Bringing more diversity into healthcare benefits everyone — and introducing underrepresented young people to healthcare professions is one way to help build a more equitable and culturally competent healthcare system. El Camino Health’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Economic Opportunity internship program provides 14 such opportunities for local young people, including both high school students and college students.
Community Benefit funding provides one- to three-week shadowing positions for high school students, as well as longer (up to 10 weeks) internships for college students. The positions are within departments at our Los Gatos and Mountain View campuses.
The program also provides:
- Lunch and Learn meetings with El Camino Health executives and service line leaders
- Mentorship with El Camino Health employees via Zoom or phone
- Individual mentorship connections for college students
- Group, virtual follow-up mentor sessions with high school students
"This past winter and spring, our high school interns' experiences in integrated care and pharmacy really opened up their eyes to the wide range of opportunities in healthcare," Tamara Stafford, director, talent development, said. "As summer approaches, we are planning for our next group of college summer interns in departments like Information Systems, Health Equity and Perioperative Services. We are grateful to our hospital staff who are excited to welcome these students and introduce them to all aspects of a healthcare system."
The DEI Economic Opportunity internship program could help improve economic stability in the region, identified as a critical need in our FY24 Implementation Strategy Report and Community Benefit Plan. It could also help increase future access to culturally competent care across our diverse service area and beyond.
See the complete list of fiscal year 2024 grant partners.
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