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CUSM Receives Visionary Scholarship Award from Inland Empire Health Plan Forwarding Shared Mission of Improving Community Health

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erica mary
CUSM Receives Visionary Scholarship Award from Inland Empire Health Plan Forwarding Shared Mission of Improving Community Health

The Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), part of an expanding network of private-public collaborations in support of the mission of the California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM), has committed a $1.2 million annual donation to help eliminate medical school debt for medical students who pledge to serve needy communities in the region upon graduation.

Leaders of IEHP and CUSM, which was founded by Dr. Prem Reddy and the Prime Healthcare Foundation, said the donation is an example of the type of philanthropy that can make an impact on the long-term health of communities while furthering the mission of the medical school: to inspire, motivate and empower students to become excellent and caring physicians, scientists, and leaders. Thirty-five percent of current CUSM medical students are from the Inland Empire, and 50 percent come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This transformational gift helps eliminate the financial pressure for deserving students who feel it the most.

Seven annual scholarships, part of IEHP’s Healthcare Scholarship Fund, will be given to students who commit to providing primary healthcare to residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties for five years after graduation. Both counties have been identified as among the areas of the state having the most acute shortage of primary care doctors.

“IEHP’s Healthcare Scholarship Fund is focused on supporting medical students who are committed to serve in the Inland Empire,” said Jarrod McNaughton, CEO of IEHP. “That’s what makes our recipients so unique. They have a heart for the Inland Empire now and we know they will have the heart to care for and serve our members after graduation, too. We commend CUSM for its trailblazing work and commitment to changing lives right here in the Inland Empire.”

The extraordinary gift will assist qualified students in support of the vision of CUSM -- addressing the acute shortage of physicians in the Inland Empire through innovative medical education programs, research, and training. The physician shortage is particularly acute in places like San Bernardino County, where there are only 34.5 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents, far below the benchmark of 60 to 80 doctors per 100,000. CUSM is fulfilling its commitment to increase the quality of healthcare available to this region by bringing talented students to this area and inspiring them to give back here or to other underserved areas across the world. The majority of the CUSM class of 2023 (70 percent) is from California. The physician shortage has had very real consequences on the health of residents in underserved communities, forcing many to delay and postpone essential medical care.

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