A Gift Reaching Generations

Side-by-side portraits of General Patty Horoho and her mother Josephine Dallas General Patricia “Patty” Dallas Horoho ’82 has established the Josephine “Jo” Dallas Nursing Scholarship Fund at Carolina Nursing, in memory of her late mother.

“My mom was my biggest influence in my getting a degree in nursing so I wanted her legacy to live on with this scholarship that will help others pursue a career in nursing,” said Horoho.

The daughter of a career Army officer, Horoho joined the U.S. Army after graduating from Carolina Nursing, with the intention of serving for three years. Instead, she embarked on a 33-year career in the military, rising through the ranks to become a lieutenant general. She served as the 43rd surgeon general to the United States Army and commanding general to the United States Army Medical Command, the first woman and the first Nurse Corps officer to hold these appointments. In 2016, she was inducted into the United States Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame.

Horoho retired from the Army in 2016 and currently is serving as the CEO of Optum Serve, a data analytics/consulting, health services, logistics and technology company that serves the federal government.

Carolina Nursing provided Horoho with the skills and the knowledge to allow her to create change. “Whether I was commanding hospitals, serving as a CEO, or changing and implementing models of patient-centered care – I’ve been able to improve systems that change lives because of my education,” she said.

Horoho is excited about the impact this scholarship will have. “By helping students overcome financial challenges, we allow them to focus on the discipline of nursing and their education,” she said. “By giving, if even just a little, we invest in the potential of our current UNC nursing students and make their journey a little bit easier.”

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