In The News

(French Camp, CA) – Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) has announced the first 10 of this year’s 14 HPSJ Health Careers Scholarships.  Among the talented students who applied, two have been selected from each of the following five local partner schools/programs operating in the not-for-profit health plan’s service area of San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.  Awardees from the remaining two partners (University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy and CSU Stanislaus School of Nursing) will be announced later.

As part of a 2015 revamp of its scholarship program, HPSJ began working directly with the following local partner schools/programs, to award two $2,500 scholarships to each partner.  HPSJ Chief Medical Officer Lakshmi Dhanvanthari, MD, said, “With this program we can reinvest the limited resources of our health plan in our community, collaborating with these schools to encourage and support the next generation of doctors, nurses and pharmacists.”

A year-long mentor program has been added to further enhance this scholarship program.  The mentorship component complements the Health Careers Scholarship Program by pairing each Health Career Scholar with an experienced professional, drawn from the HPSJ organization.  Program mentors will offer awardees academic support, one-on-one interaction, professional development, guidance and educational resources.  Mentors will also empower awardees so that they succeed in their respective college programs and stay on track until graduation and into their health-oriented careers.

HPSJ Health Promotions Manager Jenny Dominguez said, “We are proud to take this year’s Health Careers Scholarship Program to a new level by pairing it with a mentorship program geared to empower and support awardees in their first year of college as they pursue their respective health careers.”

BACKGROUND – HPSJ Scholarships

HPSJ has been committed to supporting not only the health of members, but also the health of local communities.  As part of this commitment, HPSJ invests in the education of students who live in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties and are pursuing careers in the medical and healthcare fields.  To date, HPSJ has awarded over 170 scholarships to local students.

In 2009, Health Plan of San Joaquin noticed the challenges in the Central Valley regarding:

• Provider capacity
• Access to care
• A limited number of new clinicians coming into the region

In response, HPSJ launched the Health Careers Scholarship Program to support and encourage local students who demonstrate an interest in pursuing higher education and then establishing a medical career in the Central Valley.

Eligibility – This Health Careers Scholarship Program is open exclusively to high school seniors and newly-admitted, full-time, college students enrolled with one of HPSJ’s seven program partners (five partners are listed in the table above).  In addition to academic excellence, students must also demonstrate a passion for community service.

About HPSJ

HPSJ, a not-for-profit health plan, has been serving members and the community since 1996. Located in the heart of California’s multicultural Central Valley, HPSJ is the leading Medi-Cal Managed Care provider in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. HPSJ offers a broad network of providers and works closely with physicians to develop programs and services to ensure quality health care for more than 330,000 members – over 192,000 of whom are children.

Media Contact:
David Hurst
Vice President, External Affairs
Health Plan of San Joaquin
Phone: 209-461-2241
dhurst@hpsj.com