Berkeley College Alumnus Pioneers Healthcare Solution for Native American Communities
Friday, July 30, 2021
Senior Director, Communications and External Relations
973-200-1099
KME@BerkeleyCollege.edu
Photo Caption: Mark Atlan, of Manhattan, NY, is a 2015 Berkeley College graduate and CEO/Founder of ZappCare, a mobile medical solution that will serve the Navajo Nation and other Native American communities.
Entrepreneur Mark Atlan, of Manhattan, NY, is in the process of launching ZappCare, his passion project that aims to bridge the medical divide for Native American communities. Raised on a Navajo Nation reservation in Gallup, NM, Atlan’s journey first brought him to Los Angeles, where he attended a community college, before moving to New York City in 2013 to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business at Berkeley College. The 30-year-old looks back on his time as a student at the Midtown Manhattan campus with fondness.
“I’m a culture seeker and I knew right away I wanted to be in the heart of New York City,” said Atlan. “I wanted to go to Wall Street and compete with the best … Berkeley College put me in proximity to exactly where I wanted to be.”
Atlan has worked on Wall Street since earning his degree in 2015. As a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch, he manages stock and bond portfolios for ultra-high-net-worth individuals, endowments and foundations.
While his career in finance brought him a lot of joy over the years, Atlan was motivated to pioneer a solution to improve the way his community accesses healthcare after witnessing the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the United States’ indigenous population.
Innovative Healthcare Approach
ZappCare is set to officially launch in September 2021. The company, which was recently featured by NPR, is designed to incorporate technology to fill medical and infrastructure gaps on reservations with telehealth, drone prescription delivery, and mobile units that can provide routine services and minor surgical procedures.
“Living in New York City the last eight years put it into perspective. I can walk out my door and get anything I want 24 hours a day but where I grew up, it’s normal to not have medical attention within an hour or two hours,” said Atlan, who added that there are serious infrastructural shortcomings on reservations that can make routine care impossible.
The challenges exposed by the pandemic include lack of access to running water for frequent hand washing that can prevent infection. Navajos are also at extremely high risk for medical conditions that can be avoided with preventative care or are otherwise easily treatable elsewhere across the country, like diabetes and cataracts.
“We need to come with an energy of New York and Los Angeles in technology and bring it to the Navajo Nation,” said Atlan.
He envisions ZappCare launching first on his home reservation, before expanding to other neighboring Native communities and eventually serving others across the country and globally.
Photo Caption: Mark Atlan, of Manhattan, NY, CEO/Founder of ZappCare, was motivated to create a healthcare solution for Native American communities after witnessing the devastating impact of COVID-19 on reservations. Atlan grew up on a Navajo reservation in Gallup, NM (above, left). He studied International Business at Berkeley College’s Midtown Manhattan Campus where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in 2015 (above, right).
Passion for Community
Atlan wears his identity like a badge of honor. “Being able to celebrate my culture is special to me,” he said. “Being Native American really gives me kind of a cape, like a suit of armor, maybe a superhero mentality.”
Altan plans to transition his focus to ZappCare full-time in the future, as well as continuing to teach financial literacy on reservations, something he has done as a volunteer for the last five years.
“My passion and my heart are with my Native American people,” said Atlan. “I really want to encourage people to understand themselves, be confident in themselves, and be confident enough to pursue their passion. If you follow your passion, the money will come.”
Berkeley College celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2021. The theme commemorating this milestone is “Empowering Lives for 90 Years!” Visit the 90th Anniversary webpage for more information.
About Berkeley College
Berkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College also offers continuing education programs to enhance career credentials.
Berkeley College has campuses in Midtown Manhattan and White Plains, NY, as well as in Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge, and Woodland Park, NJ, with more than 4,900 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, for eight consecutive years. The website address is www.BerkeleyCollege.edu.
The mission of Berkeley College is to empower students to achieve lifelong success in dynamic careers.
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