Through the generosity of the Golden LEAF Foundation, Thursday, Aug. 1,  was yet another milestone day for the future of the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine and the future of health care in Fayetteville, Cumberland County and the entire Southeastern North Carolina region.

Golden LEAF, established in 1999 to administer a portion of tobacco settlement agreement monies back into North Carolina's rural and economically distressed communities, announced it has awarded $8 million to the new school of medicine (SOM).

“Research has shown that resident doctors trained in rural areas are more likely to practice in rural areas,” said Golden LEAF Board Chair Ralph Strayhorn in a press release. “The funding to Methodist University will not only help build hundreds of jobs throughout Southeastern North Carolina, but also increase the number of physicians serving the region. This project will substantially move the needle for rural healthcare in North Carolina.”

“Golden LEAF is excited to be a partner on such a transformative project to address critical healthcare needs in North Carolina’s rural communities,” said Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton in a press release. “This partnership between Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health System will have generational impacts through the creation of high-quality jobs while addressing the critical shortage of medical professionals in Southeastern North Carolina.”

The SOM – which has a goal of welcoming its first cohort of students in 2026 – is expected to create more than 250 new jobs and graduate more than 100 doctors each year.

“When Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health System announced the creation of a new medical school in Fayetteville in February 2023, our vision was to serve Southeastern North Carolina through the education of the next generation of physicians, and to stimulate economic growth and job creation in the region,” said Dr. Hershey Bell, the founding dean of the school in a press release. “We are extremely grateful for the award announced today by the Golden LEAF Foundation to help fund the educational program at the medical school. Our students, faculty and leadership will all benefit from the resources that will be made available because of this wonderful offering and gifts from others in the community who have supported, and continue to support, our efforts.”

Golden LEAF funds will be used for instructional equipment including technology.

“I am deeply grateful to the Golden LEAF Board of Directors for this exceptionally generous award for the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine,” said MU President Stanley T. Wearden in a press release. “This award, one of the largest in the history of Methodist University, is a gratifying recognition of the value that the new school of medicine will bring to this region of North Carolina, both in terms of new job creation and in terms of improved healthcare. We are honored by the Golden LEAF Board of Directors’ confidence in our ability to administer these funds judiciously and effectively to provide world-class medical education, which will improve the economic and physical health of the Cape Fear region.”

The new Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine is to be located on the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, combining the expertise and resources of both institutions to provide students with unparalleled educational and clinical experiences. It will create opportunities for students to learn in a collaborative and innovative environment, with access to cutting-edge technology in a brand-new facility. The new medical school will provide students with the opportunity to work alongside experienced faculty and health care professionals, gaining valuable real-world experience that will prepare them for their future careers.

“We are deeply grateful to the Golden LEAF Foundation for their generous support,” said Mike Nagowski, CEO of the Cape Fear Valley Health System in a press release. “This award will enhance our medical school’s educational resources, benefiting our students, faculty, and the entire Southeastern North Carolina community.”

The mission of the SOM is to prepare graduates to be socially accountable, community-engaged, evidence-based, compassionate, equity-focused physician leaders who will contribute to mitigating health disparities and improving health outcomes in Southeastern North Carolina or wherever they may practice.  Key values include Humility, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Community Engagement, Social Accountability, and Interprofessional Collaboration.

“We are grateful to the Golden LEAF Foundation for this significant investment in our new medical education program leading to the doctor of medicine (MD) degree,” said Dr. Suzanne Blum Malley, Provost at MU in a press release.  “Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine graduates will be well prepared to deliver innovative, community-responsive healthcare and will contribute to improved health outcomes and job growth throughout the region.”

Methodist University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and will submit its new program substantive change to SACSCOC before Jan. 1, 2025. The Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine is also currently an applicant program with the Liaison Commission on Medical Education (LCME). MU will not publish admission requirements nor consider any applicants to the program until it receives those approvals.