ElevateMeD Announcements and Updates
This year’s Scholars Summit convened our newest ElevateMeD Scholars alongside alumni-physicians for a high-impact experience focused on leadership, wellness, advocacy, financial readiness, and community engagement. Across three days, Scholars learned from physician leaders, corporate partners, and facilitators; strengthened their professional narratives; and built lasting connections with mentors, board members, children and parents from underserved communities, and each other.
Read MoreLaunched on May 13, 2019, ElevateMeD s proud to announce the 2025-26 Scholars Program cohort. This year's cohort of exceptional medical students represents the future of medicine and embodies the organization's commitment to fostering a healthcare landscape that assures equitable health outcomes for all. This announcement also marks the sixth anniversary of ElevateMeD and its ongoing dedication to supporting future physician leaders.
Read MoreThank you Atlanta for being the light at our 4th annual ElevateMeD Ignite Atlanta fundraising event. Because of your generosity we will continue to fund the ElevateMeD Scholars Program which has become a tangible solution to the eradication of health disparities and the promotion of health equity.
Read MoreElevateMeD hosted the fourth annual Scholars Summit during the Explosion of a Dream weekend on September 20-22nd. This year’s summit was attended by 30 scholars including all 20 scholars from our 2024-25 cohort, 5 scholars from our previous cohort and 5 alumni who have graduated and become physicians.
Read MoreElevateMeD returned to Atlanta to kick off our fifth anniversary at the iconic National Center for Civil and Human Rights!
Read MoreElevateMeD was proud to host its third Scholars Summit during our Explosion of a Dream weekend on September 22-24th. This year’s summit was attended by 23 of the program's 2023-2024 cohort and 2 Scholar Alumni.
Read MoreElevateMeD’s return to Atlanta made for an enchanting evening as we celebrated our fourth anniversary at the mesmerizing Georgia Aquarium! This anniversary marked the milestone of over $1,000,000 awarded in scholarships and support to 50 medical students across the country.
Read MoreElevateMeD was proud to host its second Scholars Summit during our Explosion of a Dream weekend. This year’s summit was attended by 18 of the program's 2022-2023 cohort and 5 Scholar Alumni.
Read MoreRead full article written by Julie Luchetta of the Arizona Republic.
Read MoreThe first Scholars Summit featured four elements: a storytelling session with storytelling coach Doug Stevenson, a wellness and balance session with wellness expert Keith Jones, a lunch and learn session with Reuben Lewis of National Financial Group, as well as the opportunity to take professional headshots with The Social Photog. This was the first in-person programming held for Scholars since the organization's launch. This presented the opportunity for the Board Members and Scholars to network and meet.
Read MoreThank you for believing in this impossible dream with me! Our ‘Explosion of a Dream’ Launch event was a complete success, and it is all because you helped to make this impossible dream a reality!
Read MoreDante Puntiel shares the devastating outcomes that underserved communities face when they lack access to preventative care and how it fuels his determination to advocate for them and make a difference.
Czarina Retana's journey to medicine was faced by many hardships in her community, ranging from economic challenges to lack of equal care. This developed her commitment to serve and desire to be present for patients during their most difficult moments by providing compassion and an open ear.
Chikodi Ohaya is inspired by her mother's acts of kindness and her resilience and how dermatology serves as an avenue for change in burn care across community, clinics, and classrooms.
Adam Brown discovered medicine as a transformative force, shaping every aspect of his life through the mission of serving others in need. With that force came the honor of stepping into a leadership role within his community.
Elizette Rodriguez discovered her passion for OB/GYN from the first time she stepped into the delivery room. The power of supporting a woman in her most vulnerable and meaningful moments has assured Elizette of the lasting impact she can make.
Jessica Norman reflects on the driving motivator that led her to medicine, shedding light on essential characteristics that every doctor needs—listening skills and empathy.
