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A Step Toward Something Bigger: Meet the AltaMed Nursing School Collaborative's First Vocational Nurse Graduates
Twenty-two AltaMed employees made history as the inaugural graduates of the AltaMed Nursing School Collaborative Vocational Nurse (VN) Program, offered in partnership with the Annenberg School of Nursing. Meet two graduates and discover their unique paths to nursing.
As the inaugural Vocational Nursing graduation ceremony was about to begin, students gathered in the back room, chatting, adjusting their gowns and putting on their beautifully decorated graduation caps. This moment was a year in the making, shaped by countless hours of studying, hard work and sacrifice that brought them to this milestone at the Annenberg School of Nursing.
The inaugural cohort has much to celebrate. Five students achieved perfect attendance — the highest number of perfect attendance records among any graduating class at the Annenberg School of Nursing.
That dedication carried through to their academic work, with two students tying for the highest exit exam score within their cohort.
For the 22 AltaMed employees in the program, no two journeys were the same. Some had spent years working in health care, while others were exploring a new career path. They came from across AltaMed, representing departments such as medical assisting, community health, care coordination and environmental services.
77%
are first-generation college students
73%
are the first in their family to pursue health care careers
50%
of tuition costs covered by private philanthropy
Reducing Financial Barriers
Despite their different backgrounds, many students shared a common challenge: balancing work, family, and everyday expenses while pursuing a nursing degree.
Private philanthropy covered 50% of tuition costs for the program’s first cohort, with commitments secured for the second and third cohorts. Unrestricted philanthropic support has also helped students reduce their work hours to part-time while maintaining employer-provided health benefits, giving them more time to focus on their studies.
The AltaMed Foundation has also secured the program’s first named scholarship, expanding opportunities for employees to pursue further education and advance their careers. Together, these investments help reduce the financial barriers that can stand between employees and new career opportunities.
Uzoamaka Adimora: Full-Circle Care
As Uzoamaka Adimora recounts the many roles she has held during her eight years at AltaMed, she laughs — there are too many to count.
Adimora started as a health information management (HIM) technician and transitioned through several roles over the years: patient service advocate, referrals coordinator, referrals coordinator lead and, eventually, patient access operations specialist.
“Because I was in every single department that I mentioned earlier, I want to make sure that there is no disconnect so I can better serve the patients. So now that I’m on the back-office side, I believe that I can bring the skills that I acquired in my previous jobs and put it all together,” Adimora says.
For Uzoamaka Adimora, becoming a nurse was a dream, but she didn't have the traditional background needed to enter a nursing program. At the time, she worked in patient access at AltaMed and had never trained as a medical assistant, often a stepping stone to nursing.
During an AltaMed nursing retreat, Adimora suggested creating a program that would give employees like her a direct path into nursing. Two years later, AltaMed launched a program that did just that.
With support from AltaMed mentors, she prepared for the nursing entrance exam, secured recommendations, and completed the interview process. She was accepted into the program and began pursuing her dream of becoming a licensed vocational nurse (LVN).
“Without them, I don’t know what path I would have taken, and I’m eternally grateful,” Adimora says.
Looking ahead, Adimora hopes to continue growing her career at AltaMed and one day help create an assisted living program that extends care beyond PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly). She sees it as an opportunity to build something that could provide more complete, ongoing support for patients while giving back to AltaMed for everything the organization has done for her.
D'Andra Chatman: From Childhood Memories to Front-Line Care
D’Andra Chatman’s family history with AltaMed Health Services began more than 50 years ago at the East L.A. El Barrio Free Clinic, the community clinic that would eventually become AltaMed.
“When his family didn’t have access to care, my grandfather was actually able to get care alongside his parents when he was younger,” Chatman said.
Her grandfather’s experience gave Chatman an early understanding of the importance of accessible health care and the difference it can make for a family. Years later, when her grandmother became ill, Chatman helped care for her and saw firsthand the impact nurses can have on patients and their families. Their compassion and dedication inspired her to pursue a career in nursing.
Decades after her grandfather first walked into El Barrio Clinic as a patient, Chatman now works at AltaMed. She began her career here three years ago, starting as an environmental aide before becoming a medical assistant.
Chatman always knew she wanted to attend LVN school and become a nurse, but work and responsibilities at home made it difficult to pursue that dream.
When AltaMed set a vision for a pathway program for Licensed Vocational Nursing and established the partnership with Annenberg School of Nursing, Chatman saw an opportunity to finally make it happen.
“As soon as I saw the opportunity open up, I knew it was a sign that this was my time. So it was just like, ‘Let’s go full throttle,’” she said.
For Chatman, becoming an LVN is only the beginning. She plans to continue her education, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing on her path to becoming a registered nurse. Her ultimate goal is to become a midwife.
“Having this opportunity is something I’ll always be grateful for. It took off some of the stress because they’re paying for us to go to school,” Chatman said. “Instead of worrying about making ends meet, they were helping us and giving us time to study.”
Today, she stands alongside her peers as part of the inaugural graduating class of the AltaMed Nursing School Collaborative – Annenberg School of Nursing Vocational Nurse Program, continuing a family connection to AltaMed that began generations ago.
