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CCF contributes $1M to new Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine

By Staff Report, posted Jun 9, 2026 on BizFayetteville.com

Photo provided by Methodist University

Cumberland Community Foundation (CCF) has taken a monumental step in supporting the new Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine (SOM) with a gift of $1 million. Specifically, the gift will support SOM start-up expenses and medical student scholarships.

“The Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine was established to address critical physician shortages and improve health outcomes across our region,” said Hershey Bell, MD, founding dean of the SOM, in a press release. “This extraordinary investment from Cumberland Community Foundation strengthens our ability to fulfill that mission by supporting the next generation of physicians and expanding access to medical education for students who are committed to serving communities like ours.”

Deep-rooted in the community, CCF knows the needs of the city, county and region, and is dedicated to enhancing quality of life.

“The medical school will transform health care in our community and Cumberland Community Foundation is proud to help it happen,” said Mary Holmes, CEO of Cumberland Community Foundation, in a press release.

A portion of its gift will be visible as the CCF Hutaff Bryan Community Room – honoring Dr. Lucile West Hutaff (1912-1987) and Mary Lynn McCree Bryan (who is still very active in the community) – in the new, state-of-the-art SOM building located at the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

Hutaff was a professor of medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and she founded CCF in 1980 to give back to her hometown. Bryan, a philanthropist, author, and community leader, served as chair of the community foundation’s board from 1990 to 1993 and again from 2000 to 2002.

“We awarded $1,000,000 in honor of two women who transformed our community through their leadership,” added Holmes in a press release. “This grant honors and celebrates the leadership of Dr. Hutaff and Mrs. Bryan in establishing and growing Cumberland Community Foundation. The result of their leadership is immeasurable.”

A significant portion of the gift will go to Cumberland Community Foundation Merit Scholarships, up to $25,000 each, to attract and support excellent medical students who live in or have ties to Cumberland and surrounding counties.

“Our students represent the future of health care in Southeastern North Carolina and beyond,” Bell said in a press release. “Through these scholarships, Cumberland Community Foundation is helping attract and support exceptional future physicians whose talents, compassion, and commitment to service will create a lasting impact on the patients and communities they serve for years to come.”

Learn more about the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine at methodist.edu/medicine.

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