On Tuesday, L.A. Care Health Plan held a white coat ceremony for its 2025 Los Angeles Care scholars. All of the eight recipients are part of the Elevating the Safety Net (ESN) program, which provides full medical school scholarships to diverse students who are passionate about serving low-income communities.
Now in its eighth year, the program covers the cost of medical school in full, granting almost $500,000 per student. ESN removes financial barriers that prevent talented, mission-driven students from becoming doctors and supports a pipeline of providers ready to deliver culturally sensitive, community-rooted care.
Los Angeles County is experiencing a physician shortage that affects health care for vulnerable and low-income communities. According to the California Health Care Foundation, about 11.4 million Californians live in a federally designated Primary Care Health professional shortage area and with the enactment of H.R. 1, which includes student loan caps among other provisions, the physician shortage will only become greater…