UC Irvine Celebrates 20 Years of Latino Medical Education Program
TL/DR –
The Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC) at UC Irvine celebrated its 20th anniversary on October 18. The program has educated more than 180 physicians to serve underserved communities, with most alumni working in areas with a high percentage of low-income Latino patients. Based on its success, PRIME-LC became a model for all University of California medical schools, and the UC Irvine has since launched additional programs tailored for specific underserved populations, including the African, Black, Caribbean, and LGBTQ+ communities.
UC Irvine Celebrates Two Decades of Latino Community Health Program
The University of California, Irvine’s Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC) recently celebrated its 20th anniversary on Oct. 18. The event featured prominent figures in healthcare and higher education, including UC Irvine vice chancellor for health affairs Steve Goldstein, University of California President Michael V. Drake, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra, and California’s surgeon general Diana Ramos. Over 200 people gathered at the Sue Gross Auditorium, including numerous PRIME-LC alumni.
PRIME-LC is a pioneering program that has nurtured the development of over 180 physicians dedicated to addressing the healthcare needs of underserved communities. Many have become vocal advocates for universal health and wellness. “What happens in California leads the nation, and the importance of PRIME-LC is that equity is in its design,” opined Becerra.
A majority of PRIME-LC’s alumni are significantly contributing to their communities, practicing in neighborhoods largely inhabited by low-income Latinos. Two-thirds report using their leadership skills to further Latino health equity beyond their medical practices. “The ‘secret sauce’ of PRIME-LC is finding students well suited to serve underserved communities,” said Drake.
Thanks to its early success, UC Irvine’s PRIME-LC became a model for other institutions. By 2007, all UC medical schools had initiated PRIME programs focusing on specific underserved populations. In 2019, UC Irvine expanded its vision with the launch of Leadership Education to Advance Diversity – African, Black, and Caribbean communities (LEAD-ABC), the first to address the needs of the ABC population directly. In 2021, LEAD-ABC was recognized as the second PRIME program on campus. A PRIME program specifically for the LGBTQ+ community is currently under development at UC Irvine.
“PRIME-LC brings together the community and diversity of California,” Ramos told the attendees. “The doctors trained by PRIME-LC will be the future of our healthcare.” Michael J. Stamos, dean of the UC Irvine School of Medicine, introduced PRIME-LC graduate Sarah Lopez and current student Karlos Manzanarez Felix, who shared their perspectives on the program’s significance. “All of us were drawn here to make a lasting change in healthcare,” said Lopez, chief medical officer for Zocalo Health, a new healthcare organization dedicated to providing accessible care to Southern California’s Latino community.
Finally, the event paid tribute to Alberto Manetta, the UC Irvine physician, researcher, and educator who, along with Drake, initiated PRIME-LC in 2004. Manetta passed away in 2022, and his wife and daughter, Nancy and Katy, attended the event in his honor. “For a program like this to work, it needs passion and dedication,” reflected Drake. “And that was Al Manetta. We wanted UC Irvine to be a leader in what medical education ought to be for the country.”
—
Read More Health & Wellness News ; US News