This 5th Round of Loan Repayment Grants in L.A. Care’s Elevating the Safety Net Initiative Allows 42 Physicians to Work In Underserved Communities of L.A. County
LOS ANGELES – Nearly 90 percent of medical school graduates have some student loan debt, and the average amount owed is more than $241,000. That financial burden is contributing to the shortage of primary care physicians in underserved communities. L.A. Care Health Plan is proud to announce an investment of more than $7.95 million to provide student loan debt relief to 42 physicians who are working in the Los Angeles County safety net, those clinics and practices that provide care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.
“Studies have shown that physicians with no debt are much more likely to practice in the neediest communities, often low-income communities of color,” said John Baackes, L.A. Care CEO. “So far, 144 new physicians who committed to working in the safety net for three years have been approved for L.A. Care loan repayment grants. Several have had grants extended, giving our members greater access to high quality care.”
This is the fifth round of Provider Loan Repayment Program grants in L.A. Care’s $155 million Elevating the Safety Net initiative, which launched in 2018 to recruit, train and retain highly-qualified primary care physicians within the L.A. County safety net.
Edgar A. Chavez, MD, the founder and CEO of Universal Community Health Center has struggled to find physicians for his clinics.
“I have seen firsthand the great shortage of competent, motivated, and passionate physicians who are willing to come back to where they are most needed,” said Chavez. “The L.A. Care loan repayment program allows us to recruit mission-oriented physicians who have a large burden of debt and are conflicted about working in community clinics where the starting salary may not be as competitive as private organizations.”
Mina Hakim, MD, a pediatrician at South Central Family Health Center is benefitting from the L.A. Care loan repayment program.
"Being awarded the loan repayment reaffirms my belief that practicing medicine should not be about the money,” said Hakim. ”The program allows me to continue seeing the most vulnerable without worrying about my loans. It means that I can make a real difference with children, who in many cases, have never seen a pediatrician or received complete care.”
Since the launch of Elevating the Safety Net, L.A. Care has awarded nearly $26 million in loan repayment grants. This program is part of L.A. Care’s commitment to advancing health equity, giving everyone a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.