April 9, 2024
Building partnerships to inspire the next generation
Kaiser Permanente supports education and career opportunities for students with low incomes who aspire to be health care professionals.
Kaiser Permanente’s South Los Angeles high-impact hiring initiative provides resources for students pursuing health care careers.
Yaritza Juarez Medina has a remarkable story of overcoming adversity throughout her career journey.
“I have been providing the diabetes care support my family needs, and my decision to pursue a career in health care is driven by the desire to make a positive impact on their health,” said Medina, a licensed vocational nurse at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center.
Now, she provides care, including patient assessment, medication assessment, wound care, and patient monitoring, directly to members.
The career journey of Yaritza Juarez Medina was driven by a desire to make a positive impact on her family’s health.
Creating pathways to success
During Medina’s journey to nursing, she actively took part in several programs supported by Kaiser Permanente’s Community Health expertise and grants, including:
- The Kaiser Permanente South Los Angeles high-impact hiring initiative.
- The Asian American Drug Abuse Program West Adams WorkSource Center in South Los Angeles, which provides career development and training such as the Nursing Expansion Career Pathways Program.
- The Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center in Watts, which is operated by the Division of Adult and Career Education of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
These and other programs provide economic opportunities in underserved communities, uplift individuals in these areas, and foster their journeys toward thriving health care careers.
Medina highlighted the invaluable services that were provided by the Kaiser Permanente Talent Acquisition team and the AADAP staff. “They provided job readiness sessions, conducted application workshops and mock interviews, offered one-on-one support, and helped me apply to positions at Kaiser Permanente.”
Daisy Nakanishi, who holds a master’s degree in social work and is program director for AADAP West Adams WorkSource Center, echoes the appreciation. “Kaiser Permanente has been instrumental in guiding our journey toward a more inclusive approach to career development.”
An invaluable partner
"Kaiser Permanente has been an invaluable partner, providing unwavering support to low-income students pursuing health care careers,” said Agnes Padillo, MSN-Ed, RN, program director of vocational nursing for LAUSD-Maxine Waters. “By offering financial assistance and sharing expertise, Kaiser Permanente is creating a transformative impact on individuals like Medina, whose success story exemplifies the positive outcomes of such collaborations."
Partnering to transform lives
Kaiser Permanente actively promotes enabling a diverse health care workforce in Southern California through these and many other career development programs. These range from summer youth employment programs to mid-career training and transitioning assistance, to education and tuition support for current employees.
Everything is possible
Looking ahead, Medina, who was born in Mexico and raised in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, is considering additional education and envisions herself as a registered nurse in 5 to 10 years. Her 8-month-old daughter helps drive her desire for a better life. Her message to others is: “If you want a career in nursing, there is always opportunity. Just believe in yourself and everything is possible.”
Learn more about nursing careers at Kaiser Permanente.
