Page 2 - Bloomberg MSM Medical Scholarships

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG
President and Dean

September 18, 2020

Michael R. Bloomberg
Founder
Bloomberg Philanthropies
25 East 78th Street
New York, NY 10075-0102

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
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