MSM 2024 Annual Report

We improve health and well-being by training exceptional healthcare professionals and scientists, expanding access to primary care and leading in education, research and service. Our commitment is to serve individuals and communities facing the greatest challenges in healthcare—across Georgia, the nation and beyond.

In our 2022 Annual Report, we introduced a powerful idea: each of us carries a mission—a thread shaped by our purpose, our passion and our story. Individually, a thread may seem small. Woven together, these threads become strong.

At Morehouse School of Medicine, our shared mission is formed by all of us—students, faculty, staff and partners— each contributing something unique. Together, we create a fabric of healing, learning and service.

Every person, every thread, makes our whole mission stronger.

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Dear Morehouse School of Medicine Family and Friends,

This year’s annual report, which is centered on the theme MISSION, showcases the transformative impact of our collective work and the powerful momentum propelling us into the future of healthcare access optimization.

At Morehouse School of Medicine, our mission to expand the health professional and scientific workforce isn’t a cliffhanging, globe-trotting feat assigned to a fictional secret agent in a blockbuster movie—instead it is far more attainable. While Hollywood protagonists entertain us chasing impossible missions, real healthcare heroes are being developed at MSM where we are grounded in what is possible: educating health professionals from all backgrounds, advancing scientific research and delivering compassionate care and innovative medicine to resource-limited communities. And with every student trained, every patient treated and every cutting-edge discovery made, we practice our mission through action every day at MSM.

At the beginning of the year, we had the honor of welcoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden as the keynote speaker at our 15th Annual Women with Heart Luncheon. Her stirring remarks on the importance of women’s health and her call to action resonated deeply with the MSM community and luncheon guests, further energizing our efforts to close health gaps and advocate for populations with limited healthcare access.

...with every student trained, every patient treated and every cutting-edge discovery made, we practice our mission through action every day at MSM.

After advancing to the short list of 12 finalists in 2023, one of our most exciting milestones of 2024 was the groundbreaking victory by Team SAMBAI, a global, interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Melissa B. Davis, PhD, director of the MSM Institute of Translational Genomic Medicine, which was awarded a $25 million Cancer Grand Challenges grant funded by Cancer Research UK and the NIH’s National Cancer Institute. The team’s innovative work aims to address cancer disparities in populations of African ancestry, becoming the first Cancer Grand Challenge awardee to focus on cancer inequities.

Our strategic partnerships remain critical to Morehouse School of Medicine’s ability to provide necessary resources to our learners. The institution was significantly bolstered by the generous $175 million gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, part of their transformative investment in historically Black medical schools. This unprecedented support will allow us to expand scholarships and ensure that future generations of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, public health professionals and biomedical scientists are financially equipped to complete their graduate education and begin caring for the people in the communities where we live, work and play and pray with their medical school debt reduced substantially.

In 2024, MSM realized growth in our physical spaces on campus including the completion of our new core lab in the Research Wing and the renovation of the Hugh Gloster Medical Education Building. Our clinical arm, Morehouse Healthcare, increased its service lines including sports medicine and expanded radiology services. We also celebrated the launch of the Institute of Translational Genomic Medicine, the only institute of its kind in the U.S. operating at a Historically Black College or University that will be the national hub for genetic information on people of African descent.

We also embarked on a transformative brand elevation initiative that redefined our institutional voice and clarified our strategic direction. At the heart of this evolution is a reimagined brand architecture centered on our four foundational pillars—Education, Research, Clinical Care and Community Engagement. From digital platforms and merchandise to event displays and official communications, this integrated

branding approach ensures a consistent, high-quality presence that reflects the strength and excellence of Morehouse School of Medicine on a national stage. Ultimately, this initiative is more than a brand refresh—it is a powerful expression of our mission to lead the creation and advancement of health equity to achieve health justice. By sharpening how we show up in the world, we are amplifying our voice, expanding our reach and ensuring MSM continues to stand as a beacon of purpose, promise and possibility.

I am filled with immense pride and gratitude for the enduring commitment and resilience of our Morehouse School of Medicine community and as we look toward the institution’s 50th anniversary next year, we do so with clarity of mission and unity of purpose.

