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Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG
President and Dean

September 18, 2020

Michael R. Bloomberg
Founder
Bloomberg Philanthropies

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 Afri-
can 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 injustice and COVID-19.

Your gift, the largest in MSM’s history, will help us do just that. Our students, who typically come from more dif-
ficult socioeconomic circumstances than their peers, tend to leave medical school with crushing debt. That debt
can hamstring their efforts to take on lower-paying jobs in needy communities. By helping to alleviate their debt
burdens, you are freeing these promising doctors to provide the care so sorely needed during these trying times,
and in the times that lie ahead.

So, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you. Thank you for your generous gift, for your commitment to the
health and wealth of the Black community, and for your partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine. We
look forward to continuing this relationship for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD
President and Dean