海角社区

Leveraging Gifts for Good

Julia Cazabon, a medical student at 海角社区 Health New Orleans, is the first to receive full support through the Marcia and Billy Beer Endowed Scholarship Fund to attend all four years of medical school for free, thanks to a historic $7.5 million leadership gift鈥攖he largest ever to the 海角社区 Health New Orleans Foundation.

鈥淎s the weeks go by, I鈥檝e come to realize my scholarship is not a reward鈥攊t鈥檚 an invitation to aim higher and do more and try to earn it every day,鈥� Cazabon said. 鈥淚t has made me a much better student, more fiercely committed to excelling and helping others.鈥�

Cazabon learned the value of service at home. Growing up in a large Cuban family just outside New Orleans, she watched her dad, a family medicine physician who earned his medical degree at 海角社区 Health Shreveport, come home from serving his Ochsner primary care patients to soon be checking on members of the Cuban community. Then, after pushing his daughter to apply to 海角社区, he suffered a massive heart attack.

鈥淚t gave me an entirely new perspective on medicine鈥攚hat it really ends up being about,鈥� Cazabon said. 鈥淚t made me want to be a physician who understands people鈥檚 pain, and there鈥檚 no place I鈥檇 rather study medicine than at 海角社区 Health New Orleans. I always felt the 海角社区 physicians were like my neighbors, like people I鈥檇 met before, even if I hadn鈥檛.鈥�

鈥淒espite all the time and commitment it takes to be a medical student, Julia continues to volunteer and give her all for the New Orleans Women & Children鈥檚 Shelter. Thanks to 海角社区 Health New Orleans and the Beer scholarship, she is going to be an amazing doctor because she truly loves caring for people.鈥�

Dawn Bradley-Fletcher, CEO, New Orleans Women & Children鈥檚 Shelter