by S. Rotan Hale
It has been often said that the future belongs to the youth – an idea that places great trust in and responsibility on the quality of today’s youth and their ability to hopefully lift humanity to a higher level of peace, prosperity, and balance for all.
Enter Cori’Anna White, a progressive and vibrant young leader who at just 19 years old is undoubtedly set for a promising future. Working closely with Dr. Nathaniel L. Bishop, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Carilion Clinic and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Cori’Anna engaged in various levels of hands-on medical services and activities related to healthcare on and off-premises during her 8-week internship at the hospital.
She was afforded this opportunity as a “scholar” through the Bluford Healthcare Leadership Institute, an intense professional development program with a mission to eliminate health disparities among minorities preparing them for leadership roles in healthcare.
The institute was launched by John Bluford, a highly accomplished African-American healthcare administrator who is a former chair of the American Hospital Association and the former CEO and President of Truman Medical Centers, Kansas City, MO. Carilion CEO Nancy Howell Agee also previously served as chair of the American Hospital Association. Through connecting with Bluford, she learned about the program and made the connection to host scholars in Roanoke.
Cori’Anna’s journey to pursue healthcare started when Bluford came to her high school in Miami and her honors advisor recommended her for the program. She applied, was accepted, and to Carilion she came.
While at the hospital system Cori’Anna, as an intern, delved into areas related to financial services, spent time working in the hospital’s emergency department triage unit, and traveled along with Mark Lawrence, Vice President of Governmental Affairs for Carilion, to Fairfax County outside Washington DC where she sat in on hospital administrative policy sessions. As a Carilion affiliate, she also made appearances at various local functions such as this year’s Juneteenth celebration, a Salem Red Sox game featuring Carilion’s Sickle Cell Collaborative, and joined Bishop in a variety of other ventures.
Additionally, she had the opportunity to take in some of the area’s natural amenities such as hiking Dragon’s Tooth Mountain and tubing on the Roanoke River.
Cori’Anna is a Miami native who, this year will continue at Spelman College as a sophomore majoring in political science with a double minor in Spanish and Management and Organization.
“My focus in these studies, particularly political science considering the policy work that I’ve done here with Mark Lawrence, will significantly relate to my studies moving forward,” she said.
Her internship involved a (well-delivered) in-depth presentation on the 340B Drug Price Reduction Program enacted under the Bush Administration in 1992. The program required drug manufacturers participating in Medicaid to provide outpatient drugs to covered entities at significantly reduced prices and also helped hospitals save as much as 50% on pharmaceutical drugs.
340B savings make it possible for Carilion to help communities in different ways. For instance, Carilion can reinvest savings into projects like the LIFT Center at Fallon Park Elementary School in the southeast.
The LIFT (Local Impact for Tomorrow) Center opened in March 2022 at the elementary school through a partnership between Carilion, Delta Dental of Virginia, Freedom First Credit Union, and RCPS. The Center provides health and wellness services to Fallon Park students and their families.
Furthering her engagement in healthcare, Cori’Anna has political aspirations as well. She says her future plans involve pursuing a JD/MBA degree after Spelman and on to a career in healthcare policy.
“I definitely want to use the wealth of knowledge that I’ve gained now and that I will surely gain over the next few years to help me in my career,” she said.
She first became inspired to pursue politics while in high school when she was given the opportunity to represent over 300,000 students in the Miami-Dade School District of Florida.
“I had the privilege of actually serving as a student advisor sitting on the dais with the other School Board members where we created policies for the students… it was a really cool experience,” she said.
Quite evident is Cori’Anna’s incredible sense of purpose, her sharp focus, and her unyielding drive as she comes from spirited and well-educated parents. Her father, Cornelius White is a minister and her mother Lakevia Ford-White is an educator with the Miami Dade School System. Her only sibling, brother Cornelius, Jr. is studying to be a doctor.
Young up-and-coming leaders like Cori’Anna are shimmering glimmers of hope. Thanks to empowering organizations with a concentrated focus on minority students such as the Bluford Healthcare Leadership Institute and partnering institutions as Carilion, such gifted students as Cori’Anna White and others, are given the opportunity to reach even greater heights and cash in on the promise of a better future.
