To help meet California’s demand for health care workers, Cal State Fullerton has launched the “Professions Advancing and Transforming Health Academy” to expose undergraduates to career opportunities in the field.
The PATH Academy is funded by three grant awards totaling $3 million from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information and centers on four student support programs.
“The overarching goal of the PATH Academy is to support and train students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, in their pursuit of careers in the health professions through academic guidance, experiential learning and community partnerships,” said Alice Lee, associate professor of public health.
Lee created and directs the program with David Chenot, professor emeritus of social work. The undergraduate majors best suited for the program include public health, human services, psychology, kinesiology, child and adolescent studies, communicative disorders, nursing and biological science.
Participating students are eligible for stipends ranging from $500 to $15,000, depending on the support program and budgetary considerations.
The PATH Academy is funded through 2028 and focuses on all health-related careers, including allied health professions such as public health, physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, social work and counseling.
Lee said that the demand for health workers is projected to significantly increase across the state in the next 10 years, coupled with the need to prepare a workforce that matches the community it serves.
“California has been facing a health care workforce shortage exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a huge exodus of health workers,” Lee said.
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the workforce demand for allied health professionals is projected to increase 23% by 2036. For behavioral health professionals, the increase is projected to be 62%.
“It is critical to expose our students to health-related professions and ensure they are well-prepared to serve California’s diverse communities,” said Lee, whose research focuses on cancer epidemiology and health disparities.
So far, more than 200 students have participated in PATH Academy programs and events, which include:
- Undergraduate Trainee Program: A one-year academic program that exposes students to health-related careers and prepares them for graduate school and the workforce.
- Research Scholar Program: A six-week summer research experience that pairs undergraduate students with faculty mentors to work on health-related projects.
- Summer Internship Program: A 10-week, hands-on intern experience with a community partner, such as the Orange County Health Care Agency.
- Post-Undergraduate Fellowship Program: A one-year internship at the Orange County Health Care Agency that targets recent graduates who earned a bachelor’s degree from CSUF and are applying to health-related graduate programs.
- Health Pathways Fair: A community and education event for CSUF, community college and high school students to learn about health-related careers, majors and programs. The next fair will be held in March.
All the PATH Academy programs and events, including the Health Pathways Fair, will be held each year with the goal of engaging more than 1,200 students by the end of the funding period, Lee said.
“We hope PATH Academy students will receive the academic, financial and socioemotional support they need to complete their studies and graduate,” Lee said. “We also hope they will feel connected to the health professions community — and gain the confidence and motivation to pursue their health career goals.”