Health and Science Initiative (HSI)
Preparing high school students to study science and pursue health careers

HSI Goal: Strengthen local high school health science academies and health professional pathways and expand the health professions educational pipeline for San Diego students.

Project’s three core program efforts:

• Technical Assistance. Beginning in 2008 and for the next three years SDSA will work with ten high school heath science pathway/academies, in different regions of the county  to develop sustainability work plans.  The work plans will focus on activities such as:
• Evaluation of curriculum to assure culturally appropriate approaches
• Facilitating connections between industry, higher education and high school academies
• Building sustainability through pursuit of long term funding.

• Web Resources:  SDSA will enhance our web site and develop content to assist health science academy and pathway programs. An online start up implementation manual to help launch new health science pathway programs is also under development.

• Outreach. SDSA is developing presentations to industry groups and key public officials on the importance of growing a diverse healthcare workforce and the purpose and benefits of High School Health Science pathways. Look for our annual convening of health pathway staff and health care industry leaders in November of 2008.  The date and location will be announced later this summer. 

Latino Health and Science Career Connections (LHSCC)

What is LHSCC?  The Latino Health and Science Career Connections project (LHSCC) is a collaborative effort between SDSA and healthcare and education organizations to encourage Latino students to study science and health in high school, specifically at high school health academies, as well as enhance Latino students’ health and science education experience.  Through the LHSCC project, SDSA and the collaborative partners seek to provide resources and recommendations to existing and future health academies, college level educators, and industry leaders that can be utilized to engage Latino students to pursue health careers. 
Why is this program needed?  In California, Latinos are seriously under-represented in the healthcare workforce.  In 2000, Latinos accounted for 32.4% of California’s population, but just 4% of the state’s physicians, nurses and dentists, 6% of nurse practitioners and 13% of physician assistants.   Increasing the numbers of bilingual and bicultural Latinos in healthcare careers will strengthen the cultural competence of health organizations as well as their capacity to serve the large Latino population in California. 
LHSCC Report and Toolkit: SDSA published a comprehensive report with recommendations in May 2007. In addition to the preparation of the Latino Health and Science Career Connections report, SDSA prepared a Medical Academy Tool Kit. The tool kit presents information about programs and resources and also includes a sampling of flyers and forms for use within the medical academy/pathway setting.