Scholarship program helps bring more doctors to rural Alabama communities

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — More doctors will be heading to rural communities throughout the state to provide medical services to those who need it.

 Thanks to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s Medical Scholarship Program, 60 primary care physicians are now practicing in rural areas in Alabama.

Blue Cross says it started the medical scholarship program in 2016 to improve access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Alabamians.

To help ease the financial burden after graduation, Blue Cross pays for the students’ last two years of medical school, with the condition the recipients agrees to practice for at least three years after graduation in an underserved area of Alabama.

“We are seeing the results that we were hoping for from our scholarship program,” said Tim Vines, President and CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. “We are grateful to all the graduates for their willingness to serve and provide quality healthcare to those living in underserved areas of Alabama. The impact we are seeing would also not be possible without the collaboration with our college and university partners.” 

“Going into medicine, it brings about a lot of important decisions that we have to make, but then Blue Cross removes the worry about paying back debt,” said Sabrina Belizaire, ACOM medical student and scholarship recipient. “I’m thankful for Blue Cross doing this and saying we believe in this wholeheartedly and putting money behind those beliefs.”

The scholarship program addresses healthcare needs in the following areas:

• Primary Care
• Behavioral/Mental Health
• Maternal Health
• Nursing
• Family Medicine Obstetrics
• Certified Nurse Midwifery
• Dentistry

he following schools are partnering with Blue Cross on the scholarship program:

• Calhoun Community College
• Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine in Dothan
• Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine at Auburn University
• University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine
• University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile
• Jefferson State Community College
• West Alabama Community College
• Coastal Alabama Community College

To date, 144 students have been awarded a Blue Cross scholarship and 60 have graduated and are now practicing in underserved areas across Alabama.