Meharry Medical School gets $175 million to boost the number of Black physicians in the U.S.

Meharry Medical College in Nashville has received its largest donation to date, thanks to a substantial investment aimed at enhancing physician training at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Currently, there are only four HBCUs in the U.S. with medical schools. Bloomberg Philanthropies is providing financial support to all of them, including a US$175 million contribution to Meharry’s endowment. This initiative is part of a broader effort to tackle the long-standing underfunding of Black institutions.

One of Meharry’s primary goals is to combat racial health disparities. According to James E.K. Hildreth, CEO of Meharry Medical College, having healthcare providers who share a cultural background with their patients is essential in furthering that mission.

“Mr. Bloomberg noted that these four schools are responsible for producing half of all Black doctors in the country,” Hildreth explained. “Considering there are 170 medical schools nationwide, that’s quite remarkable.”

Racial health disparities refer to preventable differences in health outcomes. For example, data from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reveals that Black Tennesseans under the age of 75 die from preventable causes at a rate 30 percent higher than their white counterparts. Additionally, Black women in Tennessee are 2.3 times more likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications than white women.

These disparities are influenced by various factors, such as barriers to accessing healthcare and discrimination within the healthcare system.

Hildreth believes the Bloomberg endowment could trigger more donations, enabling the university to transform its approach to training future doctors through more collaborative, hands-on instruction. Although this method is costlier than traditional lecture-based learning, it could significantly enhance the educational experience.

“Higher education has been delivered the same way for more than a thousand years, with a ‘sage on the stage’ lecturing to large groups of students,” Hildreth said. “It’s a great way to teach, but it’s not always a great way to learn – at least not for everyone.”

Securing a sustainable future

The US$175 million investment will be used to support Meharry’s long-term sustainability. Instead of functioning as a typical donation, which might be spent immediately, the funds will be placed in an endowment investment account. This way, the school can use the annual earnings from the investment while preserving the endowment’s overall value.

“It’s about sustainability,” Hildreth emphasized. “Endowments provide financial stability for organizations, helping them navigate through tough economic times.”

During financial downturns, it becomes harder for donors to give, enrollment may decrease, and state funding for public institutions often shrinks. Endowments offer a financial cushion that can help institutions endure these challenges.

Addressing generational wealth disparities

The investment in HBCU medical schools is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, which aims to reduce systemic disparities in the U.S. and increase generational wealth among Black Americans.

The initiative is named after the Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Over a century ago, Greenwood was known as “Black Wall Street” due to its economic prosperity and prominence. However, in 1921, a white supremacist-led massacre devastated the community, leading to death tolls ranging from 40 to over 300 people. Thirty-five city blocks of Black-owned property were obliterated by fire and explosions, plunging Greenwood into poverty and resulting in some of the worst health outcomes in the area.

Similarly, Meharry is located in North Nashville, a once-flourishing Black neighborhood that suffered economic decline in the mid-20th century. During the 1950s and 1960s, federal transportation officials often chose to build highways through Black communities, including North Nashville’s Jefferson Street corridor, which was split to construct Interstate 40.

According to a detailed report by the Nashville Scene, this project displaced more than 1,000 Black residents, destroyed 100 city blocks, and caused the loss of 650 homes and 27 apartment buildings. The property that remained lost roughly one-third of its value.

Like Greenwood, North Nashville’s economic downturn resulted in it becoming one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, where residents continue to face poor health outcomes and heightened food insecurity compared to other parts of Nashville.

The Bloomberg endowment, along with other strategic investments, is expected to create lasting change by empowering institutions like Meharry to continue their critical work in improving health outcomes and providing culturally competent care to underserved communities.