CHI Memorial has formed a partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine to develop and train Black physicians and advanced practice providers.
CommonSpirit Health and MSM announced a 10-year, $100 million partnership in December 2020. CHI Memorial is the first market within CommonSpirit Health to welcome MSM medical students.
Morehouse School of Medicine is an historically Black medical school in Atlanta. This joint initiative between MSM and CommonSpirit will address the underlying causes of health inequity, including underrepresentation of Black clinicians.
Black physicians and other health care practitioners care for a higher proportion of Black patients in their practices, and studies show Black patients have better outcomes when they are treated by Black doctors, notes CHI Memorial market CEO Janelle Reilly.
“This unique partnership will help address health inequities in our community, as well as our country, and serve as a building block for patients to have greater access to more Black physicians and health care providers,” Reilly adds.
Fourth-year medical students and second-year physician assistant students will gain community-based experience and training while working to complete their degrees.
“Welcoming these students into our hospital and partnering in their training will help them feel comfortable in and connected to our community, which increases the likelihood of them returning to our city to practice once their training is complete,” explains Dr. C. Lee Jackson, physician adviser at CHI Memorial.
“The partnership between Morehouse School of Medicine and CommonSpirit Health will help lead to the creation and advancement of health equity in underserved communities and, in turn, make all communities stronger,” says Morehouse School of Medicine President Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice. “Concordance between patient and provider, as well as culturally competent providers, enhances the opportunity for improvement in the care experience and overall quality of care.”
Source: CHI Memorial