Our prestigious institution continued to amplify the power of dialogue and perspective through Season 2 of my Danforth Dialogues podcast, where distinguished guests including former MSNBC host and author Joy-Ann Reid, Chairman & CEO of CINQCARE, Executive Chairman of BlackIvy Group, Trustee Emeritus of Morehouse School of Medicine and keynote speaker for our 40th Commencement Exercises Anthony “Tony” Welters, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and UPS CEO Carole B. Tomé shared their insights on leadership and pulled the curtain back on what helped mold them from childhood into the leaders they are today. These conversations continue to serve as a platform for thought leadership and we invite you to stay tuned for Season 3’s lineup of engaging conversations.

On a personal note, I was truly humbled and honored to return to Emory University, where I completed my residency, to serve as the 2024 commencement speaker and to receive an honorary degree. It was a full-circle moment that underscored the importance of mentorship, education and staying true to one’s purpose. Last year, I was also honored to travel to the White House to witness then-President Joe Biden sign an executive order on Advancing Women’s Health Research and Innovation, to join former First Lady Jill Biden and Chelsea Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative in a session on advancing social impact on key human rights issues and to serve as a featured speaker at the African American Mayors Association’s 2024 National Conference.

As I reflect on the extraordinary achievements of 2024, I am filled with pride and gratitude for the enduring commitment and resilience of our MSM community and as we look toward the institution’s 50th anniversary next year, we do so with clarity of mission and unity of purpose. Together, we will continue to innovate, lead and partner to create lasting change far beyond the walls of the classroom.

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG President and CEO, Morehouse School of Medicine

Our revitalized brand boldly captures the spirit and excellence of Morehouse School of Medicine—uniting our legacy with our vision for the future.”

Our Brand Genesis

Morehouse School of Medicine’s brand elevation initiative, led by Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Communications Officer Dorian Harriston, has redefined how we present ourselves to the world.

With a refreshed visual identity anchored by our four institutional pillars—Education, Research, Clinical Care and Community Engagement—this strategic effort strengthens recognition and reinforces our reputation for excellence. A vibrant new color palette, cohesive design system and modernized architecture ensure our communications are as bold and dynamic as the work we do. In addition, our geometric square design elements symbolize the stability, reliability and strong foundation that define our institution, while multiple squares represent forward momentum and our ascending trajectory.

This evolution extends across every touchpoint—from digital platforms and signage to branded merchandise and official materials—providing our community with the tools to represent MSM with pride and consistency.

BRAND & VISUAL IDENTITY IN ACTION

Top 10 Reflections of Institutional Excellence

From the Dean and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs

J. Adrian Tyndall, MD, MPH

As I reflect on 2024, I am filled with pride and hope for what we’ve accomplished at Morehouse School of Medicine. It was a year of bold strides and transformative milestones—each one a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence, health equity and justice. These top 10 highlights are more than just achievements; they are powerful reminders of our purpose, our passion and the impact we are making in the world. Though many more successes could be named, these stand as symbols of our collective journey toward a healthier, more equitable future for our learners, partners and the communities we are privileged to serve.

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3 Match Day: 95% of MSM’s Doctor of Medicine students who participated in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) were paired with residency placements, including 88% who received their first or only choice of specialty.

Historic Commencement Exercises: MSM conferred doctorate and master’s degrees in medicine, public health and biomedical sciences to 131 students during the institution’s 40th Commencement Exercises on May 18, 2024. Additionally, the Winter Commencement Exercises marked one of the largest graduating classes of MSM’s online programs to date.

Healing Arts Atlanta: As a physician and classically trained pianist, I was honored to moderate the Arts in Healthcare: Leadership Soiree, an event where healthcare leaders shared their expertise on how integrating the arts into health care leads to improved patient outcomes and staff retention. The event was presented in collaboration with the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and World Health Organization.

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Institute of Translational Genomic Medicine: MSM launched the Institute of Translational Genomic Medicine (ITGM), the only genomic center at an HBCU and a national hub for genetic research on people of African descent. ITGM will support MSM research with advanced sequencing and bioinformatics, aiming to develop new diagnostic and treatment tools through the study of African American genomes.

