Health Career Connection, Inc.

Health Career Connection, Inc., (HCC) is a national nonprofit organization that provides undergraduate students from under-represented or disadvantaged backgrounds with internship placements in health care and public health organizations.

The participants recruited by HCC are commonly first-generation college students from low-income families and communities. In 2014, NYHealth awarded HCC a grant to match five students with internship placements at organizations that fit their interests, including the Foundation. The experience was exceptional for both the students and hosting organizations, which led NYHealth to award HCC a second grant in 2015. To continue support for this initiative, the Foundation awarded HCC a third grant in 2016.

Under this grant, HCC matched five students to organizations suited to their career interests: two internships at NYHealth and three internships at grantee organizations. Spanning 10 weeks, the internships helped participants explore career possibilities, build connections with role models, and gain an inside look at how health organizations operate. HCC also provided interns with support through its growing alumni and other professional networks as they transition to the next stages of their careers.