Dallas, Texas - The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women and Macy’s are once again set to award 16 scholarships of $2,500 each to help increase the number of diverse healthcare professionals, in an effort to help improve culturally-sensitive, patient-centered care.

The Go Red™ Multicultural Scholarships are part of Macy’s Multicultural Fund, which was created in 2009 to increase diversity in the medical field. Macy’s is the founding national sponsor of the association’s Go Red For Women® and Go Red Por Tu Corazón.

“Macy’s long-standing commitment to diversity extends to helping improve the lives and health of the people in the communities that we serve,” said William Hawthorne, Macy’s, Inc. senior-vice president Diversity Strategies.  “The recruitment and empowerment of diverse women in the healthcare field is an important endeavor that Macy’s is proud to support through the Go Red Multicultural Scholarship Fund.  This investment in their future will make a tangible and immediate impact when these diverse professionals begin their healthcare careers.”

The scholarship program promotes greater inclusion of multicultural women in medical, nursing and allied health studies to better meet the cultural needs of racially diverse patients.

“Health care industry jobs are generally recession-proof, are available in virtually all community settings, and are personally and professionally satisfying,” said Eduardo Sanchez, chief medical officer for prevention, American Heart Association. “Minorities are underrepresented in many areas of the healthcare sector – as physicians, nurses, administrators and researchers, to list a few – and there is a growing belief that increasing diversity in the health care work force may help reduce health disparities among minority communities.”

The number of minority medical school graduates is increasing steadily, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Among 18,078 medical school graduates in 2014, 1,052 were African-American, 928 Hispanic or Latino and 3,701 Asian.

However, the numbers are low compared with the population at large. For example, according to the 2010 Bureau of Labor Statistics and US Census Bureau:

• Only 5.4 percent of African-American and 3.6 percent of Hispanic nurses in the nation are registered nurses

• In contrast, African-Americans are 13 percent of the nation’s population, and Hispanics or Latinos make up 17 percent

• Minorities represent nearly 37 percent of the U.S. population in total

Meanwhile, census demographics indicate that minority population growth is expected to increase in relation to Caucasians in the coming years. 

“Minorities should pursue education in the STEM field and careers in health care.  The chance to make a difference is very real and reachable,” said Sanchez.

Numerous ethnic groups — including African-Americans and Hispanics — are at higher risk for heart disease. Therefore, breaking the cultural and language barriers among patients and healthcare providers can lead to better health care.

“Throughout my 20-year career in healthcare, I’ve learned that having a cultural connection between patients and healthcare providers impacts the provider-patient dynamic,” said Eva Gomez, MSN RN-BC CPN and scholarship judge. “The way in which healthcare providers, who look and sound like their patients, connect with them makes a positive impact on how patients and families respond, consult and accept healthcare guidance and care.”

Following are the 2015 scholarship recipients, their chosen field of study and college:

• Kennethea Wilson: Public Health, Mercyhurst Universtiy

• Nakia Best: Nursing-Advanced Degree, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Marie Erobu: Nutrition and Dietetics, The University of Southern Mississippi

• Brooke Hagerott: Sports Medicine, Western High School

• Portia Johnson: Healthcare administration, Pfeiffer University

• Lauren Galvan: Mental Health and Healing, Brown University

• Santanna Small: Nursing-Advanced Degree, The University of Alabama at Birmingham

• Auriel August: General  Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School

• Olivia Morris: Nursing, University of Texas at Arlington

• Melissa Fann: Public Health/Health Law, University of Pittsburgw, al High SchooloolAlabama at Birminghamh Graduate School of Public Health

• Mayra Martinez: Nursing, San Jose State University

• Andrea Santos: Nursing-Advanced Degree, University of California, San Francisco

• Clarissa Lavaki: Nursing, Abilene Christian University

• Emily Mora: Medicine, Lehman College

• Karen Torres: Nursing, Riverside City College School of Nursing

• Jasmine Perkins: Nursing, Lonestar College Tomball      

  For more information, visit GoRedForWomen.org.