Cancer Grand Challenges Award: Team SAMBAI, led by Melissa B. Davis, PhD, director of MSM’s Institute of Translational Genomic Medicine, received a $25 million Cancer Grand Challenges grant to study cancer disparities in people of African ancestry. Funded by Cancer Research UK and the National Cancer Institute, it is the first award focused on cancer inequities, led by an African American woman, awarded to a researcher at an HBCU medical school and granted to a Georgia institution.

More in Common Alliance (MiCA): As part of the More in Common Alliance partnership between Morehouse School of Medicine and CommonSpirit Health, MSM and Bakersfield Memorial Hospital announced plans to launch a medical residency program that will accept 10 internal medicine residents in 2025, then gradually expand over time.

Bloomberg Philanthropies: Received a historic $175 million endowment gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative—the largest donation from a single organization in the medical school’s nearly 50-year history.

NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative: Five Morehouse School of Medicine students took part in the third year of the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative— a national effort to increase diversity in the field. In partnership with the NFL, NFL Physicians Society, and PFATS, each student completed a month-long clinical rotation with NFL teams including the Cardinals, Falcons, Bengals, Colts and Giants.

MSM Resident Testifies Before U.S. Senate Committee: Dr. Samuel Cook, a resident at Morehouse School of Medicine, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, chaired by Senator Bernie Sanders, I-VT, on May 2, 2024, about the need for more support for Historically Black Medical Schools.

Morehouse Healthcare Expands Services: Morehouse Healthcare, the clinical arm of Morehouse School of Medicine, announced its new offering of child and adolescent behavioral health services at its East Point clinic, operated in partnership with Fulton County and Atrium Health. Mental health treatment and therapy are now available in person and virtually for individuals from ages 5-22 and their families.

A Conversation with Arthur R. Collins

Chairman, Board of Trustees, Morehouse School of Medicine

MSM: As Chairman of the Board, how do you see your role in supporting the school’s strategic vision?

Chairman Collins: My role—and the Board’s role—is to ensure that MSM’s strategic vision is not just aspirational but actionable. We work closely with the leadership team to provide oversight, champion resources and remove barriers to progress. We are stewards of the mission, making sure every decision reflects our core commitment to equity, academic excellence and community health.

MSM: MSM is widely recognized for its dedication to healthcare access optimization. What, in your view, sets the school apart nationally?

Chairman Collins: Morehouse School of Medicine is more than a medical institution—it’s a movement. What sets us apart is our unwavering focus on preparing physicians, scientists and public health leaders who are rooted in purpose and driven to serve. At a time when disparities in health are more visible than ever, MSM stands as a national model for what inclusive, community-centered medical education can achieve.

MSM: Which initiatives from 2024 do you believe will shape the future of the institution most significantly?

Chairman Collins: Two come to mind immediately: the transformational $175 million gift from Bloomberg

Philanthropies and the continued growth of our research enterprise. These aren’t just institutional wins—they’re ecosystem changers. They reflect both MSM’s commitment to supporting its learners by reducing student debt and its global influence beyond the walls of the classroom in cutting-edge biomedical science, while staying on mission.

MSM: How does the Board balance innovation with accountability as MSM grows in scale and influence?

Chairman Collins: Innovation must be accompanied by rigorous accountability. The Board fosters a culture where new ideas are encouraged, but always within a framework of ethical responsibility, financial stewardship and strategic alignment. Our goal is to ensure that every new venture— whether in education, research or patient care—delivers meaningful value to the communities we aim to uplift.

MSM: Finally, as the institution approaches its 50th anniversary, what excites you most about the future of Morehouse School of Medicine?

Chairman Collins: I’m excited by the momentum and the possibilities. MSM is uniquely positioned to lead a national dialogue on equity in health and medical education. The caliber of our students, faculty and leadership is exceptional, and the passion driving this community is unmatched. I believe the future holds even greater visibility, deeper impact and broader influence—not just for MSM, but for the countless lives we are called to serve.

