Cape Fear Valley Health has been awarded the North Carolina Healthcare Association’s (NCHA’s) 2025 Highsmith Award for Innovation in recognition of its visionary partnership with Methodist University to establish the planned Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine. This award is presented to a member institution or to an individual/team employed by an NCHA member institution in recognition of innovation that creates value for patients/consumers of healthcare. 

The planned school will be the first new, independent MD-granting medical school to launch in North Carolina in several years — distinct from an expansion of existing institutions. It addresses a critical workforce need in Southeastern North Carolina, often described as a “doctor desert.” The region faces a severe shortage of both primary care physicians and specialists. Statewide projections estimate a need for 1,885 additional primary care physicians by 2030, a 31% increase over the current workforce. This new medical school aims to bridge that gap by training physicians who are most likely to remain and serve in the region. 

The medical school is the result of a strong collaboration between Michael Nagowski, CEO of Cape Fear Valley Health, and President of Methodist University Dr. Stanley Wearden. Together, they envisioned and executed a bold plan to strengthen the healthcare workforce through education. The school’s appointment of Dr. Hershey Bell as its inaugural dean affirms its mission of innovative, community-based medical training. 

“We’re very honored to accept this award on behalf of the many people on our team who believe in this school and have been working to make this idea a reality for several years,” Nagowski said in a press release. “The planned Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine is going to transform our region and the lives of future generations, both in terms of healthcare and economic opportunities.”