Based on population growth and increasing needs for quality health care, Hispanic-Latinos continue to face disproportionate barriers to access, availability, and affordability of health care. As part of its commitment to advance opportunities for communities of color, Bank of America is expanding education and employment opportunities for Hispanic-Latino adults and connecting them with healthcare careers that offer long-term stability and prosperity.
Through the Progresando initiative, a partnership with education firm EAB, the bank directed a $250,000 grant over two years to the New Mexico State University Foundation. The grant will help Hispanic-Latino students pursue health-related degrees in order to increase representation and address medical workforce shortages. The initiative also aims to increase representation and address the shortage of culturally sensitive, Spanish-speaking health providers.
“With Hispanic residents underrepresented in the health care industry, NMSU has so many programs supporting this field of study to remove barriers and provide access, which is why the bank wanted to continue expanding their work through this investment,” said Paul Mondragón, President, Bank of America New Mexico. “As a proud Aggie myself, I am pleased to include NMSU in our efforts to help more local Hispanic-Latino students gain education and workforce experience as they chart their economic and professional path in New Mexico.”
Bank of America’s grant will help NMSU hire and train seven additional tutors and peer mentors to help 300 Hispanic-Latino students. Further, the grant will allow students to purchase medical terminology translation software, made available in a student computer lab at NMSU’s School of Nursing, which will help students learn and feel more comfortable speaking complex terms in Spanish.
“Students were hitting roadblocks in statistics classes, writing classes and classes with complicated medical terminology, especially when English is not their first language,” said Yoshitaka Iwasaki, former dean, NMSU’s College of Health, Education and Social Transformation. “As a result, they often change majors or withdraw from school completely, creating a persistent shortage of people entering health fields. With help from the Bank of America grant, we can break this cycle.”