Donor-funded scholarships create life-changing opportunities for staff

Photo: Scott Bulger, Epworth Medical Foundation Executive Director (second from rear left), with some of the current and past scholarship recipients.

The Epworth Medical Foundation Scholarships Program is one of the great examples of philanthropic impact at Epworth.

"When you combine the passion of scholarship recipients, and the generosity of our donor community, truly extraordinary things are possible," reflected Scott Bulger, Executive Director, Epworth Medical Foundation.

And over the past two weeks, an incredible 217 scholarships have been awarded to Epworth staff, valued at over $1.4 million.

Whether it's a return to study to further education, visiting global centres of excellence to observe new clinical techniques, or attending a conference to engage with like-minded peers from across the globe, scholarships create opportunities for Epworth staff that simply wouldn't be possible without the foresight and generosity of our community.

"It's remarkable to look back at the growth of the scholarships program since it began in 2008. We started with six scholarships and since that time, hundreds of donors have come together and awarded more than $10 million in scholarships to over 2,000 staff!"

In 2026:

• 50 staff will attend the Melbourne Business Schools Leadership Development Program.
• 85 staff will be returning to study or undertake additional training
• 75 staff will be attending conferences or visiting Centres of Excellence across Australia and internationally
• 7 project leads will undertake an Innovation project

Congratulations to every scholarship recipient. We wish you all the very best for the year ahead!

Photo: Sharee Burton (second from left) who received the Stamas Family Indigenous Staff Scholarship, pictured with George Stamas AM, Jaqui Maree Stamas and Prof Andrew Stripp.

To learn more about the impact of philanthropy at Epworth, visit News and Stories.