Transcript What do our stakeholders want?

PacifiCare Latino Health
Scholars Program
Encouraging Bilingual Students to Select the
Health Professions
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Latinos & Health Professions
• Severe underrepresentation
of Latinos and Spanishspeakers in the health
professions including
medicine, nursing and allied
health
• Growth of the Latino
population in the United States
requires training and
recruitment of an ever-greater
number of bilingual and
bicultural professionals
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Health Care Career
Opportunities
• Health care is a fast and growing field with a high demand for
bilingual professionals
• An expedited curriculum allows you to learn the necessary
skills to enter the job market quickly
• Potential to earn between $19,000 - $42,000/ annually after
graduation
• Medical careers often allow for flexibility in work schedules
• The national vacancy rate for RNs is 11% which is an extreme
shortage.
• The demand for bilingual nurses and doctors is a high due to
the increasing population of Latinos in the U.S.
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Latinos & Health Professions
• Shortage results in a negative impact on the delivery
of health care services to the Latino community
• Communities need culturally competent and
culturally sensitive professionals in all disciplines to
address their needs with appropriate programs and
services.
• Need for health professionals is outpacing the
number of Latino physicians entering the healthcare
system
• Bilingual, mid-level and ancillary professionals can
support physician shortage
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Problems and Challenges
• Underrepresentation of Latinos in the educational
pipeline of the health professions
• Lack of adequate mechanisms for identifying,
recruiting, retaining and promoting Latinos in health
and science professions
• Underfunding for Latinos in health & science education
programs
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Key Strategies
• Promote the advancement of Latinos into the health professions
• Disseminate information on financial assistance, such as
scholarships
• Support and encourage Latino and Spanish-speaking students to
pursue careers in the health professions through community
outreach efforts
Note to school districts: In selected areas PacifiCare may have
representatives available to provide an in-service on the advantage of
careers in healthcare. You may also post our link on you web-sites so
that students can more easily access the application and other
information available to them
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Latino Health Scholars Program
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PacifiCare will grant (70) scholarships of $2,000 each to high school
seniors
Requirements:
– Minimum 3.0 GPA (B average)
– Must have applied full-time to an accredited university, community
college or technical school in a health care program
– Must speak Spanish fluently
– Demonstrate commitment to a career in the health care field
– To receive funds, you must provide proof of acceptance to an
accredited college
– You must provide proof of U.S. citizenship or residency
Note to applicants: It is not a requirement to be Latino in order
to qualify for a scholarship, however, you must have the ability
to communicate effectively in English and Spanish.
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Latino Health Scholars Program
Freedom Award
In addition to the 70 $2,000 scholarships in
2005 we will be awarding two $25,000 “Freedom
Award” scholarships in honor of U.S. Marine Sgt.
Rafael Peralta, who lost his life while saving the
lives of 5 other soldiers in Iraq. These awards will go to
the two most deserving bilingual and bicultural
students dedicated to pursuing careers in health care.
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Application Process
• If the applicant meets the requirements, he/she must submit 2
copies of the following materials:
– Typed, completed and signed application form.
– Transcripts from high school with cumulative GPA of 3.0 and
above or minimum “B” average or better.
– Letter of recommendation from high school teacher or advisor
– Typed bilingual personal statement of not more than 2 pages
describing your personal and academic accomplishments,
community involvement, volunteer and leadership activities,
academic plans and the reason you want a career in the health
care field. (The same essay must be written twice. Once in
English and the second in Spanish).
– Copy of permanent resident card (if applicable)
• Application deadline: June 30, 2005
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Approved Health Career
Programs
• Programs may include,
but are not limited to:
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Nursing (RN, LVN)
Medical Interpretation
Health Claims Examiner
Health Information
Technology Programs
Pharmacy Technician
Public Health
Psychology
Pre-Med
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Summary
• YOU are in demand!
• The opportunity for YOU to be a part of the health
care industry is readily available!
• Make a difference in someone’s life by working as a
health professional
• If you qualify, apply for the Latino Health Scholars
program
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• Caring is good. Doing something is better.
“Preocuparnos por su salud es
importante, y hacer algo al respecto
es aún mejor”
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