In a recent move by MacKenzie Scott, the culture is one step closer to health equity and diversifying the health fields for people who look like us.
According to ESSENCE, Scott donated $12 million to National Medical Fellowships (NMF), the organization helping to create health equity by providing scholarships for medical students who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC).
“NMF is deeply grateful that MacKenzie Scott has recognized the impactful work we have been doing for more than 75 years to advance health equity by providing scholarships to students underrepresented in medicine,” says NMF Board of Directors Chair and alumna Sandra B. Nichols, MD, FAAFP, MHCDS, MS. “This gift sends a message to these students who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare. It tells them they are needed, welcomed, and will be supported as they work to attain their degrees so they may transform the health care system into one that serves all communities equally.”
National Medical Fellowships
As the only organization that is dedicated exclusively to health equity and creating lanes in the medical field for BIPOC, NMF most recently has launched a focus on creating pipeline opportunities for people who look like us to hold healthcare roles addressing every level of patient care.
The donation from Scott will be used to launch those efforts at a much faster rate.
“MacKenzie Scott’s transformative philanthropic investment is the jet fuel NMF needs to take bold and decisive action to build a more equitable and healthy future for communities of color in the U.S.,” said NMF President and CEO Michellene Davis, Esq. in a news release. “This gift is particularly timely as the COVID-19 pandemic takes a disproportionate toll on communities of color and shines a spotlight on the human cost of health inequity. NMF will use this unrestricted gift to build its endowment and accelerate our work to invest in the development of BIPOC health care leaders who are laser-focused on eliminating unnecessary and preventable health disparities experienced by communities of color.”
A More Equitable Future For Healthcare
Using the funds donated by Scott, NMF will offset large medical costs for students of color –a move that is imperative to their success in their respective health fields.
Not only will this donation help on the education front, but it will help on the healthcare side. Studies conducted in 2020 revealed the 1.5-year decline in national life expectancy existed largely due to COVID-19 and the lack of access to basic healthcare necessities needed to fight against the pandemic.
