Fayetteville State University (FSU), the oldest
public historically Black college and university (HBCU) in North Carolina, and
Meharry Medical College (MMC), one of the nation’s oldest and
largest historically Black academic health science centers located in
Nashville, Tenn., signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today that will
address the need for providing quality medical care and skilled health
care professionals for this region of the state. The virtual signing was held
at 11 a.m. EDT, in the Rudolph Jones Student Center on the FSU Campus and at
MMC in Nashville, Tenn.
The MOU signing ceremony included
FSU Interim Chancellor Peggy Valentine, Dr. James E.K. Hildreth Sr., president and
CEO of MMC; Dr. Lee Brown, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at
FSU; Dr. Afua Arhin, Interim Dean of Health, Science and Technology at FSU; Dr. Digna S. Forbes, Interim Dean of the MMC School
of Medicine; and Dr. Cherae Farmer-Dixon, Dean of MMC School of Dentistry.
Guests included members
of both institutions’ board of trustees, members of the University of North
Carolina Board of Governors, local and state government officials, faculty and
administrators from FSU and MMC, and students.
“We applaud Fayetteville State
University for taking this important step in educating and training a new
generation of physicians and dentists for the communities they serve,” said
Meharry President and CEO James E.K. Hildreth Sr., Ph.D., M.D. “Working
with FSU to prepare health care providers who will return to serve those in
rural Southeastern North Carolina is enormously important to the state, the
region and the nation.” The Memorandum of Understanding between Meharry and FSU
is only the start of improving the quality of life for individuals and families
living in this part of North Carolina, Hildreth said.
The partnership between FSU
and MMC will address the medical needs for this region by doing the following:
- Establishing and implementing a 3-plus-3-plus-3
program (three years for pre-med from FSU, three years of medical school at
Meharry, and three years residency in Cumberland County) - Establishing and implementing a pre-dental
track for students interested in dentistry. - Establishing and implementing a rural
training track residency training program in the southeast region of North
Carolina
“We are so pleased to be
entering into this partnership with Meharry Medical College,” said FSU Interim
Chancellor Dr. Peggy Valentine. “Working with an institution of Meharry’s caliber
to produce highly qualified medical professionals will be mutually beneficial
not only to FSU, but also to the people of Cumberland County. We know that this part of the state needs
more physicians and dentists of color to serve residents who are
disproportionately affected by health disparities. FSU is glad to be doing its part in addressing
this critical need.”
About
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville
State University is a constituent institution of The University of North
Carolina System and the second-oldest institution of higher education in the
state, having been founded in 1867. FSU is a historically Black university
offering degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. With more
than 6,700 students, Fayetteville State University is among the most diverse
institutions in the nation. To learn more about Fayetteville State University,
visit www.uncfsu.edu.
About
Meharry Medical College
Meharry
Medical College, founded in 1876, is the nation’s largest private, independent
historically Black academic health sciences center dedicated to educating
minority and other health professionals. True to its heritage, it is a United
Methodist Church related institution. The college is particularly well known
for its uniquely nurturing, highly effective educational programs; emerging
preeminence in health disparities research; culturally sensitive,
evidence-based health services and significant contribution to the diversity of
the nation’s health professions workforce. Meharry is a leading national
educator of African Americans with M.D. and D.D.S. degrees and Ph.D. degrees in
the biomedical sciences.
For more
information, call 910-672-1474 or email: jwomble@uncfsu.edu.
