May 26, 2016 | Carolyn Pennington - Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine

Hartford Mayor Urges Students to Become ‘Health Care Ambassadors’

Aetna HPPI Senior Doctors Academy Class of 2016 during the Health Career Opportunity Programs Closing Ceremony at UConn Health May 18.

Aetna HPPI Senior Doctors Academy Class of 2016 pose during the Health Career Opportunity Programs Closing Ceremony at UConn Health May 18, 2016. (Photo by John Atashian)

Aetna HPPI Senior Doctors Academy Class of 2016 pose during the Health Career Opportunity Programs Closing Ceremony at UConn Health May 18, 2016. (Photo by John Atashian)

From left, Dr. Marja Hurley, Associate Dean of Health Career Opportunity Programs, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, and Senior Aetna HPPI Doctors Academy graduates Tanya Miller and Alexander Naoum who will be attending UConn Storrs, Class of 2020, and are UConn Rowe Honor students. (Photo by John Atashian)
From left, Dr. Marja Hurley, director of Health Career Opportunity Programs, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, and Senior Aetna HPPI Doctors Academy graduates Tanya Miller and Alexander Naoum who will be attending UConn Storrs, Class of 2020, and are UConn Rowe Honor students. (Photo by John Atashian)

Nearly 100 middle and high school students from the Greater Hartford area were recognized for their hard work and academic achievement during the Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative Programs (HPPI) Annual Closing Ceremony on May 18. The program is hosted by the  Department of Health Career Opportunity Programs (HCOP) and encompasses its Great Explorations Program, JumpStart Program, Junior Doctors Academy, and Senior Doctors Academy.

The keynote speaker for the event was Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin who told the students he hoped they would come out of the program as ambassadors for healthier communities and for healthier lives.

“Health care isn’t just the delivery of services it’s also about promoting healthy lifestyles,” explained Bronin. “Health disparities in cities like Hartford are devastating. The differences in heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases are really striking. But it can change if we get people in to the profession who understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle and really take aim to try and fix it.”

Bronin went on to say the students have picked a profoundly honorable career path and their job prospects are bright with the latest economic indicators showing that about half of the top growing professions are in the health care area

“But I know this program does so much more than prepare you for a career in medicine or dental medicine. It lays a solid foundation that you can build anything upon,” added Bronin.

Another highlight of the evening was watching the 16 students in the Senior Doctors Academy receive white coats as part of their graduation from the program.

The Senior Doctors Academy is an intense program with the students attending classes on Saturdays during the school year and also a six-week enrichment academy over the summer focusing on pre-calculus, calculus, biology, physics, anatomy, physiology, and writing.

Three of the Senior Doctors Academy students, Cameron Hand, Tanya Miller, and Alexander Naoum were awarded the John and Valerie Rowe Scholarship and will be entering the University of Connecticut in the fall as Rowe Honors Scholars.

Students who participate in Health Career Opportunity Programs receive special consideration for the Rowe Scholars Program which was designed to provide opportunities (financial, academic, and experiential) to students from backgrounds underrepresented in the health fields.

Along with the generosity of John and Valerie Rowe, the Aetna Foundation and other donors, HCOP has received a Connecticut Collegiate Awareness and Preparation Program (ConnCAP) grant from the Office of Higher Education.

Health Career Opportunity Program Director Dr. Marja Hurley says, “Since our program began in 1986, it has helped identify more than 900 bright students who wanted to enter health careers and gave them the skills, resources, and confidence they needed to succeed.”