Dear Students and Colleagues:

February is a special month for our nation each year. As the country celebrates black history month and remembers the impact that prominent men and women of color have made throughout history, we too are celebrating. And remembering....

We're celebrating a major milestone in the history of NC-HCAP as the organization turns forty this year. We're celebrating all the successes we've had throughout the years. We're celebrating the thousands of students we've impacted directly - and indirectly- across this state who are now practicing health professionals. And we're celebrating YOU - the partners who have helped make it happen.

We're remembering the students we've worked with over the last forty years and recalling the laughter, the tears, the challenges and the triumphs as they participated in our programs and activities, successfully matriculated into health professional school and then entered the "real world" as working practitioners.

We're remembering our three centers and their leaders at Elizabeth City State University, NC Central University and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke who continue to provide health education to pre-college and college students on their campuses and in the surrounding communities.

We're remembering that we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us and paying tribute to the outstanding former directors and other NC-HCAP staff who worked tirelessly with this program since its inception. I'm personally applauding their dedication and hard work and the contributions they made to this organization and to the students whose lives they touched.

And we're remembering our founder, Dr. Cecil G. Sheps, who saw a need in our state and had the vision, wherewithal and leadership to create NC-HCAP. With his philosophical stance as the basis for our mission, we've spent the past four decades seeking ways to enrich the academic, professional and personal lives of our HCAP students and ultimately improve the shortage of health care workers in this state. For when these students become health practitioners, particularly in underserved North Carolina communities, they promote a higher quality of life for us all.

May the legacy of Dr. Sheps and NC-HCAP live on forever....

Warmest regards, 

Rosalyn Beecham-Green, Ph.D.

Director

Lordy, Lordy, look who's FORTY!  

NC-HCAP has kicked off the year 2011 with a bang -- and a major milestone. That's right! NC-HCAP turns the "big four-o" this year.  

That is 40 years of helping provide a solution to the shortage of underrepresented minority health practitioners. And 40 years of helping students uncover dreams, set goals and achieve success along the pathway to becoming health professionals.

It was 40 years ago that a brilliant physician at UNC looked around our state and saw a need. There were physicians, but not enough. There was a shortage of physicians in general, but the shortage of physicians of color, particularly in the rural areas and inner-cities of North Carolina, was staggering.

This physician knew there had to be a solution. A way to encourage disadvantaged and minority students to look at the health field as a viable career option. And a way to enrich their academic preparation so they would be competitive when applying to health professional schools. And a program was born.

In 1971, Dr. Cecil G. Sheps had the vision to establish NC-HCAP [originally called the North Carolina Health Manpower Development Program] in an effort to address this severe shortage of underrepresented minority health professionals. And here we are in 2011, having helped thousands of students become successful health professionals in a number of fields.

We are proud of our successes throughout the last four decades and hope you will celebrate with us. We will be sharing those with you and commemorating this special 40th anniversary year with special news coverage, photographic journals and special events throughout the year.   

 Matthews joins NC-HCAP team  

Please join us in welcoming Vivian Matthews to the NC-HCAP team. She joined our organization last month as the accounting technician and program coordinator. As such, she will assist with managing the NC-HCAP budget and accounts, identifiying and procuring external grants, and coordinating student personnel. She will also help coordinate our pre-college and college activities, programs and events.

Matthews received her BA from NC State University and her MA from UNC and then began a career in secondary and higher education. She has more than ten years experience in administrative work at UNC, and is a former English teacher in both post-secondary colleges and in the North Carolina public school system. 

Pre-college Initiatives