Morehouse

School

of Medicine is more than a medical institution— it’s a movement.

Education

As outlined in the strategic plan, “Preparing Future Health Leaders and Learners” remains a key focus of this Pillar and MSM continues to lead in innovative education for students and research stakeholders.

New programs like the Graduate Education in Nursing for Intercollaborative Excellence (GENIE) address the nursing shortage by strengthening the workforce, diversifying leadership and embedding health justice in care models.

Additional efforts in fertility and pain equity— issues disproportionately affecting the African American community—equip graduates with deeper insight and a broader perspective to build trust with patients.

Research

MSM’s Research efforts are focused on translating discovery and innovation into health equity. Under the leadership of Senior Vice President of Research Rick Kittles, PhD, the initiative aims to ensure scientific breakthroughs benefit communities experiencing unequal access to medical advances.

This mission is advanced through four focus areas: T Research, Funding, Education and Technology. By expanding genomic studies, investing in AI-driven tools, fostering community trust and strengthening research infrastructure, MSM is building a health research ecosystem that accelerates innovation, promotes sustainability and delivers meaningful outcomes for communities with limited access to quality health care and research.

Clinical Care

Clinical goals at MSM are bold: to build a just and sustainable healthy global community by centering the patient as an equal.

This mission guides efforts to expand and optimize patient-centered care, improve outcomes in key health areas—such as maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS, cancer, cardiovascular disease, mental health and trauma—and grow global partnerships.

Through innovative technologies, strategic public/private collaborations and a robust international alliance across Africa, MSM is developing scalable, community-rooted solutions that improve health access, increase life expectancy and redefine equitable care at home and around the world.

Community Engagement

The plan, “Serving as a Catalyst for Health Equity and Justice,” has enabled several programs to extend their health perspective beyond campus walls. Students, researchers and administrators have maintained and improved MSM’s outreach in various opportunities.

From rural counties in Georgia to townships in South Africa, organizations such as the Satcher Health Leadership Institute, led by Dr. Maisha Standifer, have been at the forefront of HIV/ AIDS prevention efforts locally, nationally and internationally.

These tactics have been crucial in closing the gap in treatment response variations within the American healthcare system.

EDUCATION

Inspiring

Tomorrow’s Leaders—One Vision, One Purpose, Infinite Possibilities.

IT’S OUR NEW CHAPTER IN HEALTH JUSTICE

Launching the Graduate Education in Nursing Program at Morehouse School of Medicine

In 2024, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) made history. In alignment with its mission to lead the creation and advancement of health equity to achieve health justice, MSM launched the Division of Graduate Education in Nursing & Intercollaborative Excellence, a transformative initiative designed to train nurse leaders committed to closing health gaps across the nation. With this bold step, MSM reaffirmed its commitment to resource-limited communities, amplifying efforts to reshape healthcare deliveries.

The debut of the Graduate Education in Nursing Program marks a monumental milestone, not only for the institution but for the state of Georgia and the national nursing landscape. By preparing family nurse practitioners, women’s health nurse practitioners and nurse midwives, MSM is intentionally addressing workforce shortages in critical areas of care and ensuring culturally responsive, community-grounded nurses are positioned to make an impact where it’s needed most.

The program is founded on “The Morehouse Model,” a pioneering, community-centric approach inspired by the legacy of Dr. Mary Langley, a venerated nurse leader whose career embodied the fusion of clinical skill and social conscience. At its core, the Morehouse Model calls for nurses to be more than providers; it charges them to be advocates, mobilizers and agents of justice in health care.

This philosophy permeates every element of MSM’s new curriculum. Rather than replicating existing models, the Graduate Education in Nursing Program was built from the ground up with health equity as its guiding star. Each course, clinical experience and research initiative is designed to empower graduates with the skills, empathy and ethical grounding needed to care for communities that have too often been overlooked.

