest level of care for our patients."

Nurses receiving their degrees also help Saddleback Medical Center maintain this Magnet recognition, the most prestigious recognition in the nursing industry. Only 9% of hospitals in the U.S. are Magnet-recognized, which is linked to better patient outcomes and higher nurse retention.

The 2025 Saddleback Medical Center Foundation Scholarship recipients and cities of residence:

• Kissilyn Auman, BSN, RN (Irvine)
  Oncology Department
  Saddleback Endowed Scholarship
  Alex and Mary (St. John) Melgun Scholarship
• Amanda Benavente, BSN, RN, MS-BC, CV-BC (Mission Viejo)
  Acute Medical Unit
  Saddleback Endowed Scholarship
  Janet Fern McNulty
  Endowed Nursing Scholarship
• Elizabeth Chassagne, BSN, RN, NE-BC (Ladera Ranch)
  Heart & Vascular and Telemetry
  Saddleback Endowed Scholarship
  Bill Stephens Nursing Scholarship
• Jeneta Gilic (Rancho Santa Margarita)
  Maternal
  Saddleback Endowed Scholarship
• Angel Gray (Costa Mesa)
  Transportation Department
  Saddleback Kiwanis Scholarship
• Janine Hooper, BSN, RN, GERO-BC (Lake Forest)
  Professional Development
  Alex and Mary (St. John) Melgun Scholarship
• Tarrah Kepner, BA, ADN, RN (San Juan Capistrano)
  Oncology and General Surgery
  Janet E. Hooper Endowed Scholarship
• Alexa LeBlanc, BSN, RN (Huntington Beach)
  Pre-Op Unit
  Saddleback Endowed Scholarship
  Nurses4Nurses Scholarship
• Heather Maitino (Laguna Niguel)
  Cancer Risk and Prevention Program
  Saddleback Endowed Scholarship
  Jagtinder and Anju Dang Endowed Scholarship
• Nicole McComb, BSN, RN, MS-BC, GERO-BC (Oceanside)
  Neuro Ortho
  Saddleback Endowed Scholarship
• Nicole McCullough, BS (Rancho Santa Margarita)
  Professional Development
  Jagtinder and Anju Dang Endowed Scholarship
• Sara Mowry, BSN, RN, MS-BC (Mission Viejo)
  Neuro Ortho
  Saddleback Endowed Scholarship
• Christine Nelson, BSN, RN (Lake Forest)
  Oncology Department
  Saddleback Endowed Scholarship
• Myleen Ocana (Rancho Mission Viejo)
  Clinical Lab Services
  Saddleback Endowed Scholarship
• Katelyn Publico, BA (Aliso Viejo)
  Emergency Department
  Saddleback Endowed Scholarship
  Jagtinder and Anju Dang Endowed Scholarship
• Lauren Rodriguez, ADN, BS (Aliso Viejo)
  Intensive Care Unit
  Janet Fern McNulty
  Endowed Nursing Scholarship
• Timothy Shimada, RCP (Mission Viejo)
  Respiratory Therapy
  Rhonda Longmore-Grund Scholarship
• Anna Venturini, BSN, RN (Newport Beach)
  Neuro Ortho
  Saddleback Endowed Scholarship

About Saddleback Medical Center Foundation

Saddleback Medical Center Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, raises philanthropic support for MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center, a community-based, nonprofit hospital. The generous support of donors enables Saddleback Medical Center Foundation to support the medical center's leading edge health care, technology and medical expertise, as well as provide programs and services for the community. To learn more about supporting Saddleback Medical Center through the Foundation, please call (949) 452-3724 or go to memorialcare.org/smcf.

About MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center

MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center is a member of MemorialCare, a not-for-profit, integrated healthcare delivery system - proudly serving the residents of south Orange County for over 50 years. Centers of Excellence include cancer, heart, orthopedics, spine, neurosciences, gastroenterology, emergency and critical care, breast health, imaging, women's health, obstetrics, geriatrics, and minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery. Saddleback Medical Center received U.S. News & World Report high-performance rankings for cardiology, diabetes, knee replacement, and stroke to name a few. It also was named among Healthgrades America's 250 Best Hospitals, Top 50 U.S. Cardiovascular Hospitals and received Magnet Nursing Excellence designation. In addition, it is a certified geriatric ED Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center and holds Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation. To learn more, visit memorialcare.org/saddleback.

About MemorialCare

MemorialCare is a not-for-profit, integrated healthcare delivery system with 225 care locations, including leading hospitals-Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Long Beach Medical Center, and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach; MemorialCare Medical Group and Greater Newport Physicians; MemorialCare Research Program; MemorialCare Select Health Plan; and numerous outpatient health, imaging, surgery, urgent care, physical therapy, breast health and dialysis centers throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties. Accolades include Nation's Best Health Systems and Workplaces, Top 50 U.S. Hospitals and Cardiovascular Hospitals, 10 Largest Children's Hospitals, 100 Best Hospitals - Spine and Prostate Surgeries, Best of Orange County and Long Beach Hospitals and Medical Groups, U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals and "high performing" in 31 clinical categories, and Newsweek World's Best Hospitals, Top 100 Hospitals, Best Maternity Hospitals - and more. Visit memorialcare.org.