COMING UP NEXTS, A NEW MAYO CLINIC STUDY REVEALS THE ECONOMIC COST OF MENOPAUSE IN THE WORKPLACE AND HOW ONE NONPROFIT IS CREATING STUDENTS FOR UNDER-REPRESENTED COMMUNITIES IN MEDICINE.

THESE STORIES AND MORE NEXT ON ARIZONA HORIZON.

>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO ARIZONA HORIZON.

I'M CHRISTINA ESTES IN FOR TED SIMON.

A HOTLINE VIDEO FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION -- HAVE BEEN SET UP FOR PARENTS TO REPORT PROBLEMS WITH SCHOOL'S CURRICULUM IS BEING FLOODED.

OF THE MORE THAN 1800 CALLS AND 40,000 EMAILS MORE THAN 30,000 WERE MADE BY WHAT THE DEPARTMENT DESCRIBED AS OUT-OF-STATE POLITICAL EXTREMISTS OR ROBOTS.

THE HOTLINE WAS A CAMPAIGN PROMISE MADE BY STATE SUPERINTENDENT TOM HORN AND DEFENDED ITS USE.

HE SAYS HE'LL TALK WITH THE MEDIA SOON ABOUT WHAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS LEARNED FROM THE COMPLAINTS.

THE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE HOTLINE IS DESIGNED TO TAKE CALLS ABOUT CURRICULUM, THAT IT SAYS DEVIATES FROM ACADEMIC STANDARDS SUCH AS STUDIES BASED ON RACE, ETHNICITY OR GENDER IDEOLOGY.

ARIZONA HAS A NEW STATE LAWMAKER TODAY.

THE MARICOPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPOINTED QUANTUM CRUISE TO FILL A -- CRUZ TO FILL A SEAT AT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

CRUZ WILL BE ONLY ONE OF TWO BLACK LAWMAKERS AT THE STATE CAPITOL.

>>> A WILDFIRE IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA IS BURN BEING A HALF MILE FROM THE SCIENCE FACILITY, IT'S NOW 50% CONTAINED.

ARIZONA STAY FORESTRY OFFICIALS SAY THE FIRE BROKE OUT YESTERDAY MORNING NORTHWEST OF ORACLE JUNCTION AND NORTH OF TUCSON.

IT SPREAD TO ABOUT 13 ACRES BY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE BEING PARTIALLY CONTAINED.

THE CAUSE REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

CREWS FROM SEVERAL AGENCIES ARE WORKING TO KEEP IT FROM REACHING THE BIOSPHERE.

MEANWHILE, THE FIRE MIRROR McDALE HAS BURNED 4,000 ACRES.

IT'S BURNING IN THE TONTO NATIONAL FOREST AND 50% CONTAINED.

THE FREEWAY WAS CLOSED FOR A TIME.

NO STRUCTURES ARE IN DANGER.

>>> AN OFF COURSE AND UNRESPONSIVE BUSINESS PLANE THAT FLEW NEAR THE NATION'S CAPITOL YESTERDAY CAUSED THE MILITARY TO SCRAMBLE JETS BEFORE THE PLANE CRASHED IN RURAL, VIRGINIA.

FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS SAY IT WILL TAKE DIES GATHER HIGHLY FRAGMENTED DEBRIS FROM THE CRASH WHICH KILLED FOUR PEOPLE.

>> WHEN WE WE GO TO THE ACCIDENT SITE IT WILL BESIVING THROUGH EACH COMPONENT THAT THE MIGHT HAVE SOME SORT OF PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT WE CAN EITHER FURTHER TEAR DOWN IN A LABORATORY AND GO FROM THERE ON EACH PIECE THAT MIGHT REVEAL DIFFERENT SYSTEMS THAT WE'LL LOOK AT IN ANY INVESTIGATION, BUT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT PARTICULARLY IN THIS CASE.

>> THE VICTIM'S IDENTITIES HAVE NOT THE YET BEEN RELEASED.

>> CNN IS REPORTING THAT A POOL AT DONALD TRUMP'S MAR-A-LARGO RESORT WAS DRAINED RAST OCTOBER AND FLOODED A ROOM WHERE COMPUTERS OF SURVEILLANCE LOGS WERE KEPT.

IT'S UNCLEAR IF FLOOD WAS INTENTIONAL OR AN ACCIDENT BUT CNN REPORTS IT'S AMONG A SERIES EVENTS FEDERAL PROSECUTORS ARE LOOKING INTO MISSING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS APPARENTLY CONSIDERED SUSPICIOUS.

