The Jones brothers were two of eight recipients of the inaugural 2021 Barbara Sheffield Medical Scholarship, established by the Government Employees Health Association (GEHA) and its subsidiary GEHA Solutions to address the lack of diversity in medicine in the U.S.
“Our goal at GEHA is to further the advancement of health equity in all communities,” GEHA Chief People Officer John Brown said. “We believe everyone should feel comfortable seeking and receiving health care, and providing these scholarships to Black medical students is just one way we are addressing the systemic issues that have made health care in America inaccessible and less effective for people of color.”
GEHA, a nonprofit member association based in Lee’s Summit, Mo., reaffirmed its commitment this year.
For 2020-21, eight students received full-ride scholarships to attend the University of Kansas (KU) School of Medicine. With the continuation of the funding this year, made possible by a grant through GEHA Solutions, three more students received scholarships.
The scholarship is named in honor of Barbara Sheffield, the first female minority to serve on GEHA’s Board of Directors. To date, GEHA and its subsidiary, GEHA Solutions, funded tuitions for 11 students through a $1.5 million grant to KU Endowment, with hopes to continue similar funding in the future.
“It really is a life-changing scholarship for sure,” said Ben Jones. “It gives us more financial stability in terms of not worrying about debt after medical school, as well as a chance to help out in the community and be with my family more.”
