Patricia Moore Worcester Scholarship

Suzanne Boltersdorf ’06 is a respiratory therapist at WellSpan. As such, she and her healthcare colleagues are on the front line of taking care of patients stricken with COVID-19. 

“When I am working with a few of those particular patients, they are scared and nervous,” she said. “Spending a little extra time talking to them can go a long way. We may look a little scary with our helmets, face masks, and full gowns covering our entire body. Giving them time for conversation can go a long way. These people are trusting us with their lives; they deserve more than just a person peeking through a glass door. 

“I was educated and trained well for this moment. I feel I am as prepared as I can be and enjoy working with my coworkers through this. Part of being a respiratory therapist is being ready for the unexpected and suddenly critically ill patient.” 

Some of those who studied respiratory therapy at York College did so with financial assistance from generous donors like Patricia Moore Worcester. 

Patricia (Pats, as she was called by family) Moore Worcester came to York when her father’s job in the defense industry brought him here. She attended York High School and graduated in 1955. “My sister excelled in the sciences—unusual for a ‘girl’ at the time,” said her brother Robert Moore, Col. USAF-R. Afterward, she attended the University of Denver and earned a degree in Biology. She later earned a degree in Medical Technology from Lancaster General Hospital and worked there. 

Worcester took a teaching position in 1961 at York Junior College (YJC), which had relocated from downtown York to the site of the York Outdoor Country Club. “I do remember that there were two buildings there initially—the old wooden country building for administration and the newly built teaching facility. I also remember her lab and teaching area, and that she thoroughly enjoyed the students, the faculty and teaching there,” Moore said. 

Worcester taught at YJC from 1961 to 1967, and at York College from 1968 to 1973. She earned her master’s degree in 1972 in Chicago, where she met and married Brian Worcester. She was also a registered clinical pathologist and had a license in clinical medical technology. She gave up her teaching career and settled into life in Chicago, according to Moore. “Pats kept in contact with faculty members at YC and also through our mother, who in her 60s and 70s took courses at the school,” he said. “York College was a fun and nice facility that played an important part in the Moore lives, even though none of us ever went there for formal schooling.” 

“Patricia had many fond memories and stories of her 10 years teaching at York College,” said her husband, Brian. “As you can imagine, the College was pretty small at the time, so the staff and students tended to be well acquainted during those years.” 

The Patricia Moore Worcester Scholarship Endowment Fund was established by Patricia Worcester in May 2007 with a generous gift of several thousand dollars. Recipients are full-time students enrolled in the Biology program, with preference given to students pursuing a degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology or Respiratory Care.

“I am glad Pats’ name and her contributions can live on at York College and through future scientists helped by her scholarship,” said Brian Worcester.