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NHHF Scholarship Program Targets Growing Demand for Diversity Among Health Care Professionals; Students Selected From New York and New Jersey

Posted on: Thursday, 29 November 2007, 12:00 CST

NEW YORK, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ten health professional students from New York and New Jersey won $5,000 and $2,000 scholarships from the National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF), a nonprofit group affiliated with the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. The scholarships will be presented at the Fourth Annual Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship Gala at 7 p.m. Nov. 29 at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel, 1535 Broadway.

This year's scholarship program was expanded with the support of the United Health Foundation, who donated $15,000.00 for $5,000.00 awards to the top three students. Other generous contributions were made by American Express, AMGEN, Empire Blue Cross, Johnson and Johnson, the NY City Health & Hospital Corporation, and other partners.

Three prominent leaders will also be honored at the Gala, Jo Ivey Boufford, President, NY Academy of Medicine, Alan Aviles, President, NYCHHC, and Ron Williams, CEO, Aetna. "We are thrilled because this year we are honoring health leaders who are role models for our scholars," said Dr. Elena Rios, president and CEO of NHHF.

This year's Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarships were awarded to outstanding students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and a commitment to the Hispanic community, the nation's largest minority group. The scholarship targets students who have made a commitment to improving the health of Hispanic communities. Their disciplines are in five areas: medicine, nursing, dentistry, public health, and health policy and management.

"We at NHHF are honored to help these remarkable students in achieving their goals," Rios said. "By doing our part today, we are nurturing future health professionals and role models who will be tomorrow's leaders."

The winners of the 2007 Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarships are: Noe Romo, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Hector Aguilar, Albany Medical College; Monica Sianez, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health; Karen Florez, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health; Keila Torres, Columbia University School of Nursing; Carla Calcaterra, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine; Erginio Fernandez, UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School; Cruz M. Ortiz, UMDNJ-New Jersey School of Nursing; Jason Caraballo, NYU Wagner and Ginseng Torres-Chae, NYU Wagner.

The winners were selected by a prestigious panel of health care officials from the Wagner School, the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, the Latino Caucus of the American Public Health Association, the Hispanic Dental Association, and the NHMA. Since the scholarship program was launched in 2004, NHHF has awarded 28 scholarships totaling $57,000. Also this year, NHHF established the scholarship program in Sacramento, California that will occur January 22, 2008 and provide 10 more scholarships.

NHHF is the 501(c)(3) arm of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, and representing Hispanic physicians across the U.S. NHHF is affiliated with NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, which is a center of academic excellence for public service, including health policy and management, leadership and health services research.

For information on the National Hispanic Health Foundation, go to http://www.nhmafoundation.org/

National Hispanic Health Foundation

The National Hispanic Medical Association established the National Hispanic Medical Foundation in 1994 to provide research and educational activities focused on Hispanic health. In 2000, the name was changed to the National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF), and, in 2004, NHHF officially affiliated with the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University. A Congressional Earmark was awarded to develop the Hispanic Health Professional Leadership Network and a new list- serve system as well as strategic planning for the Foundation. Future NHMA and NHHF programs include Policy Research and Research Training targeting Hispanic health, expanding the Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship Program and Leadership development. Currently we are developing research on diversity in the health workforce for USDHHS/OMH - both at the entry level, the HCOP program, and looking at executive leadership for Hispanics in major health care organizations. The NHHF Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship Program 4th Annual Gala Dinner will be held on November 29, 2007, Marriott Marquis, New York City and the First NHHF Annual Scholarship Gala at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento on January 22nd, 2008. See http://www.nhmafoundation.org/ for more information.

National Hispanic Medical Association

Established in 1994, the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) represents licensed Hispanic physicians in the United States. The mission of NHMA is to improve the health of Hispanics and other underserved. The Association's programs support physicians and advocate for quality health care at the national level.

Physician Support: In 1998, the NHMA Leadership Fellowship was developed in collaboration with the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University, with the support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) to develop the leadership skills of member physicians selected from across the nation. NHMA also developed the NHMA Resident Leadership Program and the Medical Student Mentorship Program. NHMA developed media training, a media breakfast series with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus with support from the U.S. Department of Transportation and speakers' bureau for media interviews and conferences. NHMA developed its cultural competence project in NYC with focus groups of faculty, community organizations, and residents to determine future direction for community-based training in Graduate Medical Education programs and the promotion of linkages to develop research in Hispanic communities, and a September 2004 meeting with USDHHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) with the USMLE, AAMC, JAHCO, NCQA, NQF on current evaluation of cultural competence training. In 2005, NHMA started its Obesity and Diabetes campaign and portal. In 2006, NHMA established the Medical Society Leadership Institute. NHMA also nominates its members to national committees in the public and private sectors.

Advocacy: NHMA serves as a resource to the White House, USDHHS, and the Senate and House of Representatives. In 2002, NHMA, in collaboration with USDHHS, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and others, convened the National Hispanic Health Leadership Summit with 175 participants nominated by HHS and Congress and partners. NHMA has been supported by the Commonwealth Fund for symposia with Members of Congress, State officials and health leaders to discuss strategies to increase insurance coverage among Hispanics and by the California Endowment to convene "Hispanic Health Congressional Briefing Series" on cultural competence, health professions, community based research, and US-Mexico binational insurance. NHMA also serves on the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, with the largest forty Hispanic organizations in the country, and the AMA Disparities Commission.

NHMA's 12th Annual Conference, "Health Reform: A National Priority for Hispanics and Health Disparities" will be held on April 17-20, 2008 in Washington, DC. Visit the website http://www.nhmamd.org/ for more information.

National Hispanic Health Foundation

CONTACT: Elena Rios of National Hispanic Health Foundation,+1-202-421-4062, erios@nhmamd.org

Web Site: http://www.nhmafoundation.org/http://www.nhmamd.org/

Source: PRNewswire-USNewswire

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