In a new campaign, experienced Physicians share why they put on the White Coat, inspiring medical students as they enter the healthcare community amidst a new environment.
New York – September 30, 2020 – As medical schools around the country shift toward digital programs this fall, Laurel Road, a digital lending platform and brand of KeyBank, and Barco Uniforms, a recognized leader of design innovation in the premium healthcare apparel industry, today launch their “Remember Your Why” campaign, a new initiative that aims to support and inspire first-year medical students celebrating their White Coat Ceremonies virtually. As students don their medical White Coats for the first time, marking their acceptance into the medical community, the campaign is a reminder and affirmation of why they have chosen to pursue careers in medicine, despite the many challenges brought on by the COVID pandemic.
Healthcare professionals have been challenged in new and more extreme ways through their work on the frontlines or navigating private practice closures. Supporters from around the world and in their local communities have called them “healthcare heroes” and encouraged them with nightly rounds of applause. Yet, doctors, dentists and nurses usually don’t enter this profession for praise or status – they do it to help patients, give back and be a force of good in peoples’ lives at their most vulnerable moments. Laurel Road and Barco’s heartening video features seasoned healthcare professionals sharing their “why,” as a reminder to new medical professionals that those core motivations endure even through difficult times.
“Like much of our world, medical school looks very different than it did this time last year, and this is coupled with the investment required for medical school being at an all-time high,” said Alyssa Schaefer, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Product Strategy at Laurel Road. “Yet the next generation of healthcare professionals will be the ones to lead us through the wake of this pandemic and safeguard our communities for the future. Despite the challenges, we hope medical students and healthcare professionals know they are needed and valued now more than ever.”
The campaign also features Grey’s Anatomy™ by Barco® brand lab coats customized by Barco Uniforms and Laurel Road with the message “You Bring Hope” embroidered on the inside, as a point of reflection for healthcare professionals’ to remember their motivations and inspirations each and every day. Some of these driving forces, as seen in the campaign video, include:
- “The privilege to be able to help people in the course of their lives and their health.”
- “I was inspired by my dad. I watched him go to work every single day excited to help his patients.”
- “I wanted to bring good to other people’s lives.”
- “As a young girl…I was inspired by the only Black physician I knew, my own family physician.”
- “I love the lessons and the challenges that come with it.”
- “Being a doctor is more than just a job, it’s a calling.”
“This year’s graduating class of healthcare professionals crosses the White Coat milestone to head directly into the front lines of the pandemic and beyond, and we are honored by their dedication and the opportunity to serve them by providing premium scrubs and lab coats,” said Peggy Schulz, Vice President of Corporate Marketing. “Barco’s commitment to healthcare professionals has been woven into the DNA of our company for over 90 years and we hope will empower and inspire those who wear our apparel. We are very grateful to have the opportunity to partner with Laurel Road to show our appreciation.”
Both Laurel Road and Barco have strong ties to the healthcare community and proudly joined forces to support the next generation of medical students in this campaign. Laurel Road has worked directly with healthcare professionals since the company began originating loans in 2013 and has designed several specific products and programs based on a deep understanding of their unique financial needs. Since 1929, Barco has been committed to lifting human spirits through design innovation and redefining the power of professional apparel for healthcare and other service sectors. The company’s Made to Matter Campaign was created to highlight the company’s core belief that people in the healthcare and service industries are multidimensional diverse humans with their own experiences of risk, vulnerability and struggle.
To watch the “Remember Your Why” campaign video, click here. You can learn more about Laurel Road’s offerings for healthcare professionals at www.laurelroad.com.
About Laurel Road
Laurel Road began originating student loans in 2013 and has since helped thousands of professionals with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees consolidate and refinance more than $7 billion in federal and private school loans. Laurel Road also offers a suite of online graduate school loan products, mortgages and personal loans that helps simplify lending through customized technology and personalized service. In April 2019, Laurel Road was acquired by KeyBank, one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies. For more information, visit www.laurelroad.com. Laurel Road is a brand of KeyBank National Association offering online lending products in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The mortgage product is not offered in Puerto Rico. KeyBank is a Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. NMLS ID # 399797.
About Barco Uniforms
Founded in 1929, Barco Uniforms is a leader of design innovation in the premium professional apparel industry, designing award-winning premium uniforms that elevate and honor the individual in the healthcare, food service and hospitality industries. Barco Uniforms is headquartered in Los Angeles with approximately 270+ local employees across multiple disciplines including design, product development, marketing, sales, supply chain, and distribution. For more information, visit www.barcouniforms.com. You can follow the company at www.instagram.com/barco.uniforms/, www.facebook.com/barcouniforms/, https://x.com/BarcoUniforms and www.pinterest.com/barcouniforms/.
Keeping Hope Alive
In 2008, Barco’s Nightingales Foundation (BNF) was founded by Barco’s Chairman of the Board, Michael Donner and his wife Frida in hopes of lifting-up the lives of children around the world, in honor of Healthcare Professionals. https://www.barcosnightingales.org/
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Media Contact:
KWT Global for Laurel Road
646-989-8147
[email protected]
The Pollack Group for Barco Uniforms
Stephanie Kirschner
908-644-8114
[email protected]