>>> A NEW STUDY PUBLISHED BY THE MAYO CLINIC REVEALED THE IMPACT OF MENOPAUSE IN THE WORKPLACE.

NEARLY $2 BILLION IN LOST PRODUCTIVITY.

JOINING US TO DISCUSS THAT IS DR. JULIANNA CLING, SHE CHAIR OF THE DIVISION OF WOMEN'S HEALTH INTERNAL MEDICINE AT MAYO CLINIC, ARIZONA.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I APPRECIATE IT.

>> GOD DISTRACTED BY YOUR FABULOUS SHOES.

BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT MENOPAUSE.

PEOPLE HEAR MENOPAUSE AND DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.

>> YEAH.

BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY TALK ABOUT MENOPAUSE, RIGHT.

IT'S EXPERIENCED UNIVERSALLY MEANING ALL WOMEN, IF THEY LIVE TO BE 51 OR 52, WHICH IS THE AVERAGE AGE OF MENOPAUSE, WILL GO THROUGH MENOPAUSE WHERE BASICALLY YOUR PERIODS -- STOP HAVING A PERIOD.

OFTENTIMES WOMEN WILL HAVE SYMPTOMS, HOT FLASHES, NIGHT SWEATS WHICH ABOUT 80% OF WOMEN HAVE.

BUT OTHER SYMPTOMS CAN HAPPEN, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, ADVANTAGENAL DRYNESS, COGNITIVE FOG, MOOD DISTURBANCE.

A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN GREATLY IMPACT A WOMAN'S LIFE.

>> SO THIS STUDY YOU CAME UP WITH $1.8 BILLION IN LOST WORK TIME AND THEN $26 MILLION WHEN YOU ADD MEDICAL EXPENSES.

IT'S A BIG, BIG NUMBER, TWO BIG NUMBERS.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THOSE NUMBERS?

>> WE SURVEYED OVER 5,000 WOMEN ACROSS FOUR DIFFERENT MAYO CLINIC SITES AND ASKED ABOUT THEIR MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS AND IF THEY THOUGHT IT WAS NEGATIVELY IMPACT THEIR WORK EASTERN ANDS ABOUT 13% OF THE WOMEN SAID YES, THEY WERE HAVING ADVERSE WORK OUTCOMES LIKE GOING TO WORK LATE OR NOT BEING ABLE TO STAY BECAUSE OF MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS AND 11% REPORTED MISSING DAYS OF WORK.

ON AVERAGE THAT WAS ABOUT THREE DAYS OF WORK OVER A YEAR.

SO WE TOOK THAT AND LOOKED AT THAT ACROSS THE U.S. AND LOOKED AT THOSE NUMBERS, EXTRAPOLATED THAT DATA, AND THAT TRANSLATED TO ABOUT A 1.8 BILLION DOLLAR ECONOMIC LOSS BASED ON THOSE WORKDAYS THAT WERE LOST BECAUSE OF MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOM S >> SO THAT ROUGHLY 15% THAT EITHER CUT BACK OR CALLED OUT SICK OR WHATEVER -- WAS THAT A FIGURE THAT WAS SURPRISING TO YOU OR HIGH OR LOW OR WHAT?

>> YEAH.

WELL, I DON'T THINK WE'VE REALLY LOOKED AT THAT IN MUCH DETAIL.

THIS IS THE LARGEST STUDY TO OUR KNOWLEDGE THAT HAVE LOOKED AT THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS AND WORK OUTCOMES.

IN THE PART, IT WAS A SHOCK BUT I SUSPECT ANY PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING THIS, THAT ARE GOING THROUGH MENOPAUSE, IT'S NOT A SURPRISE RECOGNIZE HOW SIGNIFICANT THOSE SYMPTOMS CAN BE FOR THEIR LIFE.

>> SO YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS IS THE LARGEST KNOWN STUDY ON MENOPAUSE IMPACT IN THE WORK PLACE, AND THIS DEALT WITH PATIENTS AT FOUR MAYO FILLS.

THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY, WE SHOULD SAY, WERE WHITE MARRIED COLLEGE-EDUCATED.

SO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES.

ARE THERE PLANS TO BE A MORE REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE?

>> IT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND CERTAINLY WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING THE LIMITATIONS.

AND WHAT THAT TELLS US, TOO, IS WE'RE MISSING THIS DIVERSE GROUP OF WOMEN THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND POTENTIALLY OUR NUMBERS ARE UNDERVALUING OUR UNDERREPRESENT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, RIGHT.

