Bloomberg Philanthropies Announces $600 Million Gift to Historically Black Medi
cal Schools
(NEW YORK – Aug. 6, 2024) Black physicians, policy leaders, elected officials and health-care advocates convened at the National Medical Association’s (NMA) 122nd Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly held in New York August 3 – 7. The four-day event garnered 4,000 attendees, more than half of whom are physicians. During the convention event, Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P. announced a $600 million gift to the four historically Black medical schools to strengthen their financial stability and institutional capacity to address the rising costs of tuition, innovative research and operations. The gifts were made through its Greenwood Initiative. Yolanda Lawson, MD, 124th president of the NMA welcomed hundreds of convention attendees and guests to the Bloomberg Philanthropies announcement event. After being introduced by Wayne Frederick, MD, former president of Howard University, Bloomberg shared more details about the gift and the work it will support. Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG, president and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine was the closing speaker. “Discrimination against anyone is a threat to all of us,” Bloomberg said, noting that was a lesson he learned from his parents. “We have much more to do to build a country where every person, regardless of race, has equal access to quality health care – and where students from all backgrounds can pursue their dreams.” Throughout the convention, NMA members addressed key health-care delivery and workforce concerns. In multiple panel discussions experts highlighted the challenges affecting health-care providers, the Black-physician shortage, maternal mortality and morbidity, bias in artificial intelligence and digital innovation, menthol cigarettes and vapes, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, environmental disparities and much more. “This year’s convention demonstrated the hard work and dedication the NMA has put forth in advancing health outcomes for Black patients and opportunities for Black medical students,” Dr. Lawson said. “We will continue to focus on health-care access as a human right that affects all of us.” Additionally, the NMA will install its 125th president, Virginia Caine, MD, director and chief medical officer of the Marion County Public Health Department in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is also an associate professor of medicine at Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine Infectious Diseases Division and adjunct faculty at IU Fairbanks School of Public Health. “I am most honored and humbled to serve as the 125th president of the National Medical Association,” Dr. Caine said. “The history of the NMA is predicated on its commitment to human dignity and appropriate care for Black patients and other underserved populations.” “Patients and communities are at their most vulnerable when they seek medical care, and we will continue to work together this year to promote solutions to resolve the perpetually poor clinical outcomes and health status of Black communities.” There were also a variety of educational sessions for Black medical students, with career topics ranging from anesthesiology, psychology, obstetrics and gynecology and others. These sessions provided students with opportunities to gain more insight into the disparities within their respective fields. To access images and video from the event, please click here. If you are interested in becoming a member of the NMA, please register at https://www.nmanet.org/page/WhyJoin. ### About the National Medical Association: The NMA is the nation's oldest and largest organization representing Black physicians and health professionals in the U.S. and promotes the collective interests of physicians and patients of African descent. We serve as the voice of Black physicians and a leading voice for parity in medicine, elimination of health disparities and promotion of optimal health. To learn more about the NMA, please visit https://www.nmanet.org/. |
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