Celebrating the 2018 cohort of HCCP students

Friends and family joined students at the 2018 HCCP celebration.

2018 marked the second year of the Health Careers Connection Program in the College of Health and Human Services. The summer bridge program for incoming first-year students grew by 40% in its second year. The college celebrated the completion of the three week on-campus session with all our HCCP students and their families.

Dean Earlie Washington spoke of the factors that led to initiating the program in the first place. "Only one of the 19 counties in the AHEC catchment area meets the recommended provider-to-patient ratio for primary care, dental and mental health providers," says Dean Washington. "And only nine of the 19 fall in the top 50th percentile for health outcomes."

Dean Washington praised the students for their efforts and urged perseverance to meet their goals. She also thanked donors Kendall and Susan Warren, who were in attendance, and whose endowed scholarship fund was established to support students in the program.

The evening included video messages from President Edward Montgomery and Interim Provost Susan Stapleton. In addition, Mary Middleton, executive director of the Cassopolis Family Clinic Network, and Sandy Siegel director of external & internal affairs at Baldwin Family Health Care, also spoke to the group of about the current state of health care in rural and underserved areas.

HCCP student Sabrina Welch shared her perspective as an active participant in the program. The program was closed by Dr. Martha Warfield, vice president for diversity and inclusion at WMU.

2018 HCCP cohort

Members of the 2017 cohort with Dean Earlie Washington