The urgency of this program cannot be overstated. The U.S. continues to face a nursing shortage, especially in primary care, maternal health and rural health services. The state of Georgia is no exception. According to the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce, nearly every county in the state qualifies as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). MSM’s Graduate Education in Nursing Program is poised to fill this gap by recruiting missiondriven students and equipping them with the necessary tools to return as skilled professionals to the communities that shaped them.

MSM’s new pipeline is not just about quantity; it’s about quality and cultural humility. The strategy map for the Graduate Education Nursing (GEN) Program outlines a robust framework to expand faculty excellence, establish interprofessional clinical pathways, integrate AI and simulation into training and build a Healthy Village model in Atlanta’s historic West End. This ambitious roadmap connects recruitment and retention to career outcomes, ensuring that the program is sustainable, data-informed and results-driven.

Guiding this landmark effort is Dr. Renee McLeod-Sordjan, inaugural Dean of the Graduate Education in Nursing Program. A nationally recognized nurse leader, she brings nearly four decades of experience in clinical practice, education, healthcare ethics and systems leadership. Her credentials span family health, palliative and acute care, and HIV specialist, underscoring the depth and breadth of vision she brings to this role.

Dr. McLeod-Sordjan’s leadership reflects MSM’s commitment to redefining the role of the nurse in 21st-century health care. She envisions nurses as bridge-builders—linking policy and practice, connecting underresourced communities with healthcare systems and closing the gap between historic inequities and a more just future. Under her direction, MSM is cultivating advanced practice registered nurses who excel in clinical settings and are educated to conduct research, influence health policy and lead multi-disciplinary teams in high-stakes environments.

To truly advance health outcomes in rural and underserved areas, we must invest in growing a nursing workforce that is not only clinically exceptional but also deeply rooted in community engagement and cultural intelligence. Nurse leaders are the backbone of healthcare delivery in these regions; they deserve the education, support and policy infrastructure to lead transformative change and practice to the full extent of their scope.

The Graduate Nursing Program builds upon the legacy of the Center for Maternal Health Equity, ensuring high academic standards and a commitment to research excellence. From the outset, students are immersed in a curriculum that combines primary care, women’s health, maternal health and health equity, all delivered through interprofessional education experiences that mirror real-world collaboration. Research and scholarly activity are not add-ons but are core pillars. As part of MSM’s strategy, nursing students will participate in translational research initiatives that address maternal and child health disparities, chronic disease management and the social determinants of health.

The integration of emerging technologies, including AI, clinical simulation and digital health platforms, ensures that learners are not only prepared for the present but are ready for the future. Combined with rigorous mentorship, career development services and community engagement programs, MSM is creating a comprehensive ecosystem for success.

Even before welcoming its first cohort, the program has already begun to influence the national dialogue around nursing education and health equity. Through thought leadership in scholarly journals, participation in national conferences and strategic partnerships, MSM’s Graduate Education in Nursing Program is helping to reshape how nursing programs are conceptualized, implemented and scaled to meet today’s challenges.

The launch of the program coincides with a national reckoning on maternal health outcomes, particularly for Black women, who are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. By placing nurse midwifery and women’s health at the forefront of its offerings, MSM is making a clear and powerful statement: Communities of color deserve access to providers who understand their lives, their needs and their value.

Renee McLeod-Sordjan DNP, PhD, FNAP, FAAN Founding Dean & Professor of Nursing

With the inaugural class set to begin coursework, the Graduate Education in Nursing Program is already shaping its legacy. The program has recruited Dr. Angela Richard-Eaglin, renowned expert in cultural intelligence and veterans’ health, as Chief of Clinical and Academic Education to create unique experiential interprofessional learning communities. Through targeted recruitment, MSM is attracting applicants from across the nation who are mission-aligned and committed to health justice. The admissions process prioritizes candidates with a demonstrated commitment to communities with service gaps,

creating a student body reflective of the populations they will serve. To support student success, MSM GEN has developed a comprehensive student pathway model, one that encompasses academic advising, coaching, financial aid navigation, mentorship and well-being resources.

The goal is simple but profound: to graduate nurses who are not only capable, but deeply committed, confident and connected to the mission of service.

