HCA Healthcare continues partnership with Tennessee State University with $1.5 million in scholarships
Tennessee State University received $1.5 million in scholarship funding for aspiring medical students from HCA Healthcare as part of their continuing partnership.
The partnership between HCA Healthcare and Tennessee State University continues with a major gift of $1.5 million to the school. The money will be used to fund scholarships for students aspiring to become medical doctors and technology leaders, as well as for other education initiatives.
The donation will help with scholarships for a dozen students who are enrolled in the Dr. Levi Watkins Jr. Institute, as well as three students who are majoring in computer science. The Dr. Levi Watkins Jr. Institute is a program designed to prepare students for careers in medicine and dentistry, and is named after a graduate of Tennessee State University.
The goal of the scholarships is to create a pathway for African American healthcare professionals and technology experts. $1.4 million of the gift will go to the Levi Watkins students who are enrolled in TSU’s accelerated medical program, while the remaining $100,000 will go toward the Computer Science’s HCA Healthcare ITG Scholars.
The President of Tennessee State University, Glenda Glover, was quoted in the Tennessee Tribune on her delight with the continuing partnership: “We applaud and thank HCA Healthcare for this generous gift and continued support of TSU, and our talented students. This investment in our students helps them to become the future doctors and health technology leaders they aspire to be. HCA is making their dreams a reality.”
Mitch Edgeworth, who serves as the division president for HCA Healthcare TriStar Division, spoke on the organization’s desire to invest in the school, saying, “Rooted in our mission to care for and improve human life, we are committed to providing resources and opportunities for future healthcare leaders to grow, learn and make a difference through this partnership. TriStar Health is proud to be part of HCA Healthcare and supports this incredible investment that will establish a strong and diverse pipeline of future physicians and healthcare ITG leaders in our community.”
Sierra Smith, who is studying biology at the Dr. Levi Watkins Jr. Institute, talked about the importance of scholarships like the kind HCA is funding, saying, “I hope to reduce the racial inequalities in the medical field as well as fixing the patient and physician trust between the African American community and the physician.”
Another student in the program, aspiring dermatologist and biology major Donnell Shaw, shared why he was interested in his field of study: “I hope to accomplish owning my own private practice and making my own Black skin care line. I’ve always loved helping people and giving back.”
HCA Healthcare has promised to donate $10 million over the next three years to Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as Hispanic Serving Institutions, and the donation to Tennessee State University is only part of that promise.
In addition to the scholarship money already gifted to Tennessee State University, HCA will also provide seven ITG members to serve as adjunct faculty at the school during the fall semester. There are currently 117 new students enrolled in the computer science program.
Christopher Jeff, an aspiring software engineer who is a junior at TSU studying computer science, talked about how encouraging it was for him to know that HCA and other organizations are working to help more students like him achieve their goals: “It means that there are places like HCA that want nothing but the best for people that attend HBCUs and to see them succeed.”
The partnership between TSU and HCA Healthcare started seven years ago, back in 2015, when the corporation first donated $1 million to fund internships and the growth of the Health Information Management program. Sherri Neal, who serves as the chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at HCA Healthcare, spoke on the importance of donations, like those of HCA, in creating a more diverse and inclusive talent pool in the healthcare industry, noting, “Increasing the diversity of our healthcare workforce is vital to providing more equitable, culturally competent care to our communities.”
The recipients of the scholarships will be allowed leadership sessions, career guidance, job shadowing opportunities, mentors, seminars, and internship opportunities.
More information about Tennessee State University’s accelerated medical program can be found here.
More information about HCA Healthcare can be found here.