NHHF Scholarship & Mentorship Program Targets Growing Demand for Diversity Among Health Care Professionals

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Twenty-Seven health professional students pursuing health care careers in New York will receive $5,000 and $2,000 scholarships from the National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF) at the 13th Annual Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship Gala at the New York Academy of Medicine in New York City on December 15, 2016 and at the 9^th Annual Gala in Los Angeles on December 8^th 2016.

Dr. Fernando J. Valverde, Regional President- Medicare, South Florida Humana , Dr. Angela Diaz, Director, Adolescent Clinic, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, Senior Vice-President, Community Relations /Government Affairs, Emblem Health/CUNY Trustee, Luis Miranda, Jr., Founding Partner, MirRam Group, LLC, Robert F. Mujica, Budget Director State of New York/CUNY Trustee, Althea Alexander, Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, USC Keck School of Medicine, Dr. Hy Doyle, Director- PRIME Program, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, John Baackes, CEO, LA Health Care Plan, Richard D. Cordova, Past-CEO, Children's Hospital L.A., Sylvia Lopez, Former Anchor, KCBS/KCAL TV, Los Angeles, and Dr. Gregory Talavera, Professor, Public Health, San Diego State University will receive Health Leadership Awards.  "We are proud to honor these leaders who are committed to a better America." said Dr. Elena Rios, president of NHHF. "They are increasing access to health care, promoting healthy lifestyles, and increasing Hispanic students in health professions schools."

The scholarship program is supported by the United Health Foundation, Centene, Humana, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, NYU Langone Medical Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Emblem Health, AltaMed, National Hispanic Medical Association, and other partners.

This year's scholarship recipients have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and commitment to serving the Hispanic community, the nation's largest minority group. Their disciplines are in six areas: medicine, nursing, dentistry, public health, health policy, and pharmacy.

The student awardees are: Christian Monsalve, Rutgers NJ Medical School, Cesar Andrade, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Natalie Ceballos, FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Paulina Ramirez, Drexel University School of Medicine, Rachel Rosario, Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, Crystal Alvarez, Boston University, School of Public Health, Javier Ortega, Long Island University School of Pharmacy, Pia Iribarren, NYU Global Health, Stephanie Arredondo-Glacet, Medical University of South Carolina, Stephanie Eleanor Rivera, MSN, RN, University of Illinois at Chicago, Sarah Martinez, University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, Luis Ventura, UCLA School of Dentistry, Paola Perez, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, Victoria Rodriguez, University of Southern California Public Health Program, Laura Ortega Flores, University of Utah, School of Nursing, David Reynoso, University of San Francisco School of Nursing, Marvin Ortiz, Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy, Omar Viramontes, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Luis Seija, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Fernando Picazo, University of Arizona College of Medicine- Tucson, and Axana Rodriguez-Torres, UC Irvine School of Medicine. A prestigious panel of health care officials from the Wagner School, National Association of Hispanic Nurses, Latino Caucus of the American Public Health Association, the Hispanic Dental Association, and NHMA selected the awardees.

Since the scholarship program was launched in 2004, NHHF has awarded 208 scholarships totaling $720,000. "The NHHF is proud of its role in filling the growing demand for diversity through this scholarship program." Rios said

NHHF, located at the NY Academy of Medicine and affiliated with NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, is the 501(c)(3) arm of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC representing Hispanic physicians across the U.S. For information on the National Hispanic Health Foundation, go to www.nhmafoundation.org

SOURCE National Hispanic Health Foundation