Thirty-five Philadelphia-area high school students from underrepresented backgrounds will get a full-ride to nursing school thanks to the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, writes Abraham Gutman for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The goal of the program is to increase representation in the nursing profession because a more diverse nursing workforce could assist in narrowing racial gaps in patient outcomes, said Lorina Marshall-Blake, the president of the foundation.

“Research shows that outcomes are better when people get care from individuals they identify with,” she added.

According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, currently, only seven percent of registered nurses in the country are Black, while 14 percent of the population identifies as Black. There is also less than ten percent of men who are registered nurses.

The 35 students will attend various programs in the region, such as Temple University, Widener University, and the Community College of Philadelphia. Each of them will get a full scholarship: four years for those who decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree and two years for an associate’s degree.

Read more about the Independence Blue Cross Foundation in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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