SO, YES, OF COURSE, WE WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT FLU OUR PRACTICE AND HOPE THAT THERE'S OTHER FOLKS IN THE RESEARCH WORLD THAT WILL LOOK AT DIVERSE EXPERIENCE AFFECTING WOMEN WHO ARE GOING THROUGH MENOPAUSE.

>> WHY DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS MENOPAUSE'S IMPACT IN THE WORKPLACE?

>> OH, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME.

MENOPAUSE EXPERIENCES ALL WOMEN AND MOST WOMEN WILL HAVE SOME SYMPTOMS RELATED TO MENOPAUSE.

THIS STUDY HIGHLIGHTS THAT GOES BEYOND QUALITY OF LIFE-IMPACTING SYMPTOMS BUT CAN IMPACT THEM IN THEIR WORKDAY.

NOW, WOMEN IN MIDLIFE, WHEN THEY'RE GOING THROUGH MENOPAUSE, THEY FINISH RAISING THEIR KIDS, THEY'RE HITTING THEIR STRIDE IN THEIR WORK AND THIS CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCE ON THEM.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CREATE THIS SPACE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT AND HOPEFULLY THIS ALSO MEANS THAT WORKPLACES ARE GOING TO PRIORITIZE FINDING WAYS TO SUPPORT WOMEN IN THE WORK PLACE.

>> SO I CAN IMAGINE THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO HEAR THIS THAT ARE CRINGING BECAUSE TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT OF MENOPAUSE IN THE WORKPLACE, FOR SOME WILL BE SEEN AS SORT OF AMMUNITION TO LIKE -- FOR DISCRIMINATION OR BIAS, ESPECIALLY DEALING WITH AGING WOMEN IN A WOMAN PLACE, AS A WAY TO DISMISS THEM OR DIMINISH THEIR IMPACT.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE, COME ON, LET'S NOT DISCUSS THIS.

DOPE NEED ANOTHER BARRIER.

>> I'M SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE SOMEONE MAY BE FEELING LIKE I CAN'T BRING THAT TO MY BOSS OR EMPLOYER BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION, AND THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE INTENT.

WE MAY NOT KNOW THE TOOLS RIGHT NOW FOR HOW BEST TO BRING THAT SUPPORT INTO WORKPLACE, BUT I THINK WE CAN LOOK TO, YOU KNOW, 20, 30 YEARS IN THE PAST, I KNOW WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MATERNITY LEAVE AND LACTATION SUPPORT.

FINDING WAYS TO SUPPORT WOMEN WITHOUT CAUSING DISCRIMINATION OR BIAS.

>> SO HOW DO WE DO THAT?

IF YOU FEEL LIKE THE DISCUSSION NEEDS TO BE -- I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A TOUGH SALE.

>> WELL, SOME OF IT MAY JUST BE EDUCATION, MAKING SURE THAT SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS ARE AWARE OF THOSE SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE, SO THAT THEY CAN BE SUPPORTIVE WHETHER THAT'S ALLOWING THEIR EMPLOYEES TO WEAR LAYERS OR HAVE A FAN OR DO THINGS THAT ARE GONNA HELP WITH THEIR SYMPTOMS.

>>> DO YOU THINK IT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHETHER THE CONVERSATION INVOLVED MENOPAUSE AND EVEN LARGED PROSTATE.

I MEAN, THAT AFFECTS MILLIONS OF MIDDLE-AGED MEN OR IS THAT, OH, I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE.

>> WELL, AS A WOMEN'S HEALTH DOCTOR, I WOULD SAY OH I'D CERTAINLY ADVOCATE ON THE BEHALF OF MAKING SURE WE'RE RECOGNIZING THE NEEDS OF ALL PEOPLE AND WHETHER IT'S ENLARGED PROSTATES AND THE IMPACTS, BUT IN THIS CASE, MENOPAUSE IS SOMETHING THAT HASN'T REALLY GOTTEN MUCH ATTENTION BUT IT IMPACTS SO MANY WOMEN THAT I THINK IT'S A PRIORITY FOR US TO PUSH THIS UP ON OUR RADAR SO WE'RE DOING EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT.

AND IT'S NOT JUST A CALL FOR THE WORKPLACE BUST ALSO A CALL FOR WOMEN TO RECOGNIZE AND VALIDATE THAT THEIR SYMPTOMS THEY'RE HAVING AS WELL AS CLINICIANS TO KNOW THAT THIS IS REALLY IMPACTING WOMEN AND WE COULD PROBABLY DO A BETTER JOB OF MEETING THEM AND MEETING THEIR NEEDS SO THAT THEY'RE NOT SUFFERING AS MUCH.

>> WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN AND CHATTING WITH US.

WHEN YOU HAVE A LARGER SURVEY SAMPLE, WE'LL HAVE YOU BACK.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME AND COVERING THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> AFTER BREAK, ONE LOCAL NONPROFIT IS WORK TOGETHER INCREASE DIVERSITY AMONG PHYSICIANS.

>>> A VALLEY NON-PROFIT JUST HIT A MAJOR MILESTONE, ELEVATE NET HAS RAISED MORE THAN A MILLION-DOLLARS IN SCHOLARSHIPS AND SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WERE UNDERREPRESENTED OPPORTUNITIES -- COMMUNITIES.

JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT IS FOUNDER OF ELEVATE THEY'D AND DR. ABAGAIL WHO IS A SCHOLAR GRADUATE AND A MEDICAL STUDENT.

CONGRATULATIONS, I'M VERY EXCITED FOR YOU.

BEFORE WE GET STARTED, TELL EVERYBODY WHERE YOU ARE AND WHY YOU'RE NOT HERE BECAUSE YOU JUST GRADUATED FROM UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA IN DOWNTOWN PHOENIX, AND WHERE ARE YOU?

>> I AM CURRENTLY IN WASHINGTON D.C. WHERE I WILL SOON BE A FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENT PHYSICIAN AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY.

AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE JOINING YOU FROM WASHINGTON D.C.

SO YOU CAN SEE MY NEW HOME.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO YOU.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO DR. PORTER RIGHT NOW.

SO MANY DOCTORS, I FEEL A LITTLE DUMB TODAY, BUT BEAR WITH ME.

START BY SETTING US UP FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AWARE OF THE SCHOLARS PROGRAM.

HOW MANY STUDENTS HAVE YOU HELPED AND HOW MANY SCHOOLS ARE INVOLVED?

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION.

SO WE LAUNCHED IN 2019 TO DATE WE'VE AWARDED OVER $1 MILLION TO 50 MEDICAL STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THE THING THAT THESE STUDENTS HAVE IN COMMON IS UNIVERSALLY THEY ARE EXCEPTIONAL AND THEY IDENTIFY AS BEING UNDER-REPRESENTED IN MEDICINE, AND THAT MEANS IN RELATION TO THE GENERAL POPULATION, WE SEE PEOPLE FROM BLACK OR AFRICAN-AMERICAN, LATINO OR HISPANIC AND NATIVE BACKGROUNDS AS BEING LESS WELL REPRESENTED IN THE PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE THAN WHAT WE SEE IN THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

AND SO OUR GOAL WITH ELEVATE MED IS REALLY TO ELEVATE NODE AN IDEAL WHERE THE WORKFORCE LOOKS LIKE THE POPULATION THAT WE CARE FOR DAILY.

>> DR. SALARIO HOW DOES THAT SOUND TO YOU.

>> THE FIRST TIME I'M HEARING IT ON TV.

SO I'M VERY EXCITED.

YOU GREW UP IN CENTRAL PHOENIX IS HAD AN EARLY INTEREST IN MEDICINE, HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT OR HOW WAS THAT INTEREST NURTURED OR NOT NURTURED?

>> I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA.

THE CITY IS MY HOME.

I LOVE IT SO MUCH, AND I GREW UP IN A COMMUNITY OF IMMIGRANTS.

I GREW UP WHICHING FIRSTHAND THE DISPARITY THAT EXISTED IN MY OWN COMMUNITY AND I WAS DRAWN TO MEDICINE NOT BECAUSE I SAW PHYSICIANS THAT LOOKED LIKE ME OR SPOKE MY LANGUAGE.

BUT I THINK WHAT REALLY CAPTURED MY INTEREST WAS THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS 37 IS AN ADEQUATE ACCESS TO HEALTH WITH MY LOVED ONES WITHIN MY OWN FAMILY AND I SAW IT AS A WAY TO LEAN INTO MY UNIQUE STORY AND UNIQUE UPBRINGING AND IN TURN HELP OTHERS.

SO I WAS ABSOLUTELY FILLED WITH LOVE AND SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY.

BUT THERE WAS BARRIERS AND ADVERSITY IN ORDER TO GET TO THIS POSITION BECAUSE IT IS NOT ONE THAT ANYONE ELSE IN MY FAMILY HAS EVER GOTTEN TO.

