A new program is aimed at increasing health care availability in the Northern San Joaquin Valley.
EMC Health Foundation announced the creation of a fellowship program that will invest in the education of occupational therapy and physical therapy doctoral students who agree to practice in Stanislaus and Merced counties.
The fellowship provides up to $150,000 to doctoral students who commit to working in the EMC Health Foundation geographical area for four years after becoming licensed practitioners. EMC Health Foundation serves 19 zip codes in the region.
Potential applicants have until May 31 to apply. Eligible applicants must provide proof they have graduated from college and have been accepted into an OT or PT doctoral program in the U.S. Additional application requirements are posted on the EMCHF website. Jeffrey Lewis, president and CEO of the EMC Health Foundation, said California schools educating residents from the 19 zip codes will be given preference.
Lewis expects one to two students to be awarded fellowships in the first year. Doctoral programs in OT and PT typically take four to five years to complete. Once trained, the fellowship recipients will help address a growing need for their skills in the region.
“As the local population ages, more people will need PT/OT services,” Lewis said. “The goal is to be proactive.”
The program targeting OT and PT doctoral students is similar to the Stuhmer Fellows in Behavioral Health offered by the EMC Health Foundation since 2021. Since its launch, almost a dozen students have been granted fellowships worth $50,000. Today, all of the program graduates provide multilingual, culturally appropriate services in our community.
In both fellowship programs, any student who does not complete the required four years of service in the 19 zip codes must immediately repay all the money with interest.
Applications are available at www.emchf.org. Look for the header that says “OT/PT doctoral program application.”
In 2023, sister organization Legacy Health Endowment, of which Lewis is also the CEO and president, provided a $400,000 conditional grant to support the creation of the Tony Weber Healthcare Scholars Program at Golden Valley Health Centers. That program is designed to assist GVHC in providing its employees and future healthcare professionals with enhanced educational opportunities.
