Healthy Start Laura Pan Scholarship Award

Ruth Vryhof of Kids Central Inc. has been awarded the Laura Pan Scholarship Award for her hard work and dedication in the field of maternal and child health.

The Laura Pan Scholarship Award is given to one outstanding Healthy Start worker each year who provides direct services to families and who:

Goes above and beyond to create a positive impact on improving the health of mothers and babies.
• Demonstrates passion and dedication to our clients.
• Exemplifies the vision and values of Healthy Start.

The award is made in honor of Laura Pan who helped create and worked extensively with Healthy Start at the Florida Department of Health in Tallahassee for more than 25 years. Laura was respected by everyone for her integrity, honesty, and for her passion for the Healthy Start program.

Laura had a special gift of uniting people to make a positive impact on Florida’s mothers and babies. As one colleague wrote, “Laura made the world a better place for mothers and babies and made us all better people.”

The awardee will receive:
• $3,000 scholarship for continuing education
• Induction into the Healthy Start “Angels of Fame”

The winner of the award will be recognized at an awards reception on October 4, 2023, at the Annual Meeting of the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions (FAHSC) in Orlando.