Page 3 - MSM Bloomberg Scholarship

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG
President and Dean

September 18, 2020

Dear Mr. Bloomberg:

I am writing to share my heartfelt and utmost appreciation for Bloomberg Philanthropies’
$26.3-million gift from the Greenwood Initiative to Morehouse School of Medicine.

The diversity of the healthcare workforce has simply not kept pace with the diversity of
this country, with African Americans comprising 13 percent of the population but just
five percent of the physician workforce. As you know, this is an important point, given
that studies show that Black patients tend to have better outcomes when treated by Black
physicians. We must vastly improve these outcomes, particularly now, as Black patients
endure disproportionately negative consequences from the dual pandemics of racial in-
justice and COVID-19.

Your gift, the largest in MSM’s history, will help us do just that. Our students, who typ-
ically come from more difficult socioeconomic circumstances than their peers, tend
to leave medical school with crushing debt. That debt clearly influences their choice of
specialty and practice locations. By helping to alleviate their debt, you are freeing these
promising doctors to provide the care so sorely needed during these trying times, and in
the times that lie ahead. Black doctors really do save Black lives.

So, with deepest gratitude and appreciation, we thank you for your generous gift. Your
commitment to the health and wealth of the Black community and your partnership with
Morehouse School of Medicine could not have come at a better time. We look forward to
continuing this relationship for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD
President and Dean