Photo Feature: HOPE summer camp

High school students across Colorado had the opportunity to learn about healthcare and the college experience during the weeklong Health Occupations Promoting Equity (HOPE) Institute summer camp.

Through partnership with the Colorado Area Health Education Center (COAHEC) and CU Anschutz, the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences hosts students that stay in dorms and attend trainings and health care courses at both UCCS and the Anschutz Medical Campus. COAHEC aims to add diversity to the healthcare workforce to reduce healthcare disparities in Colorado, introduce students to healthcare career pathways and connect communities with resources and trainings.

“To ensure equitable health care to all Coloradans, it is critical that students of all backgrounds and particularly from underserved communities not only realize they can be what they want to be, but that they too can be health care professionals,” said Dr. Josina Romero O’Connell, Director of COAHEC. “It is so important that they acquire a strong base of mentors and experiences that they otherwise may not have to help them realize their goals. Such individuals can then go back and serve people as healthcare professionals in the communities from which they hail. We know that healthcare outcomes are improved when there is congruency between healthcare providers and patients all the way around. These students are highly motivated and passionate about becoming healthcare providers and they need “hope” to believe in themselves.”

The HOPE summer camp has taken place for the last two years and gives students hands-on experience, while also connecting them with peers and healthcare professionals, such as providing training opportunities in the Johnson Beth-El Hybl Center Cadaver and Anatomy labs.

“Johnson Beth-El’s partnership with COAHEC and the HOPE summer camp is a perfect example of how combining resources and expertise, we can make huge impacts in our communities,” said Kevin Laudner, dean and professor of Johnson Beth-El. “The HOPE summer camp provides students with experiences and knowledge that will transform their futures by informing and shaping what areas of health care they want to pursue.”

About the UCCS College of Nursing and Health Sciences

The Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences provides both traditional and accelerated undergraduate nursing, graduate nursing and health sciences degrees. Established in 1904, the college offers state-of-the-art facilities, including the Johnson Beth-El Clinics at the Lane Center, sports medicine programs through the William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center and advanced clinical rotation supplementation through the Simulation Learning Center. Learn more about the Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences at UCCS.