Blue Shield of California has announced a five-year, $7 million investment to launch a fellowship program at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health focused on graduate students from underrepresented communities. 

The program will welcome its first cohort of 20 students in August 2022 and will assist a total of about 100 master’s and doctoral candidates over five years, funding students from a diverse range of communities that are underrepresented in the healthcare industry in California, particularly in senior leadership positions. The nonprofit health plan also will provide fellows with real-world professional experiences and access to mentors and anticipates that the program will help identify potential employees.

“The health inequities that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic have shown us the need to build healthcare policies and practices in a culturally sensitive way,” said DD Johnice, vice president of the Health Transformation Lab at Blue Shield of California. “Having members of underrepresented communities on the teams that design and build new health solutions, as well as lead innovative healthcare organizations, is critical to transforming health care. We cannot achieve health equity without growing and supporting diverse, top talent.” 

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