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Coordinated Care Supports Future Healthcare Workforce with $250,000 in Community Scholarships across Washington

Date: 09/27/22

TACOMA, Wash. (Sept. 27, 2022) – Coordinated Care is announcing the 10 organizations receiving 2022 Community Scholarships, part of their effort to reinvest dollars into Washington communities. The Community Scholarship program is focused on removing barriers to care and addressing local workforce shortages in healthcare, which is an issue experienced nationwide.

"As we looked at ways to reinvest in the community to impact the health of Washingtonians, we saw a need for more healthcare professionals at all levels," said Beth Johnson, President and CEO at Coordinated Care. "This initiative was created in response to workforce shortages in the healthcare industry that impact access to care. These partner organizations use proven strategies to increase certificate and degree completion, as well as acknowledging the whole person—a value that is critical to Coordinated Care."

The following organizations were each awarded $25,000 to support students pursing careers in healthcare. These funds can be used to provide traditional scholarships to reduce the need for student loans or to support students with emergency funding to cover surprise costs that make staying in school challenging, such as help with rent, gas, childcare, books or other expenses.

The Coordinated Care Community Scholarship initiative was created to develop an upstream solution to address the declining number of people entering healthcare careers. The program was designed with an equity lens and launched in 2021 with just two local community colleges—Everett Community College and Columbia Basin Community College—partners who are skilled at supporting first-generation and underrepresented student populations.

This is just one of three focus areas for Coordinated Care’s Community Giving, including efforts to address healthcare inequities in underrepresented populations, and social determinants of health like food insecurity, transportation and housing. For more information about how Coordinated Care is investing in solutions across Washington, visit CoordinatedCarehealth.com/about-us/community.

About Coordinated Care
Coordinated Care provides free and low-cost health insurance coverage to more than 280,000 Medicaid, foster care and marketplace members across Washington state, with more than 30,000 providers in-network. Coordinated Care is committed to improving the health of the community one person at a time. They treat the whole person by breaking down barriers to accessing care, walking members through their benefits, and connecting them to the care they need. To learn more, visit www.CoordinatedCareHealth.com.

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