Ariel Walker witnessed her father suffer a stroke that ultimately ignited her "lifelong passion for the brain" in neurosurgery. Through the skillsets of precision and versatility, Ariel is challenged yet thrilled to approach every patient with the goal of their healing in real time.
Ruth Amaku has found purpose in medicine from her own journey in sports. She believed that her journey exposed the importance of general wellness, and looks forward to applying this in her future journey as a sports medicine physician.
Keleb Mehari believes that his journey through medicine is about healing and being a source of great emotional understanding for his patients, driven by his own experiences and injuries. To Keleb, being a healer is not just an approach, but a general embodiment.
Lisa Cagnolatti, on behalf of her husband Ed and The Cagnolatti Daniels Family Foundation, underscored the urgent need for culturally competent care and the critical importance of supporting ElevateMeD’s mission.
What does The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation and #ElevateMeD have in common? A commitment to HEALTH EQUITY!
Watch remarks from Mayo Clinic CEO in Arizona, Dr. Richard Gray shared remarks this year and was introduced by 2024-25 ElevateMeD Scholar and 4th year Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine medical student, Casey Martinez.
Student organizations like Ohio University American Medical Student Association help us engage bright minds and expand our reach. These organizations are filled with future physicians who will become leaders, thinkers, and doers. We must not only look for ways to partner with these student organizations but also continue to encourage and support them along their physician journey.
Each year since 2019, Council and Associates LLC has risen to the occasion to become an event sponsor for our Explosion of a Dream and Ignite Atlanta scholarship events. We asked owner, Lashonda Council-Rogers, Esq., to share the why behind her generous giving and to give a view of what she experiences attending ElevateMeD events as a sponsor.
Founded in 2006, Walton Isaacson is one of the most respected advertising agencies in the world, having worked with clients such as Lexus, McDonalds, and Amazon to name a few.
Thank you #LoveTitos for continuing to support our mission and acknowledging the work that we are doing to elevate the field of medicine!
All Medical Personnel’s partnership with ElevateMeD continues with a generous donation of $43,000 in 2022. In 2021, $52,647 was raised totaling over $95,000 for the past two years.
As part of a two-year pledge to ElevateMeD, this special scholarship is awarded to ElevateMeD Scholars who present a desire to pursue a medical career that will impact mental health in communities of color.
In 2019, our organization was introduced to Dr. Timothy Gooding and Mrs. Alisa Gooding, two of the co-founders of Arizona based nonprofit Inspire Youth Enrichment Foundation.
Health Care Disparities and the Latinx Population (Read Article)
Latinas in Motion Impacting the Sports Industry (Read Article)
Jeff joined ElevateMeD in February 2025 from Columbia, South Carolina bringing infectious passion, proven leadership, and decades of successful nonprofit leadership.
Please join us in welcoming our newest Advisory Board members…
Please join us in welcoming our newest Advisory Board members…
Please join us in welcoming our newest Board Member…
Please join us in welcoming our newest Advisory Board members…
Congratulations are in order for our Advisory Board Members Sophia Ederaine and Johanny Lopez Dominguez! We were honored to celebrate with them this #MatchDay2022, as they both learned about their residency upon graduation this Spring!
I decided to join the Board of Directors for ElevateMeD because it aligns with my core value of inclusion. The literature showed that to provide the best healthcare to our patients, we need to understand their culture, speak their language, among other factors.
Healthcare is my ministry. It is a calling and my inroad to impact social change. I firmly believe that any disparity within our industry serves as a microcosm for injustices that continue to plague society-at-large. I am on a mission to truly transform healthcare and looking to partner with anyone that shares the same mindset.
I chose to pursue a career in anesthesiology because I enjoy moment-to-moment decision making as well as the practical application of physiology and pharmacology. 3% of anesthesiologists are reported to identify as Black/African-American. Of those 3%, the majority are women.
Isaiah Hughes shares how growing up in an underserved community with deep-rooted mistrust toward the healthcare system inspires his pursuits in medicine.