SO I AM A FIRST GENERATION STUDENT.

AND I KNEW THAT THIS WOULD BE A RESPONSIBILITY I WOULDN'T TAKE LIGHTLY BUT IT WOULD BE ONE THAT I'D BE SO PROUD TO FULFILL.

SO I'M VERY HAPPY THAT I'M HERE TODAY.

>> THE SCHOLARS PROGRAM IS -- THERE'S A SCHOLARSHIP COMPONENT INVOLVED AND ALSO A MENTORING AND SUPPORT NETWORK.

YOU CAN PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OR SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT HAS HELPED NEW.

>> YES.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WHICH IS REALLY TRULY SO IMPACTFUL FOR US SCHOLARS, WILL IS SO MUCH MORE THAT THIS AMAZING ORGANIZATION PROVIDES.

AND I THINK FOR ME, IT WAS THE SUMMIT WHICH WE HAVE ONCE A YEAR WHERE ALL OF THE SCHOLARS GET TOGETHER AND WE HAVE AN AMAZING WEEKEND FULL OF NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES AND MENTORSHIP AND JUST SESSIONS THAT REALLY FOCUS ON OUR LEADERSHIP, OUR PERSONAL GROWTH, OUR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH.

SO INSISTS A ROOM FULL OF AMAZING PHYSICIAN LEADERS AND HERE I AM AN ASPIRING PHYSICIAN, BUT I AM SO FILLED WITH SUPPORT AND REALLY FELT EMPOWERED TO BECOME THE PHYSICIAN THAT I WANTED TO BE.

YOU HAVE A MEETING -- YOU HAVE A PHYSICIAN LIKE DR. PORTER WHO IS SUCH A GREAT EXAMPLE AND WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE BELIEVE IN YOU, IT REALLY HELPS YOU FULFILL THE ROLE THAT YOU WANT TO BE IN THE FUTURE.

SO FOR ME THAT WAS SO IMPACTFUL TO BE SURROUNDED BY SUCH AMAZING LEADERS.

>> DR. PORTER'S THE SCHOLARS PROGRAM, HAS A FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT COMPONENT.

WHY?

>> YEAH.

IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT STUDENTS THAT ARE COMING FROM UNDERREPRESENTED BACKGROUNDS OFTEN HAVE HIGHER LEVELS OF DEBT.

NOT JUST FROM THEIR UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE BUT ALSO WITHIN MEDICAL SCHOOL AND UNFORTUNATELY WITH THIS PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE AT LARGE WE KNOW WOMEN AND PHYSICIANS OF COLOR OFF GET PAID LESS.

SO HAVING THAT UNDERSTANDING OF PERSONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY AND ALSO HEALTHCARE FINANCIAL LITERACY.

IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THOSE ARE SOME AREAS THAT ARE A BIT DEFICIENT IN THE TRADITIONAL MEDICAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM.

SO EVERYTHING THAT WE DEVELOP WITH ELEVATE MED IS METROPOLITAN TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE GETTING WITHIN THEIR MEDICAL SCHOOL EXPERIENCE AND BEYOND SO THAT THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL AS WE REALLY TRY TO PROVIDE THEM THAT SUPPORT TO BECOME THE NEXT GENERATION OF DIVERSE CITIZEN LEADERS.

>> YOU SAID HEALTHCARE FINANCIAL LITERACY.

WHAT IS THAT?

>> YEAH.

SO UNDERSTANDING WHAT INSURANCE MEANS.

UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF INSURANCE, HOW YOU GET PAID AS A PHYSICIAN, HOW PATIENTS ARE BILLED.

THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE REALLY DON'T GET TAUGHT WHEN WE'RE IN MEDICAL SCHOOL, AND WE OFTENTIMES RELY ON ADMINISTRATORS TO HELP EXPLAIN SOME OF THOSE THINGS, AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENTS HAVE SOME BASELINE UNDERSTANDING BEFORE THEY GRADUATE FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL.

>> DR. SALARIO, I SEE YOU NODDING.

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT CONE SUNSET.

>> IT IS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT I THINK -- COMPONENT?

>> IT IS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE DON'T GET AS MUCH OF IN MEDICAL SCHOOL.

THERE'S A LOT THAT COMES WITH GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE YOU ARE A MEDICAL STUDENT AND THEN YOU START TO THINK BEYOND THAT AND WHAT YOUR IF YOU WILL LOOK LIKE AS A PHYSICIAN.