As MSM looks ahead, its Graduate Education in Nursing Program is poised to become a national model. The program is already forging philanthropic partnerships and strategic collaborations

with clinical sites, research centers and advocacy organizations across Georgia and beyond. These connections are essential in expanding MSM’s footprint and ensuring that the health equity impact of its graduates reverberates far beyond Atlanta. From local birthing centers to rural mobile units, from health policy boards to community health coalitions, the nurses trained at MSM will be leaders not only in care but in courage.

In every corner of every community they serve, they will carry forward MSM’s mission: “Leading the creation and advancement of health equity to achieve health justice.”

New E-Learning Course Tackles Divides in Reproductive Care for Black Women

With Black American women twice as likely to experience infertility compared to white women, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), with support from Ferring Pharmaceuticals, is leading the charge to educate healthcare professionals with its new FertilityEquity™ e-Learning modules powered by EngagedMD.

The modules feature 26 dynamic lessons on topics such as “Black Patients’ Fertility Experience” and “Strategies for Driving Equitable Care.”

“As a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist, I know firsthand that knowledge is power, and that healthcare providers and clinic staff are primary sources of trusted information for patients, their families and the community at large. The FertilityEquity™ modules build upon the extensive work MSM’s Center for Maternal Health Equity does to co-create maternal health solutions with the individuals who are most directly impacted, and we look forward to seeing the fruits of this innovative collaboration,” said MSM President and CEO Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG.

The curriculum was developed in collaboration with a multiperspective group of contributors who offer engaging video content, practical tips and firsthand personal stories from women who have experienced challenges, such as feeling marginalized or overlooked while seeking fertility care.

Dr. Lasha Clarke (pictured below), Assistant Director of Research and Translation at the MSM Center for Maternal Health Equity, explained the program during the “Closer Look” radio show on WABE in November 2024.

Scan the QR code below to listen to the WABE interview.

Pain Equity Course Focuses on Racial Healthcare Disparities; First of Its Kind

Morehouse School of Medicine’s new Advil Pain Equity Course proves it is making innovative strides in improving health care for people of color.

The course, the first of its kind, trains students with knowledge and tools to understand and address need-based assistance in pain prevention, treatment and management.

Partnering with the nonprofit BLKHLTH, the Advil Pain Equity Course offers insights into fostering safe, trustworthy, transparent and empathetic patient-provider interactions. It emphasizes addressing Black American patients’ unique preferences and pain needs.

According to a survey conducted by Advil, BLKHLTH and MSM, 93% of Black Americans said pain impacts their daily life, and 83% said they have had a negative experience when seeking help for their pain.

Advil plans to expand the course to other medical schools in 2025 and customize it per institution.

To dive deeper into the Advil Pain Equity Project, explore the initiatives and impactful stories and learn how this partnership is reshaping medical education and patient outcomes, scan the QR code .

Together, we’re paving the way for a future where every person’s pain is acknowledged, understood and treated with dignity.

1,840 Total

Number of Students

261Total

Number of Residents

8,269 Total Number of Applications Across all Programs

296 Total Number of Faculty

95% of Students Matched on Match Day

71% Matched to Primary Care & Core Specialty Disciplines

88% Matched to First/Only Choice of Specialty

49% Matched to Georgia Programs

RESEARCH

Leading with Purpose, Dr. Melissa Davis is Putting Parity at the Center of Cancer Science

When Melissa Davis, PhD, received the call that she and a team of international scientists she leads had won a prestigious $25 million Cancer Grand Challenges award, “I started screaming,” she recalled with a laugh.

“Immediately, I was like, this is life changing!”

But then she took a breath. “I had to just sit with it for a while,” she said. “All of these barriers—the things that had been in the way because we didn’t have money, or we didn’t have connections or we didn’t have support—all of it started to disappear. And the intellectual freedom ... it’s the best thing that could have ever happened.”

The Cancer Grand Challenges program, sponsored by Cancer Research UK and the U.S. National Cancer Institute, funds teams tackling the world’s toughest cancer questions—projects too ambitious for any one lab, institution or nation to handle. The program, which has funded 16 teams since its inception in 2020, is one of the most competitive and ambitious in global science.

