Communities Lifting Communities (CLC) and HASC are grateful to CalOptima, CenCal Health, Gold Coast Health Plan, Inland Empire Health Plan and L.A. Care Health Plan for their generous donations to the Diversity in Health Care Scholarship and Stipend Program. Thanks to their support, employees of HASC member hospitals will receive a financial boost to help them continue their health care careers.
CLC and HASC launched the Diversity in Health Care Scholarship and Stipend Program in 2023 with the goal of helping to reduce health disparities and improve community health throughout Southern California. By helping reduce the financial burden for students in health care, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, the program aims to foster a more inclusive workforce, address the ongoing shortage of diverse health care professionals, and encourage more workers to join or continue their careers with HASC hospitals.
This past summer, the program awarded its first eight scholarships to:
Undergraduate recipients ($2,500 award):
- Sarah Cardona, telemetry technician, Providence St. Mary Medical Center
- Robert Cisneros, patient access specialist, Providence Saint Joseph’s Medical Center
- Carrie Finegan, medical assistant, Providence St. Jude Medical Center
- Alexa Sanchez, nursing assistant, Providence St. Jude Medical Center
Graduate recipients ($3,000 award):
- Santiago Chambers, director of plant operations, Los Alamitos Medical Center
- Lorraine Herrick, structural heart coordinator, Common Sprit Health
- Bryan Islas, patient relations specialist, California Hospital Medical Center
- Adrienne Savala, intensive care nurse, Providence St. Jude Medical Center
Scholarship applicants must be enrolled in an accredited program and have worked at a HASC member hospital for at least one year. They must also submit letters of recommendation and a personal statement describing their reason for choosing a health care career.
CLC and HASC will offer more Diversity in Health Care scholarships in 2024 and member hospitals will receive information in the coming weeks. To learn more about the awards or becoming a scholarship donor, please contact Soyinka Allen, [email protected] or (213) 538-0722.