WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF), the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), is proud to host our 14th Annual California and 18th Annual New York Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship Galas to present scholarships to outstanding Latino health professional students. We are honored to assist these awardees seeking to become doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, PAs or public health administrators.

“In addition to celebrating our new class of scholars, NHMA will present awards to outstanding leaders in the Hispanic community that serve as trailblazing role models for these remarkable students,” said Dr. Elena Rios, President and CEO of NHHF and NHMA. “We are also grateful to our pioneering leaders and sponsors who have offered their support to bolster our communities’ health workforce.” 

The California Awards Gala will be held in Los Angeles on November 18th from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Pacific Time, and the New York Awards Gala will be held in New York City on December 2nd from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Eastern Time.

NHHF thanks the following health industry leaders for their work transforming their communities, academic institutions, and private sector organizations to carve pathways to opportunity for future leaders. Hispanic Health Leadership Awardees include: the Honorable Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator for California; Carrie L. Byington, MD, Executive Vice President of University of California Health; John W. Graneto, D.O., M.Ed., FACEP, FAAP, Professor and Dean, College of Osteopathic Medicine and Vice-President for Health Affairs, California Health Sciences University; Antonio (Tony) Alamo, MD, Optum Care Chief Medical Director of Network Operations, State of Nevada; Dr. Erica Friedman, Deputy Dean for Medical Education, Chair, Department of Medical Education, Professor of Medicine at CUNY School of Medicine; Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board & CEO, Henry Schein Inc.; Sylvia Puente, President & CEO, Latino Policy Forum.

With immense gratitude, NHHF thanks all of our scholarship sponsors across sectors for their generosity and dedication to supporting our mission to empower and diversify the next generation of health professionals. Sponsors include: National Hispanic Medical Association, Centene, United Health Foundation, University of California Health (UC Davis, UC Los Angeles, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, UC San Francisco, US Riverside), Magellan Health, DaVita, AARP, UCLA Health, Association of American Medical Colleges, East Harlem Council for Human Services, Inc., Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Princeton Fund), LabCorp, Campos Family Foundation, Midwestern University, Univision, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science, Eli Lilly, Henry Schein Inc, PIH Health, The California Wellness Foundation, California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine, OraSure Technologies, Inc., Latino Commission on AIDS, Infectious Diseases Society of America, American Career College, American College of Physicians, National Association of Community Health Centers, Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, Academy Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, NYC Health + Hospitals, Sylvia Preciado, MD, Abbott, Cedars-Sinai, LA Care Health Plan, National Association of Community Health Centers, Venice Family Clinic, Univision, Telemundo, and Latino Leaders Magazine.

This year’s NHHF Health Professional Student Scholarships are being awarded to exceptional students who demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and a strong commitment to providing health care to Latinos and other underserved populations. Since the scholarship program was launched in 2004, NHHF has awarded over 300 scholarships as the only Latino scholarship only given to graduate students in healthcare disciplines in the U.S.

It is with great pleasure that NHHF announces the following 2021 scholarship award winners:

California Scholars:

• Janett Ordonez, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
• Gabriel Urreola, University of California Davis School of Medicine
• Camila Hurtado, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health and University of California San Francisco School of Medicine Joint Medical Program
• Raul Salazar, University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
• Norma Espinoza, University of California Riverside School of Medicine
• Aileen Arevalo, Charles Drew University of Medicine and Sciences and University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
• Ely Urbina, University of Mary Hardin- Baylor Mayborn College of Health Sciences
• Gisel Velasquez, Claremont Graduate University School of Community and Global Health
• Luis Delgado, University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy
• Sergio Chavez, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine
• Carlos Villalvazo, University of California Los Angeles School of Dentistry

New York Scholars:

• Mariela Moreno Nava, University of South Carolina – Bluffton
• Marco Gutierrez, University of Nebraska Medical Center
• Maria Cintron Lugo, Nova Southeastern University
• Diana Aguilera, Milken Institute of Public Health – George Washington University
• Jeanette Rios, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai
• Yanci Algarin, Eastern Virginia Medical School
• Edith Hernandez, University of Minnesota Medical School/Graduate Program in Pharmacology
• Tomás Rodríguez, University of Massachusetts Medical School/ Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• Veronica Martinez Vargas, The City University of New York School of Medicine

For those interested in attending our 18th Annual New York Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship Gala on December 2, 2021, visit https://www.nhmafoundation.org/2021-ny-gala.

NHHF is the 501(c)(3) arm of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), a nonprofit organization that represents 50,000 Hispanic physicians across the U.S. The mission of NHHF is to improve the health of Hispanics through research and educational activities. www.NHMAFoundation.org

SOURCE National Hispanic Health Foundation