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NEW ORLEANS — Humana Inc. has structured its recently announced $3 million commitment to the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine (XOCOM) as a permanent endowment designed to fund one full-tuition medical scholarship each year in perpetuity, beginning with XOCOM’s inaugural class.

The Humana Health Workforce Scholarship Fund will provide an annual, full-tuition award to one incoming medical student per class year, creating a long-term pipeline aimed at strengthening Louisiana’s physician workforce and improving access to care in underserved communities across the Gulf South.

“Primary care, internal medicine, and maternal care were chosen because these areas have a direct impact on population health outcomes,” said Leonardo Seoane, MD, FACP, founding dean of XOCOM. “The Gulf States region faces significant shortages in these fields, and increasing the number of physicians trained and committed to these areas is expected to improve access and address urgent community health needs.”

“This has a direct impact on our community members having access to physicians to stay healthy, as the physician shortage directly impacts real issues like wait times to get in to see your doctor,” said Seoane.

Humana leaders emphasized that while the endowment will fund one scholarship annually, the initiative is intended as a sustained, strategic investment rather than a stand-alone solution to the workforce crisis.

“This scholarship initiative, while not a comprehensive solution to the workforce crisis, represents a strategic step toward alleviating the primary care shortage in the region,” said George Renaudin, president of insurance at Humana. “By investing in the development of the local healthcare workforce, we hope to inspire additional collaborations and contributions that will collectively strengthen the system over time.”

XOCOM – Building a Louisiana Physician Pipeline

The scholarship program is designed with a strong in-state workforce focus. Recipients will be encouraged to pursue residency training and clinical practice in Louisiana, with Ochsner Health supporting clinical education and helping facilitate residency placement.

“The scholarship is specifically designed to develop a workforce trained in addressing the unique and critical healthcare needs in Louisiana and the broader Gulf States region,” Seoane said. “Together, we will help facilitate residency placement in Louisiana, increasing the likelihood that graduates remain and serve local communities.”

“Success will be measured by tracking the number of physicians trained, the specialties they enter, and the percentage who remain to practice in Louisiana, especially in high-need areas,” Seoane said. Additional indicators will include improvements in access to care and long-term health outcomes across the region.

Humana views the scholarship endowment as one element of its broader health equity and workforce development strategy in Louisiana, which also includes investments in digital medicine, substance use recovery services, veteran support initiatives and food security programs.

“From Humana’s standpoint, our ability to deliver quality care to our members is fundamentally dependent on the strength and availability of the provider workforce,” Renaudin said. “Delays in care can result in poorer health outcomes and increased costs, both of which are contrary to the principles of value-based care that Humana champions.”

By investing in physician education, Humana aims to strengthen healthcare delivery beyond individual providers, Renaudin added. “By supporting the education and training of new physicians—especially in regions where shortages are most severe—we aim to bolster the entire healthcare ecosystem, improve access, and contribute to better long-term outcomes and lower costs,” he said.

The endowment builds on Humana’s existing relationship with Xavier University of Louisiana, where the company has funded scholarships for students in the university’s Physician Assistant Program for the past three years. Humana also acquired the Medicare program for Ochsner Health Plan in 2004. XOCOM has received early seed funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies and scholarship support from Pan American Life Insurance Group as it works toward full accreditation.

Founded by Xavier University of Louisiana and Ochsner Health in April 2024, XOCOM is working toward accreditation as the only HBCU medical school in the Gulf South, with a mission focused on expanding access to medical education and training physicians equipped to serve diverse and underserved communities.

“As the needs of our communities evolve, we will continue to assess where our support can have the greatest impact and look for scalable solutions that enhance access to care and drive better outcomes,” Renaudin said.