Martha Turay and Ashiatu Fonti Kanu Among Only 38 Recipients Statewide
(MANASSAS, Virginia) — Martha Turay, a case manager at assisted living facility Willow Oaks, and Ashiatu Fonti Kanu, a medication aide at assisted living facility District Home, are recipients of this year’s Regirer Nursing Scholarship from the Commonwealth Long Term Care Foundation. Both are members of the care team at Birmingham Green, the nonprofit senior living community on Centreville Road in Manassas.
In 2026 the Commonwealth Long Term Care Foundation awarded 38 Regirer Nursing Scholarships to individuals employed in long term care facilities in Virginia. Each recipient will receive $2,000 toward the cost of their nursing education. To receive the scholarship, recipients completed an extensive application, were personally interviewed by a member of the foundation’s nurse scholarship committee, and committed to work in a long-term care facility for one year after graduation.
“Martha and Ashiatu already give our residents the kind of attentive, personal care that defines Birmingham Green,” said Denise Chadwick Wright, Chief Executive Officer of Birmingham Green. “To have two of our team members named among only 38 recipients across the Commonwealth is a real point of pride — and it says a great deal about their commitment to building long careers in long-term care.”
“The demand for nurses in long-term care has never been greater. We are thrilled that we can offer the Regirer Nursing Scholarships to individuals who want to advance their skills to provide the skilled, quality care the residents of Virginia’s nursing and assisted living facilities deserve,” said Keith Hare, President and CEO of the Virginia Health Care Association and the Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VHCA-VCAL).
The scholarships are named for Walter and Maria Teresa Regirer, members and leaders of VHCA-VCAL who led efforts to improve access to long-term care education for career professionals. The Regirer Nursing Scholarship Program is designed to promote and support quality of care and to enhance the educational level of nurses currently working in VHCA-VCAL member facilities.
ABOUT BIRMINGHAM GREEN
Founded in 1927 by five Northern Virginia jurisdictions that pooled their resources to care for local residents, Birmingham Green is a nonprofit provider of skilled nursing, long-term care and assisted living on a single campus at 8605 Centreville Road in Manassas. Its assisted living residences include Willow Oaks, a 92-bed community organized into two neighborhoods, and District Home, which offers an affordable residential option for ambulatory residents with limited means. Birmingham Green’s mission is person-centered, financially accessible care — including for residents who have exhausted their personal resources and wish to remain close to the people who matter to them. The community was recently recognized by Newsweek among America’s Best Nursing Homes. Learn more at www.birminghamgreen.org.
About VHCA-VCAL and the Commonwealth Long Term Care Foundation
The Virginia Health Care Association and the Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VHCA-VCAL) is a member-driven organization dedicated to advocating for and representing the interests of over 360 Virginia nursing and assisted living facilities and the residents and patients they serve through the selfless efforts of dedicated care-giving staff. VHCA-VCAL is the Commonwealth’s largest association representing long-term care. Visit www.vhca.org for more information.
The Commonwealth Long Term Care Foundation is the 501c(3) tax-exempt organization affiliated with VHCA-VCAL. The Foundation supports the Regirer Nursing Scholarship program. Since the inception of the Commonwealth Long Term Care Foundation in 1997, it has awarded Regirer Nursing Scholarships totaling $1,056,725 to 671 scholarship recipients.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Kara Brock
Birmingham Green
210-846-4486 | Kara@NardiMedia.com