History

Three of the four HCC founders had their health careers and graduate education opportunities launched by participation in the Fellowship Retention Program in Health Administration. This summer internship program was sponsored by the Health Care Executives of Northern California and the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and its aim was to increase diversity in the health administration profession.

After the program funding ended in the late 1980s, HCC Founders started HCC as a small Northern California summer internship program, based on the Fellowship Retention Program Model, and operated it on a volunteer basis until 2000.

In 2000, while working as a health executive at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Jeff Oxendine, one of the Founders, found that there were significant needs for supporting students interested in health careers and increasing the diversity of health leaders and professionals in Boston. With support and mentorship from Jeff Cook, the CEO of the Environmental Careers Organization, and Jeff Otten, then CEO of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Jeff launched a Boston version of the internship program and formed Health Career Connection as a national nonprofit. From its inception, HCC included a comprehensive program to expand opportunities for students, positively impact health organizations, and increase health workforce diversity.

With the support of Dr. Mark Smith, President of The California Healthcare Foundation, HCC launched its Southern California Program.

HCC launched its New York and New Jersey Region. HCC partners with the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University to provide workshops and support to our interns. HCC also has longstanding partnerships with local organizations that made this regional launch and growth possible, including Montefiore Medical Center, Bellevue Hospital, New York Hospital and Healthcare Corporation, and New York State Health Foundation. We are honored to currently co-partner with the Bronx HOPE, based at Albert Einstein Medical College.

HCC launched its Central Valley California Program in partnership with the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State Department of Health Science. We also partner and work closely with the Latino Center for Medical Education and Research at UCSF Fresno and Cal State Fresh Health Careers Opportunity Program.

HCC launched its Coachella Valley Regional Program in partnership with the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) Workforce Excellence Division and Health Industry Council.

In partnership with the North Carolina American Indian Health Board (NCAIHB), the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity (MACHE) at Wake Forest University, and the Southeast Public Health Training Center at the North Carolina Public Health Institute, HCC launched a new internship region in North Carolina focused on addressing the health disparity needs of the American Indians in North Carolina.

Health Career Connection was launched in our national capital, Washington DC, with the support of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Diversity and Inclusion Division.

With the support of the James Irvine Foundation and The California Endowment, HCC launched the Long Beach & Orange County region.

HCC launched its Midwest Region in the following cities: Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI, Minneapolis, MN.