The Hillsboro Medical Center Foundation Scholarship Committee has announced the recipients of the 2026 HMC Foundation High School Scholarships. This year the Committee awarded a new scholarship, the Hillsboro Medical Center Medical Staff Scholarship, along with the Flo Rhea Health Careers Scholarship and the Dr. Marvin Robb Memorial Scholarship. Read below to learn more about these impressive students and their plans to pursue a career in the healthcare field.

Brayden Cornie, 2026 graduate of Century High School, was awarded the inaugural Hillsboro Medical Center Medical Staff Scholarship. Brayden attributes his interest in becoming a physician to the health challenges experienced by members of his family, as well as his drive to understand and address the vast inequities in healthcare. During his time at Century High School, Brayden served as Coordinator of Century High School’s Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) chapter, Captain of the Century Lacrosse Team, and became an Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts of America. As Captain of the Century Debate Team, Brayden has honed his ability to think critically about healthcare policy and notes that the experience helped build his curiosity and confidence to pursue his dreams. Brayden will attend University of Oregon this fall, where he will study Human Physiology and Neuroscience.

Christina Boun, 2026 graduate of Century High School, was awarded the Dr. Marvin Robb Memorial Scholarship. Throughout her high school career, Christina has volunteered over 200 hours in the Breast Health Center and Labor and Delivery Unit at Hillsboro Medical Center, serving patients and supporting clinical staff. Her volunteer experience with the Breast Health Center inspired her to dedicate her Anatomy & Physiology senior project to coordinating a free mammography clinic for underserved populations in Hillsboro. By creating bilingual communication materials and reaching out to various organizations throughout the region, Christina helped provide free mammograms to 20 patients. Christina served as co-president of Century High School’s Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) chapter, participated in the Pacific University Synapse Healthcare Professionals Exploration Camp, and managed a rigorous academic courseload during her high school career. Christina will study BioHealth Sciences at Oregon State University this fall and plans to become an optometrist.

Allyson Garcia, 2026 graduate of Liberty High School, was awarded the Flo Rhea Health Careers Scholarship. Allyson felt called to pursue a career in healthcare after witnessing members of her family experience health challenges and limited access to healthcare.  Through her high school career, Allyson has participated in extracurricular activities that have exposed her to various aspects of the healthcare field. Allyson served as Secretary of Liberty High School’s Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) chapter, completed a six-month dental exploration program at Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) and interned at OHSU where she conducted research on cancer metastasis and processed a cellular dataset under Dr. Cody Rounds. Allyson will study Biology at Howard University this fall and plans to become a physician.

The Hillsboro Medical Center Foundation offers scholarships to three local high school students each Spring who have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and plan to pursue a human health-related career.

The Hillsboro Medical Center community came together on April 3, 2026, to formally dedicate the Dick Stenson Health Education Center in honor of Dick Stenson.

Richard “Dick” Stenson was the long-serving former President and CEO of Tuality Community Hospital (now known as Hillsboro Medical Center) from 1992 to 2014.

His 22 years of leadership profoundly shaped the health and well-being of our community. During his tenure, Dick presided over the development of the Hillsboro Health & Education District, Tuality’s Breast Health Center and the Tuality/OHSU Cancer Center.

Even after retiring, he remained committed to the HMC mission, serving on the HMC Foundation Board, most recently as board chair.

The dedication ceremony was attended by Dick’s family, HMC’s Executive Leadership Team, past and present board members, former colleagues and HMC employees.

“This building is more than just brick and mortar,” remarked Dick’s former colleague Dr. Darrell R. Lumaco during a speech at the dedication ceremony. “It is an extension of Dick’s vision, his perseverance and unwavering commitment to our community.”

HMC looks forward to seeing this building carry on Dick’s proud legacy of building a healthier future for all.

Dick Stenson’s unwavering commitment to ensuring an exceptional and supported patient experience lives on through the Dick Stenson Healthy Community Fund. To learn more about how this Fund supports patients at HMC and how to make a personal contribution, please visit our Funding Overview page.

Rose Friedlund, a volunteer in the Hillsboro Medical Center Emergency Department (ED), approaches her shifts with a sense of determination. Whether Rose is changing linens in preparation of a new patient, bringing patients wheelchairs, or helping find clean clothes for a patient at discharge, she tackles each task with a strong sense of ownership. 

It’s this dedication to her service that motivated Rose and her husband David to make a generous donation to establish the Hillsboro Medical Center Emergency Department Compassion Closet in May 2025 and commit to matching all gifts to the newly created fund up to $20,000.  

The Compassion Closet provides a consistent supply of new clothes and shoes in a variety of sizes to meet the needs of all ED patients at discharge. The Compassion Closet is stocked with new pants, T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, underwear, socks, sports bras and shoes, all organized by size and easily accessible to staff working in one of the busiest areas of HMC.  

Previously, the Emergency Department relied on a closet of donated items that ranged vastly in size and style that were often inappropriate for patients and difficult for staff to organize. For Rose, the Compassion Closet serves two purposes: it empowers clinical staff to best support patients all the way through discharge by providing them with a reliable resource and ensures that all patients leave the ED with dignity.  

For Megan Murphy, Nurse Leader in the ED, the Compassion Closet has had a profound impact on her experience caring for patients. “I had a patient that was displaced for the night, it was a cold evening, and he was only wearing a cut-off shirt,” Megan said. “I brought him a sweatshirt from the Compassion Closet, some snacks, and a bus pass. He was in tears as he thanked me, which was surprising because we don’t always get this kind of gratitude. It felt good being able to provide this small gesture.” 

We thank all who have been a part of this initiative and invite you to make a gift to the Compassion Closet Fund. And don’t forget, every dollar donated to the Fund will be matched dollar-for-dollar, which means your gift will go twice as far!