AND SO THERE'S SO MANY AREAS THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT RESOURCES OR RIGHT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT -- AND SO ELEVATE MED REALLY DID EVERYTHING THAT THEY COULD TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT ONLY ARE WE SUCCESSFUL IN MEDICAL SCHOOL BUT BEYOND THAT AS WELL.

AND AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I AM SO APPRECIATIVE OF, THAT SOMEONE TOOK THE TIME TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN BUILD OURSELVES UP TO BE SUCCESSFUL PHYSICIANS.

>> YOU CHOSE PRIMARY CARE.

WHY?

>> PRIMARY CARE TO ME WAS AN EASY DECISION BECAUSE I WENT WITH MY HEART.

AND I SAW SUCH A NEED IN MY OWN COMMUNITY FOR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS, ONES OF COLOR AND BILINGUAL.

AND I FEEL PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO FILL THAT ROLE FOR PATIENTS AND A PHYSICIAN FOR PATIENTS THAT NEED ME THE MOST.

AND I THINK PRIMARY CARE IS AN AMAZING FIELD AND PROVIDES YOU AN AMAZING LENS FOR WHICH WE WORK AND SO I'M HAPPY THAT I'M NOW A FAMILY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN.

>> FOUR YEARS OF AMAZINGLY SUCCESSFUL -- A MISSION A DOLLARS IN FOUR YEARS, HOW DO YOU -- A MILLION-DOLLARS IN FOUR YEARS, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT?

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU LOOK AT AND THINK I WISH I HAD THAT.

AND WE HEARD THERE ARE FOUR AND NOW WE CAN UNDERSTAND FIVE REAL PILLARS OF THE ELEVATE MED PROGRAM.

ONE IS THE SCHOLARSHIPSHIP.

THE SECOND IS MENTORSHIP, YOU CAN'T BE WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE.

SO PROVIDING OUR SCHOLARS WITH MENTORS IN THE FIELD THAT THEY GO INTO IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AS THEY TRY TO AND A HALF THE GATE SOME OF THE BARRIERS THAT COME UP ALONG THE WAY.

THIRD WE TALKED ABOUT THE FINANCIAL WELLNESS.

WE KNOW THAT COST IS NUMBER ONE REASON THAT HAS TRACTED -- ATTRACTED BRIGHT AND TALENTED STUDENTS INTO A CAREER OF MEDICINE.

BY BIG DREAM IS TO GIVE AWAY TUITION-FREE FULL SCHOLARSHIPS.

AND THEN OF COURSE PHYSICIAN DEVELOPMENT, PHYSICIANS ARE LEADERS IN WHATEVER STATE THEY HOLD, SO WE WANT TO ARM OUR ELEVATE MED SCHOLARS WITH THOSE IMPORTANT SKILLS.

BUT THE FIFTH PROGRAM WHICH ABBY ALLUDED TO IS THE PEER NETWORK THAT'S DEVELOPED AMONGST THE SCHOLARS.

WE KNOWst CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AND THE WAIT THAT THE SCHOLARS SUMMIT EVERY YEAR THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER, LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER, GAIN ENERGY FROM ONE ANOTHER, IT REALLY IS JUST AN INTANGIBLE PIECE OF THE PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN SO EXCITING TO SEE GROWTH.

SO IN FOUR YEARS I'M JUST THRILLED WITH WHAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR AND THE EXCITED FOR WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. SALARIO.

YOU GET THE LAST WORD.

WE'VE GOT ABOUT 25 SECONDS.

BUT I HAVE TO LIKE ASK, I KNOW YOU'RE JUST GETTING STARTED AND YOU TOLD ME THERE'S AT THE WAIT LIST ALREADY OF PATIENTS FOR YOU.

YOU PROMISE YOU'LL COME BACK TO PHOENIX?

>> I PROMISE I WILL COME BACK TO PHOENIX.

I AM SO EXCITED TO COME BACK WITH NEW-FOUND KNOWLEDGE AND JUST EXPERIENCES.

SO I CAN'T WAIT.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND BEST OF LUCK.

I MEAN, YOU DON'T NEED LUCK BECAUSE YOU'RE BRILLIANT.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING TIME AS YOU'RE MOVING ON TO YOUR NEXT PHASE.

DR. PORTER, THANK YOU, ALSO.

WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND INFORMATION ABOUT ELEVATE MED?

>> YOU CAN FIND US AT ELEVATEMED.ORG.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU, HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.