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|  |  PacifiCare Awards $190,000 in Scholarships Through the Third Annual Latino Health Scholars ProgramPress Release September 15, 2005 CYPRESS, Calif., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. awarded seventy (70) $2,000 scholarships to Spanish-speaking, bicultural students pursuing careers in the health care indu stry. PacifiCare announced its scholarship program, Latino Health Scholars, in 2003 to educate students about career opportunities for Hispanics and Latinos in the health care field. The scholarships are funded by the PacifiCare Foundation. In order to qualify for a scholarship, applicants are required to demonstrate a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better and be fluent in Spanish and English. In addition, applicants must show proof of acceptance and enrollment into an approved health care program at a university, community college or accredited technical college. According to the Office of Minority Health, there is a nationwide shortage of bilingual and bicultural professionals in the health care field. Specifically, the shortage of Spanish-speaking personnel in nursing and other allied health professions, coupled with the growth of the Latino population in the United States, requires training and recruitment of an ever-greater number of qualified professionals. "There is a need nationwide for more culturally and linguistically appropriate care," said Russell Bennett, PacifiCare's vice president of Latino Health Solutions. "We awarded scholarships to students whom we believe best exemplify PacifiCare's brand pledge, 'Caring is good. Doing something is better.' Their academic excellence and passion for helping others we feel will make a tremendous impact in serving the health care needs of Latinos." Since the Latino Health Scholars program was launched in 2003, PacifiCare has awarded $356,000 in scholarships to 155 deserving students. "Once again we were very impressed by the caliber and maturity of all the applicants," Bennett added. "Since we announced the scholarship program two years ago, we have seen so much enthusiasm for Latino Health Scholars -- not only among our applicants but also the Latino community and PacifiCare's employees as well. As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we feel gratified that we have made a positive difference in the lives of these deserving youths who are beginning their journey toward realizing their academic and professional aspirations." PacifiCare Freedom Award: Two $25,000 Scholarships In addition, Jose Castillo of Laredo, Texas, and Laura Pajar of La Puente, Calif., each received a $25,000 scholarship as part of the PacifiCare Freedom Award program. The PacifiCare Freedom Award, established earlier this year, is a $50,000 grant given annually in honor of individuals and organizations that, according to PacifiCare Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Howard Phanstiel, "have demonstrated tremendous sacrifice and commitment to make a positive difference in our communities." The award was inspired by the heroic actions of U.S. Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta who was killed last November by enemy action in Iraq. Fighting alongside his fellow marines in Falluja, Peralta, wounded by gunshots, reached out for a grenade that was hurled by an insurgent and cradled it to his body to protect others from the blast. His heroism saved the lives of five of his fellow Marines. Touched by his story and his ultimate sacrifice, PacifiCare has dedicated the inaugural 2005 PacifiCare Freedom Award in honor of Sgt. Peralta. For this year, PacifiCare expanded its Latino Health Scholars program to include -- in addition to the 70 $2,000 scholarships -- two $25,000 PacifiCare Freedom Award scholarships for the most outstanding bilingual and bicultural students dedicated to pursuing careers in health care. About Latino Health Solutions PacifiCare launched its Latino Health Solutions division in 2002 to build stronger ties with Latino members, physicians and organizations and to offer health and consumer services and products that meet the unique health care needs of Latinos. More information about PacifiCare and Latino Health Solutions is available via the PacifiCare en Espanol Web site, http://www.pacificarelatino.com/, or via email at latinohealth@phs.com. Spanish- speaking customer-service representatives are available via a dedicated toll-free number at 800-730-7270. About PacifiCare PacifiCare Health Systems is one of the nation's largest consumer health organizations with nearly 3.3 million health plan members and approximately 11.3 million specialty plan members nationwide. PacifiCare offers individuals, employers and Medicare beneficiaries a variety of consumer-driven health care and life insurance products. Specialty plan operations include behavioral health, dental and vision, and complete pharmacy benefit management through its wholly owned subsidiary, Prescription Solutions. More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at http://www.pacificare.com/.
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