Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Scholarship supports diversity in healthcare
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Equality Health Foundation and Equality Health helped raise $100,000 at this year’s annual Black & White Ball hosted by the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in an effort to support graduate-level scholarships for Hispanic students pursuing advanced degrees in healthcare.
The Tony & Milena Astorga EXITO Scholarship Fund provides a one-time scholarship in the amount of $10,000 to those awarded to assist them in their pursuit of continued healthcare education.
The scholarship will be administered through the Arizona Community Foundation with mentoring and coaching support by Education Forward Arizona, according to a press release.
“With just 7% of all physicians and surgeons and 9% of all healthcare practitioners being of Hispanic heritage, there is a substantial disparity in diverse providers and culturally competent healthcare,” said Tomás León, president of Equality Health Foundation.
“As part of Equality Health Foundation’s commitment to accelerating health education, we are proud to partner with the AZHCC to provide additional resources and opportunities for scholars who wish to make a positive impact in the healthcare field. This contributes to building a healthy workforce and thriving businesses.”
Equality Health Foundation and Equality Health LLC are the seed funders for the AZHCC Astorga EXITO Scholarship Fund to honor Tony and Milena Astorga’s service to the community.
Mr. Astorga retired from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona after serving 23 years as the senior vice president & CFO. He is currently the owner and principal of AZTOR Health Management Strategic Advisors where he remains a consultant and advisor to a variety of organizations. Mr. Astorga continues his service on numerous boards, including the AZHCC and Equality Health Foundation.
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Scholarship supports diversity in healthcare
“It is incredibly impactful to provide scholarship resources that empower Hispanic students to pursue graduate studies in healthcare,” said President and CEO of AZHCC Monica Villalobos. “Arizonans who pursue education after high school experience higher lifetime earnings, better health, and more economic opportunities that can lead to more than $5 billion in economic gains for Arizona each year.”
Equality Health Foundation has helped raised over $200,000 for the Astorga EXITO Scholarship Fund in the last two years. Additionally, Equality Health Foundation participates in collaborations with Northern Arizona Healthcare Corporation and Arvizu Charities to provide additional scholarship resources to undergraduate students from underrepresented communities pursuing advanced education in the healthcare field.
