The 2026 scholarship application
period opens in January.Application information
If you would like to make
a tax-deductible contribution
to the Mark Judy Memorial
Caregiver Education Fund,
go to the “donate” button below.Contributions also can be mailed to:
Cascade Medical Foundation
817 Commercial St.
Leavenworth, WA 98826For information call 509-548-2523.
New fund helps Cascade Medical employees, community healthcare
Community members interested in supporting Cascade Medical have a new opportunity to make a lasting impact — by donating to an education fund specifically for Cascade Medical staff.
Cascade Medical Foundation’s Mark Judy Memorial Caregiver Education Fund offers financial resources to Cascade Medical employees looking to further their education and improve job-related skills. The funds cover everything from certification and training for a new program or service to ongoing education or coursework to embark on a new career path.
Helping employees expand their skills and careers also benefits Cascade Medical and the community it serves.
“It means more opportunity to grow our workforce and, ultimately, ensure we have the right resources to provide the best care for our community over the long term,” Cascade Medical CEO Diane Blake said. “To be able to have a tool to help development be attainable for people who are already valued team members is very exciting. There’s big benefit to the organization to have a stable, rooted team for so many reasons.”
The Mark Judy Memorial Caregiver Education Fund was established in fall 2023 following the unexpected death of Mark Judy in March of that year. He had served as Cascade Medical CEO from 2009 through 2011 and continued to be involved in the community as an active member of the Cascade Medical Foundation board.
The Foundation board, looking for a way to honor his service, proposed using donations made in his memory to start the new education fund and continue to add to it so employees could access funds annually in perpetuity. The idea was embraced by Mark’s family, including his wife, Terri, who continues to serve on the Foundation board, and by Cascade Medical administrators who see it as a way to grow the organization’s workforce and enhance critical caregiving skills.
“This is such a great opportunity for staff to obtain education that will help them to reach their career goals,” said Rachel Avery, Cascade Medical’s director of quality. “Many staff want to have more education, but it is costly. I am so grateful to see this opportunity for them!”
The education fund is a new direction for the Foundation that historically has focused on capital projects to benefit Cascade Medical. Since it was founded in 1992 the Foundation has helped fund $2 million worth of equipment and projects, including lab and radiology equipment, a new cardiac rehabilitation center, a new ambulance and mobile health clinic.
Those efforts continue. The Foundation's 2025 fundraising focus is an $80,000 "Clinic Bundle," which includes a point-of-care ultrasound machine, a bladder scanner and other equipment that will improve patient access and workflow at Cascade Medical's Family Practice Clinic. Other ongoing projects include the expansion of the community AED (automated external defibrillator) program.
Establishing the education fund is one more way the Foundation is meeting its mission to help Cascade Medical deliver quality healthcare to the community.
The application period for the education fund opens each January, with scholarships to be awarded in late March. The first round of scholarships was awarded in March 2024. The 2025 scholarship applications period is now open, with applications due March 17.
Learn more about how to apply.
Mark Judy's commitment, philosophy and leadership style incorporated the Zulu concept of Ubuntu as described in Desmond Tutu’s book “No Future Without Forgiveness.”