Wellstar Foundation is committed to addressing provider shortages and healthcare challenges in Georgia through educational scholarships that support our team members, as well as their dependents or spouses, who are pursuing advanced degrees in healthcare related fields.

Recently, the Foundation established a partnership with a family who shares our commitment to building a diverse, highly skilled healthcare workforce.  More than 42 years ago, the family of Dr. S.U. Braly established the Braly Scholarship fund to honor his life and love for the practice of medicine. The Braly Scholarship Fund is now officially among the list of donors contributing to the Foundation Education Scholarships, for which the family made a $10,000 donation to initiate the fund.

BACKGROUND

Dr. S. U. Braly was a great humanitarian and advocate for Paulding County. Originally from Henderson, Tennessee, Dr. Braly moved to Paulding County in 1953 , where he later became one of the founders of Paulding Memorial Hospital and Medical Nursing Unit, which today are known as Wellstar Paulding Medical Center and Wellstar Paulding Nursing Center.

Beyond his passion for medicine, Dr. Braly was also a committed philanthropist for Paulding County. He donated land for a public park, which included the first swimming pool in the county, and later donated the land for the first contemporary library.

Dr. Braly was a servant leader and friend to his patients for more than 25 years.  He served the community of Paulding County through a variety of roles, including Georgia State Senator, member of the Georgia Medical Board of Examiners, Vice Chairman of the Paulding Memorial Hospital Authority, Chief of Staff of Paulding Memorial Hospital Authority, team physician for the Paulding County football team, and lay speaker for the First United Methodist Church.

IMPACT

Upon his death in 1978, a committee of Dr. Braly’s peers raised money for a bronze plaque to honor his memory. The remaining funds from that campaign were used to start a scholarship fund and the first scholarship was awarded in 1982. Over the last 42 years, the Braly Scholarship Fund has awarded 80 scholarships to 60 different recipients.  The scholarship committee consists of members of the Braly family, local health-care professionals, and community leaders. Since its inception, the scholarship has been sustained through generous donations. Now, by partnering with the Wellstar Foundation, the family seeks to grow the scholarship fund and expand its impact.

As a donor to the Foundation Education Scholarship, the Braly Scholarship will enhance the quality of healthcare in Paulding County. These scholarship funds will be exclusively awarded to team members who work at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center and are pursuing an education as a licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, or similar fields related to patient care.

If you’d like to make a 100% tax-free donation to support the Braly Scholarship fund, please visit wellstar.org/give; under the “I want to support” drop down menu, click “Team Member Educational Scholarship Fund”; then scroll down to the “comments” box underneath the donation amount suggestions, and type in “Braly Scholarship Fund”.

The application for Wellstar Foundation Education Scholarships opens December 1, 2024 and closes February 28, 2025. Once the application period opens, team members may apply through wellstar.academicworks.com/.