Bridging Health Equity Gaps Through Mentorship

Bridging Health Equity Gaps Through Mentorship

In the community of Lakeland, Fla., professionals in minority communities are seeing opportunities to close gaps for underserved students. One such professional is Dr. Alexander Mbakwem who wants to see more people who look like him in the medical profession.

To help make that happen, he is learning how to be a mentor to Polk County students. "The kids need to be exposed to people who are not athletes and singers," Mbakwem said. "There are not enough role models to say, ‘Go to school and don't commit crimes.' They need to see people who are doing well so they can say if he can do it, then I can do it."

With health care inequities hitting underrepresented and troubled communities across the country, this initiative develops healthy people and communities in myriad ways.

Read more in The Ledger’s “Black Professionals Seek to Mentor Minority Students”