ElevateMeD Announcements and Updates
Thank you to every single person who gave time to join our challenge, raise money, and spread the word about our organization and our mission to change the face of medicine and philanthropy. Thanks to all of you, we nearly doubled our goal to raise $10,000 for programming for our amazing 2020-2021 Scholars.
Read MoreIn just one year, Scottsdale based nonprofit ElevateMeD has successfully self funded and proudly announces the inaugural cohort of the Scholars Program on May 4th, 2020. The 2020-2021 Scholars Program features a dynamic group of 10 medical students selected from distinguished partnering universities, each who are from underrepresented backgrounds in medicine.
Read MoreOver the past 12 months, we have identified individuals who are committed to the mission and vision of ElevateMeD and desire to see our programmatic and philanthropic goals manifest. We recognized that in order to build programs that will be of value to medical students, we needed to have medical student advisors.
Read MoreWe have committed to giving $100,000 in scholarship support to medical students from underrepresented backgrounds in 2020 to be applied to tuition costs for the 2020-2021academic year. Thirty students from our 10 partner institutions are currently undergoing the application and selection process.
Read MoreElevateMeD is pleased to announce our partnerships with the following 10 medical schools. Students from these Medical Colleges and Universities will be eligible to be the inaugural cohort of our Scholars Program. We are working directly with these schools to select our Scholars who will be announced late April.
Read MoreElevateMeD would like to acknowledge the following medical schools for their commitment to diverse medical school enrollment.
Read MoreIn 2019… We touched over 4.8K people… We welcomed 10 board members from across the country… We raised a total of $213,893.91 through online donations and our inaugural fundraising event in Scottsdale.
Read MoreWe were awarded a small grant from the Black Philanthropy Initiative, part of the Arizona Community Foundation.
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreStay hungry, Stay foolish. That is the saying that I live by. But what happens when your hunger or motivation exceeds the resources available to you? While applying to medical school, a lack of mentorship led me to make sacrifices which harmed my relationships and emotional health. But this does not have to be the case for future students of color.
Read MoreHealthcare 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.
Read MoreSet on the backdrop of beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona, more than 130 guests joined ElevateMeD at their first launch reception on Saturday night at the Hotel Valley Ho Skyline Rooftop. The goal for this fundraising event was to raise $30,000 for the 2020 ElevateMeD Scholars Program. By the end of the evening, the organization successfully raised more than $90,000, tripling their goal.
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 MoreThe ElevateMeD Board of Directors were carefully selected to provide strategic guidance in the fulfillment of ElevateMed’s mission and vision. Our Board is committed to elevating medicine by prioritizing physician workforce diversity, closing the gap of financial inequity in medical education, and supporting the next generation of physician leaders.
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreAs a CPA, I was even more drawn to the organization due to our commitment to ensuring that our scholars are financially educationally equipped and prepared to navigate through their medical school matriculation fully informed.
Read MoreDespite the fact that African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American populations make up nearly a third of the US population, as of 2016 they comprised only 17% of faculty at academic medical centers.
Read MoreI am very fortunate to have many positive influences in my life that fostered my dream to become a physician. As a child, a favorite toy my parents gave me was a Fisher Price Medical Kit. My personal pediatrician shared stories of his own medical school experience during my annual visits. A college professor instructed me to write a note on my dorm door that said “Dr. Shannon Smith, NOTHING can stop this dream from happening!”.
Read MoreEarly this year, I attended the memorial service for Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., one of this country’s all-time great medical educators. Dr. Leffall was a cancer surgeon who was an inspiration to the more than 6,300 medical students, residents, and fellows he taught during his illustrious career. Being in his presence always elicited feelings of awe and profound respect.
Read MoreI had the most incredible experience as the medical director for the Undergraduate Plummer Scholars program at Mayo Clinic. We built a summer program with the exact resources that I wished I had access to as a rising junior in college. During this week I was exhausted by all that I had to give and share with these 8 brilliant students. What I did not anticipate, was the awe inspiring energy they would return such that my cup runneth over.
Read MoreMelba Avalos shares her non-traditional path to medicine and the power of seeds of hope planted by the people around us. Her journey is a reminder that encouragement—no matter how small—can change the course of someone’s life.
Shane Scott has seen the effects of delayed healthcare and delayed diagnosis, and is inspired to become part of the solution.
Jada Lusk first became interested in medicine through her own personal medical history. Now, she is passionate about providing the same level of compassionate care she received.
Jerry Shepherd was introduced to the endless possibilities of medicine when he suffered from neuroinflammation as a pediatric patient. This personal experience has inspired Jerry to become a neurosurgeon and to inspire youth in his community.
Adurape "Ayo" Osunjimi shares the stories that inspired him to pursue a career in medicine, experiences that shed light on the real-life financial barriers that impact access to care, and plans to mitigate these challenges by providing resources and compassionate care.
Shelby Snyder was inspired to pursue medicine by watching her father integrate cultural knowledge with Western medicine. She now aspires to embody that same spirit as a future provider, serving Native communities as an uplifting and empowering presence.
Annie Ferguson chose a career in medicine to help bridge healthcare gaps in communities where cultural competency is rare. Her passion for creating positive change and inspiring young women to pursue medicine continues to light the way toward a brighter, more inclusive future!
Isaiah Hughes shares how growing up in an underserved community with deep-rooted mistrust toward the healthcare system inspires his pursuits in medicine.
Dante 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.
Dr. David and Betty Gullen are dedicated supporters of ElevateMeD whose partnership plays a critical role in strengthening the foundation of the ElevateMeD Scholars Program.
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.
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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.
Godgive Umozurike reflects on the power of names and how hers was misunderstood by others. But through witnessing her mother’s struggle during a traumatic episode, she discovered the true strength behind her own name and the deeper meaning of healing.