For the second time in a year, the college’s Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program is the recipient of a generous grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. The most recent $330,000 award supports the program’s goal to boost diversity in the allied health workforce across Western New York by providing scholarships to students from diverse backgrounds who pursue PA graduate degrees at Canisius.
Stacey Menos ’23 is among 14 recipients of a Mother Cabrini Health Foundation scholarship. She and her cohorts each receive $45,000 in aid and a myriad of resources to support them through their academic journey.
“This scholarship made it possible for me to focus entirely on my studies rather than worry about work,” says Menos, a first generation Haitian-American. “It’s changed my life.”
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of targeted communities, eliminate barriers to care and bridge gaps in health services. The foundation is named for the patron saint of immigrants who, over the course of her lifetime, established 67 hospitals, orphanages and schools to serve poor immigrant communities across the United States.
“I am passionate about helping to reduce health disparities in our community, particularly for women of color who are often most at risk, but positions working in inner-city health facilities tend to pay less,” adds Menos. “This scholarship gives me the opportunity to help the community without worrying about the financial implications.”
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation has been a strong supporter of the Canisius PA Studies program. In February 2021, the organization awarded Canisius a $767,000 grant, bringing its total support to nearly $1.1 for student scholarships, support services and laboratory equipment.
“The generous support from the Mother Cabrini Foundation is helping Canisius to change the healthcare landscape of the region,” said Program Director Aimee Larson, DMSc, PA-C. “Our PA curriculum is focused on primary care with a special interest in meeting the needs of the underserved. With this support from the Foundation, Canisius is able to educate future practitioners who are more racially and ethnically representative of the patients they serve.”
Canisius University welcomed its first cohort of 30 students to the PA program in January 2021. The second cohort began in January 2022.
