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CDU Hosts L . A . Care Health Plan ’ s 25th Anniversary Celebration
CDU hosted L . A . Care Health Plan ’ s 25th Anniversary celebration on the University campus . During the celebration , L . A . Care announced that their Elevating the Safety Net initiative will hit a $ 100 million milestone by the end of its anniversary year , as well as their commitment to award eight full medical school scholarships each year .
“ On behalf of everyone at Charles R . Drew University of Medicine and Science , our Board of Trustees , our faculty , our staff and especially our students , I just want to say how proud we are to host L . A . Care ’ s 25th Anniversary celebration right here on the CDU campus — in the midst of a community that we love , serve and support .,” said Dr . David Carlisle , CDU President and CEO . “ This is 25 years of making things better . Congratulations L . A . Care .”
L . A . Care ’ s Elevating the Safety Net initiative aims to boost the number of new physicians in the L . A . County safety net , those clinics and practices that offer care regardless of an individual ’ s ability to pay . During the event , L . A . Care announced the fifth cohort of L . A . Care scholars , four attending CDU and four attending the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA .
“ L . A . Care and CDU ’ s partnership is one that supports and elevates health care in Los Angeles County . With shared missions and values , L . A . Care could not imagine a more perfect location than CDU ’ s beautiful campus in the heart of South LA to celebrate this important milestone ,” said John Baackes , CEO of L . A . Care Health Plan “ We look forward to many more years of serving Los Angeles County together .”
The eight new scholars also enjoyed a special “ white coat ” ceremony during the celebration .
“ I have now gone from doing homework on an ironing board in high school — because we did not have the appropriate housing conditions — to now being the first [ in my family ] to graduate from college and the first [ in my family ] to enter medical school with a full scholarship ,” said Alejandro Quiñones Baltazar , an LA Care Scholar who will attend the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA . “ Your kindness will allow me to possibly change the life of others and focus on serving communities . I hope to honor this scholarship every single day as a medical student and as a future physician .”