MIAMI, FL – October 28, 2014 – (HISPANICIZE WIRE) – The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF), CVS Health, and Navarro Pharmacy will host a special site visit at Booker T. Washington High’s school based health center (SBHC) to launch a pilot program to deliver training and improved strategies to select SBHC teams in the greater Miami Region, which will reach approximately 100,000 students and their families over the next 12 months. The pilot will be replicable and scalable across the country and will leverage HHF’s LOFT (Latinos On Fast Track) Healthcare Track, which will engage Latino students from FIU to assist in the effort and provide them with practical experiences.
“This pilot is part of our LOFT Healthcare Track which works to diversify the healthcare field and was inspired by Dr. Joe Greer who continues to be a local and national leader in providing care to those in need. He has served as a role model and mentor to countless talented young people in our Healthcare Track for many years and to bring Joe, FIU, CVS Health and HHF together for this effort is very exciting”
The event will take place on Tuesday, October 28, from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m., at Booker T. Washington High School SBHC, 1200 NW, 6th Ave, Miami, FL, which is a member of the School Based Health Alliance, another CVS Health Workforce Initiatives’ collaborating partner in this arena and will feature Dr. Pedro Jose Greer, Jr., Florida International University Chair of the Department of Humanities, Health, and Society Associate Dean for Community Engagement, FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, who is also HHF Chair Emeritus, board member and the inspiration for the LOFT Healthcare Track. Also attending will be CVS Health Senior Director of Workforce Initiatives, Ernest DuPont, HHF President and CEO Jose Antonio Tijerino. .
“We are thrilled to be a part of this impactful effort in Miami through our partnership with CVS Health and FIU which will involve our talented young Latinos who will gain experience and mentoring through this program,” said Tijerino. “This pilot is part of our LOFT Healthcare Track which works to diversify the healthcare field and was inspired by Dr. Joe Greer who continues to be a local and national leader in providing care to those in need. He has served as a role model and mentor to countless talented young people in our Healthcare Track for many years and to bring Joe, FIU, CVS Health and HHF together for this effort is very exciting.”
The Miami regional strategy will be based on the findings from an effort currently being led by DuPont’s team and CVS Health Chief Diversity Officer David Casey in Chicago, called the SBHC Innovation Project, which is currently pioneering a new model for supporting student academic achievement by strategically delivering preventative and primary health care in schools. The following week, Casey, along with other CVS Health executive leaders, will host LOFT students at a follow-up event on site at CVS Health Customer Support Center in Woonsocket, RI to foster an exchange of ideas regarding addressing health care disparities and encouraging minority pursuit of health care careers.
In the new pilot, learnings from the Chicago innovation project, whose partners include Chicago Public Schools, Illinois Department of Public Health, EverThrive and medical provider Advocate Health, will be specifically applied for Miami area students’ benefit and will focus on respiratory health including.
— Asthma screenings, action plans and compliance
— Increased flu immunization rates
— Smoking cessation strategies
About Hispanic Heritage Foundation and LOFT
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) was originally established by The White House in 1987 and inspires, prepares, and connects minority leaders in the classroom, community and workforce to meet America’s priorities. HHF also promotes cultural pride, accomplishment, and the great promise of the Latino community through public awareness campaigns seen by millions (Visit www.HispanicHeritage.org). HHF’s programs have been recognized by The White House, US Congress, Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and even the government of Mexico.
LOFT (Latinos On Fast Track) is HHF’s award-winning, leadership and workforce development program focused on 10 “Tracks” or fields including healthcare, science, technology, engineering, education, public service, entrepreneurship, media and entertainment, finance and Latinas. Tens of thousands of students and young professionals are connected to each other through the LOFT Network; thousands are prepared through trainings, priority-field-tailored symposia, workshops, and Charlas (online Google hangouts with experts); and hundreds are placed into internships, mentorships, fellowships and full-time positions with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Join and follow LOFT on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hhfloft/ and Twitter: @LOFTInstitute.