First Lance Pence Scholarship awarded to future nurses who embody legacy of compassion, dedication to care

May 12, 2025 -- Reid Health Nursing Care Assistants (NCAs) RJ Grill and Baylee Wissler are the first recipients of the Lance Pence Scholarship. They were presented with the $1,000 scholarship during the Nursing Excellence Awards Celebration held May 7 in Lingle Auditorium.

Grill and Wissler are Richmond residents entering their junior year in the nursing program at Indiana University East.

As scholarship recipients, they embody the qualities inspired by the life of Lance Pence - compassion, integrity, and dedication - that defined his career as a charge nurse in the Critical Care Unit (CCU) at Reid.

The fund was initiated by Pence's family, friends, and co-workers to celebrate his life and career as a registered nurse and to continue his passion for helping others while also advancing careers in nursing, the profession he loved. Pence passed away in April 2024, leaving a lasting legacy of kindness, integrity, and humanity in the hearts of those he served.

As NCAs, Grill and Wissler provide direct care and support for patients. Grill has worked in the CCU for two years, while Wissler has been a part of the Family Birthing Center team for a year.

Grill's interest in nursing developed from his own health challenges as a child, where the nurses who were kind, patient, and supportive stood out.

"Those experiences made a lasting impression on me and helped shape my desire to be the kind of nurse who truly makes a positive impact," he said. "I want to be the nurse who makes patients feel seen, heard, and cared for during some of the hardest moments in their lives."

At Reid, he's gaining valuable hands-on experience in high-acuity patient care. His experience has shaped his clinical skills, strengthened his ability to thrive in high-pressure environments, and his commitment to the profession, he said.

"Caring for critically ill patients has shown me even one minute can make the difference between life and death, emphasizing the importance of staying alert, prepared, and compassionate at all times," Grill said.

"It's also taught me the value of teamwork, seeing how every staff member, regardless of their role, works together with the same goal in mind: to provide the highest quality care to our patients."

Wissler plans to become a labor and delivery nurse at Reid, with long-term goals of becoming a women's health nurse practitioner.

"I've always been the type of person who wants to help others," Wissler said.

"Nursing allows me to do just that while also incorporating hands-on skills and never-ending learning. It incorporates everything I love and have a desire and passion to do."

Her role at Reid has been a valuable opportunity to build clinical knowledge and confidence.

"The nurses are always willing to help me learn and allow me to experience as much as I can before I graduate," Wissler said. "I had no prior healthcare experience, so this job has helped me grow my skill set, enhance my communication, and better prepare me for a future career as a nurse."

The scholarship is meant to encourage nursing students like Grill and Wissler to put people first with kindness, to connect with patients and families, and encourage a lifelong drive to learn, said Pence's wife, Tara Pence, a registered nurse in the CCU.

"Lance was the kind of person you would want to be around," Tara said. "He just made you want to be a better person."

Nursing was a shared way of life for the couple as they worked the same shifts, supporting each other at home and on the job. He was a constant source of knowledge and a natural mentor who inspired those around him to be better caregivers, she said. He had an ability to bring calm to stressful situations, often with a quirky sense of humor, bringing smiles even in the hardest moments.

"He would help anyone who needed it," Tara said. "I feel like the world needs more nurses like him. No one is ever going to be him, but he was such an amazing role model."

Misti Foust-Cofield, Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer, said Pence led with compassionate, patient-centered care.

"It's incredibly moving to see his legacy live on through students like RJ and Baylee, who represent the future of nursing with the same heart, dedication, and integrity Lance brought to work every day," she said.

"This scholarship is more than a tribute to his life, but an investment in the kind of care we want every patient to receive."

Angela Cline, Director of the Reid Health Foundation, said it was an honor to work closely with Tara to establish the scholarship. Though she didn't know Lance personally, Cline said through the collaboration, she gained a sense of his heart, passion for nursing, and his commitment to helping and caring for others.

She added for those who knew him, they spoke of his willingness to help, teach, and support his co-workers.

"They all agree his skills as a nurse were incredible, but he was admired by his colleagues because of how genuinely he cared," Cline said. "It's wonderful his legacy will continue by supporting future nurses with the scholarship that carries his name."

Receiving the Lance Pence Scholarship is especially meaningful for Grill because it eases the financial burden and allows him to concentrate fully on what's most important — growing into the best caregiver he can be.

"It gives me the opportunity to devote more time and energy to my education, hands-on learning, and development as a future nurse, without the constant worry of covering living and school expenses," he said. "This support moves me closer to making a real impact in the lives of my future patients."

After earning his nursing degree, Grill plans to become a critical care nurse before pursuing a career as an advanced practice nurse to take on a greater role in managing illness and improving patient outcomes.

"I was one of the lucky ones to have worked with Lance and to know him personally," Grill said.

"Watching how he cared not only for his patients with exemplary skill and compassion, but also how he supported every one of us on the team, left a lasting impact on me. He always had our backs and led with integrity, kindness, and an unwavering commitment to others. I hope to carry on Lance's legacy by treating both my patients and co-workers with the same level of compassion, integrity, and dedication he showed every single day."

Grill is driven to make a positive difference for his patients at their most vulnerable by providing comfort, support, and compassionate care.

"By consistently providing the highest quality care — regardless of the situation — and helping patients feel less afraid, I believe I can help them heal not just physically, but emotionally as well," Grill said.

"My goal is to be the kind of nurse who patients remember for making their hardest days a little easier."

Receiving the scholarship is nothing short of an absolute honor, Wissler said. Carrying forward Pence's legacy is a responsibility she respects.

"I believe the qualities this scholarship honors are just as important as clinical skills," she said. "As a future nurse, I want every patient to feel seen, heard, comforted, and cared for."

With a goal of becoming a labor and delivery nurse, Wissler hopes to guide patients through some of life's most vulnerable and transformative moments with calm, clarity, and kindness.

"By making patients feel safe and supported, I hope to ease fear and anxiety while helping them build confidence in themselves," she said. "That's how I plan to carry on Lance's lasting legacy by making a meaningful difference in the lives of those I care for."

Grill is an Indiana Center for Nursing Scholar and an Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Scholar. Wissler is an active member of the National Student Nurses Association.