CONNECT, EDUCATE, EMPOWER "CEE"
C: We CONNECT healthcare professionals with youth by inviting them to speak about their careers, education, and aspirations during school assemblies.
E: We EDUCATE youth on what educational paths are required for each healthcare profession.
E: We EMPOWER youth to achieve their goals by providing them with mentors, scholarship opportunities, grant opportunities, as well as free or low cost medical school options.
Why Encouraging Youth to Explore Healthcare Careers is so Important
For over 10 years, BSSO has been a part of so many families’ lives who were totally reliant on the healthcare system. We noticed two main issues that our families consistently faced. The first was that there weren’t enough healthcare providers to treat them in a timely manner, and the second was a lack of cultural understanding between health care professionals and the families we served.
We were right! According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the healthcare staffing shortage is one of the most pressing issues facing healthcare. Nearly 45% of doctors are older than age 55, and more than 40% of active physicians will be 65 or older in the next 10 years. Compacting this shortage is a lack of minority representation in healthcare. For example, 9% of providers are Latino, only 6% of providers are Black, and 1% are Native American.
Join CEE by becoming a healthcare speaker at school assemblies or by requesting CEE come to your school! During the assemblies, BSSO representatives hand out goodie bags, information about healthcare careers, education, and scholarship opportunities. The assemblies are fun and informative!