Health Career Connection's Founders and Directors are successful executives who are committed to providing students with practical exposure, experience and support to choose and achieve a compelling health career direction and become effective leaders and professionals.

Three of the four Founders are alumni of a Northern California internship program that was the origin of HCC. The Northern California Program, which prior to joining HCC offered internships to undergraduate students for over 20 years, was the experience that affirmed their interest in healthcare, provided them with mentors, lead them to their first healthcare jobs and connected them to the graduate school they attended. Since that time they have been committed to providing similar opportunities to other undergraduate students, and have been doing do for over 15 years. They started HCC 2 years ago to strengthen and expand the resources and opportunities available to the increasing number of undergraduate students interested in health careers. A primary motivation for starting HCC was expanding the opportunities and support for students of color.

HCC's Founders are:

Jeffrey S. Oxendine, MBA, MPH - Jeff is celebrating is 20th year in healthcare. Since his internship in 1982, he has held senior administrative positions in hospitals, medical groups and his own consulting firm. He is currently the Executive Director of the Center for Public Health Practice at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. Jeff teaches healthcare management in both the UC Berkeley and Harvard Schools of Public Health. Prior to coming to Berkeley he held executive roles in leading organizations including Partners Healthcare System, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Bay Imaging Consultants Medical Group and Alta Bates Medical Center.

Jeff obtained his masters degrees in Business Administration and Public Health from U.C. Berkeley where he met HCC's other Founders.

Donna M. Young, MBA, MPH- Donna has been a senior healthcare executive for over 20 years. She is currently a senior executive with Kaiser Permanente Medical Group. Donna has held hospital and medical group positions in Kaiser for the past 15 years, including serving as Medical Group Administrator at Kaiser Santa Clara. Donna has her masters degrees in Business and Public Health from U.C. Berkeley. She was an intern while obtaining her undergraduate degree in human biology from Stanford.

Julie M. Brown, MBA, MPH- Julie has been a senior healthcare executive and consultant for over 20 years. She is the President of her own consulting firm, Julie M. Brown and Associates. Prior to starting her firm Julie held senior executive positions in Kaiser Hospitals, including being the CEO of Kaiser South San Francisco. Julie also held executive positions at Alta Bates Medical Center and Blue Cross. Julie obtained masters degrees in Business and Public Health from U.C. Berkeley. She also attended Berkeley as an undergraduate during which time she did an internship at UCSF.

Francis X. Garcia, MBA- Francis has been a successful marketing executive for over 17 years. Francis is currently Sr. Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for Sinclair Systems International. Prior to this, Francis was a Division President within Specialty Brands, a consumer products company, where he also served as Vice-President of Marketing. Francis also held marketing positions at Frito Lay and Proctor & Gamble. Francis obtained his Masters in Business Administration from U.C. Berkeley as well as his undergraduate degree in economics. Francis is a co-founder of HCC because of his commitment to assisting young people to gain exposure, experience and support to discover and realize their passions and dreams.

All of HCC's founders are people of color. Mr. Oxendine is a Lumbee Indian. Ms. Brown and Ms. Young are African Americians. Mr. Garcia is Mexican American.

BOARD of ADVISORS

Elaine Batchlor, MD

Vice President

California HealthCare Foundation

Beau Carter

Executive Director,

Integrated Healthcare Association of California

Chris Hessler

President

Imagitas, Inc

Fred Rosenzweig

President,

Electronics for Imaging (EFI)

James Wall

Director of Operations

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Stephen Shortell

Dean

UCB School of Public Health

Barbara Staggers MD

Director of Adolescent Medicine at Children's Hospital

Director, Faces for the Future, Children’s Hospital

Oakland, California