Cal State L.A. Program Prepares Latinos for Health Jobs
There is one doctor for every 9,500 Latinos in Los Angeles County, according to UCLA professor David Hayes-Bautista, an expert on the health of Latinos.
Prompted by this statistic, Cal State L.A. is developing the nation’s first federally funded consortium to increase the number of Latinos in health professions.
The federal Department of Health and Human Services is providing the university with $889,000 over three years to create the Model Hispanic Health Careers Opportunity Program.
The program offers a curriculum of year-round courses, counseling, summer enrichment classes and weekly seminars for about 60 high school, college and graduate-level students.
The university was chosen because it serves a large, diverse student population, said Carl W. Stevens, a branch chief of program development for the federal Bureau of Health Professions. In addition, Cal State L.A. has been successful in its educational programs and maintains a strong network with community groups, he said.
The program is co-directed by Dr.Genaro A. Lopez, the university’s health science advisor, and Dr. Jorge Lambrinos, director of the university’s Roybal Institute for Applied Gerontology.
“We hope to prepare Hispanic students so they successfully enter medical professions,” Lopez said.
For more information call (213) 343-4244.
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