CUSM Receives Visionary Scholarship Award from Inland Empire Health Plan

1.   CUSM Receives Visionary Scholarship Award  from Inland Empire Health Plan Forwarding  Shared Mission of Improving Community  Health  Inland Empire Health Plan Establishes Annual $1.2 Million Scholarship for CUSM Students Who Commit to  Serve Local Communities    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.       

2.     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    2 

3.     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.  “Thank you to IEHP for its visionary leadership in support of CUSM and for recognizing the  importance and value of the university’s mission as it transforms healthcare in our  communities,” said ​Dr. Kavitha Reddy Bhatia​, Founding Vice Chair of the CUSM Board of  Trustees. “This generous and inspirational gift will allow students the opportunity to  achieve their dreams, find their purpose and make the world better for others. I am  hopeful that others will see IEHP’s generosity, realize the power of scholarships to change  lives, and be inspired to do more.”  Dr. Bhatia noted that the collaboration with IEHP is another example of the unique  public-private partnership that is at the heart of CUSM and includes the invaluable support  of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, the City of Colton and CUSM’s teaching  hospital, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.  CUSM, which welcomed its first class of medical students in 2018, currently enrolls 292  Doctor of Medicine (MD) candidates and 60 Master of Biomedical Science candidates.  Establishing CUSM in San Bernardino County will ultimately strengthen community  healthcare, and philanthropy has the ability to transform CUSM and contribute toward  building a shared future with improved healthcare for all.  “CUSM has been extraordinarily successful at finding students who will fulfill the mission of  practicing right here in the Inland Empire to improve health outcomes for our neighbors,  our friends, our communities,” said ​Dr. Paul Lyons​, Dean and President of CUSM. “Half of  our class comes from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Those are the people who    3 

4.     can least afford a quarter of a million dollars in educational debt, and you have just  changed the entire economic calculus for them.”  The presentation of the first annual scholarship endowment was made by members of  IEHP during a ceremony on August 31 at the newly constructed CUSM campus in Colton,  adjacent to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.  “To these seven medical students who are receiving this scholarship, we believe in you and  your future, we believe in what you’re going to do for your community, we believe that your  gifts are going to be given out for years to come, serving people here in the Inland Empire,”  said Karen Hansberger, MD, Chief Medical Officer of IEHP. “This program is not just about  providing more physicians to our region, but providing physicians who are passionate  about serving those in the communities they grew up in, where they have gone to school  and where their families are, because that’s where you tend to be the happiest.”  About California University of Science and Medicine  California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM) is dedicated to advancing the art and  science of medicine through medical education, research, and compassionate healthcare  delivery in an inclusive environment that inspires, motivates and empowers students to  become excellent and caring physicians, scientists, and leaders. CUSM is a not-for-profit  health sciences university established in 2015, led by a dynamic group of MD/PhD faculty  members. CUSM offers a Master in Biomedical Sciences degree program and a Doctor of  Medicine (MD) program to prepare its diverse student body for careers in healthcare,  public service, teaching and research. Learn more at ​www.cusm.org​.    4