L.A. Care Awards Full Medical School Scholarships to Four CDU Students Committed to Health Equity
Four CDU medical students have been awarded full-ride scholarships by L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan.
The awards are part of the Elevating the Safety Net (ESN) Medical School Scholarship Program, which aims to strengthen the pipeline of primary care physicians in medically underserved areas of Los Angeles County.
Now in its eighth year, ESN covers the nearly $500,000 cost of medical school for each recipient, removing financial barriers for talented, mission-driven students who are prepared to deliver culturally sensitive, community-rooted care. Since 2018, L.A. Care has awarded 64 scholarships to students attending Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
“The need for primary care providers who reflect the communities they serve is now greater than ever, and this scholarship is not only life-changing for these students, but also for the patients they will one day serve,” said Martha Santana-Chin, L.A. Care CEO. “We’re proud to be able to provide local students the opportunity to make their medical school dreams come true. We look forward to the day they join the 23 ESN scholars who have graduated from medical school, are currently completing their residency programs, and will soon come back to serve the communities who helped them along the way.”
The four CDU recipients this year are Hermona Okbu of Inglewood; Jessi Cristóbal Jerónimo Ruiz of Los Angeles; Tenisha Janisse of Pico Rivera; and Jessica Liliana Porras of Lennox.
“At a young age, I spent my time advocating for my parent’s health, translating medical, disability, and employment paperwork and tending to my younger siblings,” said Okbu. “Given my own family’s experience within the healthcare system, I want to do my absolute best to advocate and support my community both inside and outside of the hospital.”
“All four CDU medical school scholars supported by the Elevating the Safety Net scholarship are proud Angelenos,” said Margarita Loeza, MD, MPH, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs for CDU. “They are Pell Grant recipients and will be the first physicians in their families. This scholarship allows them to stay focused on their commitment to advancing health equity in underserved communities.”
According to the California Health Care Foundation, about 11.4 million Californians — one-quarter of the state’s population — live in a federally designated Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area. With the recent enactment of H.R. 1, which includes student loan caps, the physician shortage is expected to worsen.
Launched in 2018, ESN is a $255 million L.A. Care initiative that includes medical school scholarships, provider loan repayments, recruitment support for safety net providers, and other programs to bring highly qualified physicians into the Los Angeles County safety net.