Dr. Davis’ team—dubbed SAMBAI, for Societal, Ancestry, Molecular and Biological Analyses of Inequalities—is confronting one of the field’s greatest blind spots: the lack of representative data in cancer research. They aim to understand how genetic, biological and social determinants shape cancer risk and outcomes in statistically less-considered populations, and in doing so, help close gaps in treatment and survival.

“Team SAMBAI made the very impressive case that global diversity in data is required to fully understand the causes of cancer, and to translate this knowledge into prevention and treatment that will achieve equity for all,” said Dr. Tim Rebbeck, professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and chair of the Cancer Grand Challenges Scientific Committee. The team includes researchers from Ghana, South Africa, the UK and the U.S., collaborating across disciplines and borders. For Dr. Davis, also the inaugural director of MSM’s Institute of Translational Genomic Medicine, this is personal and mission-driven.

How Her Journey Began

Raised in South Georgia, Dr. Davis grew up in a family shaped by the legacy of segregation. Her grandfather was a sharecropper; her mother was born at home, because Black women were not allowed to give birth in hospitals. “I wasn’t necessarily aware that we were marginalized until we needed certain things,” Dr. Davis said, recalling that when she tried to locate her mother’s official birth certificate all she found was a handwritten midwifery record. These experiences helped fuel her determination to work toward more consistent standards in health care and science.

As her academic career advanced—she earned a PhD in molecular genetics from the University of Georgia and completed postdoctoral training at Yale and the University of Chicago—Dr. Davis found herself drawn to the emerging field of genomics. Specifically, she focused on breast cancer in African American women, who, according to the American Cancer Society, have a 41% higher breast cancer death rate than white women despite having a slightly lower incidence of the disease. Death rates for African Americans are also higher when it comes to prostate, pancreatic and other cancers. She wanted to understand why.

“When I started, all we knew was that Black women were dying more [from breast cancer],” Dr. Davis said. “But I actually thought there may be biological differences.” Her research confirmed it, and also revealed that the differences weren’t solely due to inherited DNA, but rather shaped by lived experience. “What someone eats, comorbidities, diabetes, obesity—all of those things literally imprint something unique on the tumor,” she said. “It’s a combination of your genetics and how you lived, where you’ve lived, and that’s the key to precision medicine.” That insight—merging the biological with the social—became Dr. Davis’ guiding principle. became my mission,” she said. “More than just being curious, I felt a responsibility.”

CHANGING THE DNA OF CANCER RESEARCH

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG President and CEO, Morehouse School of Medicine

Before joining MSM in 2022, Dr. Davis co-led the PolyEthnic-1000 project at the New York Genome Center, a precursor to Team SAMBAI. With the Cancer Grand Challenges call for proposals, she saw an opportunity to scale that work globally. “All my life, I’ve been accused of having too much ambition,” she said. “This was my chance.”

The application process was intense. After qualifying as one of 12 finalists out of hundreds of applications, Dr. Davis and her colleagues convened in person—some for the first time—to hash out the final proposal. “There were a lot of a-ha moments,” she said. “And ... ’What do you mean by that? We don’t think that’s true. Why are we doing that?’” They had just three months to finalize their plan. “I pushed the upload button at the 59th minute,” Dr. Davis said. Not long after that, the approval call came.

“We are so incredibly proud of Dr. Davis’ leadership,” said MSM President and CEO Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice. “This proposal holds the potential to have a tremendous impact on how we treat cancer for people of African ancestry. For nearly 50 years, the driving mission of Morehouse School of Medicine has been to address health inequities for communities of color, and we are honored to have the unique opportunity to carry that mission forward.”

A Plan to Change Cancer Treatment

Now funded and fully launched, Team SAMBAI is working to collect samples from 40,000 people from multiple African countries, as well as from people of recent African heritage in the UK and U.S. Their research will focus on breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer—diseases that disproportionately affect people of African ancestry.

Their work is structured around five interconnected “work packages”:

Social and societal determinants—Examining how factors like socioeconomic status, trauma, geography and disease history influence cancer risk and treatment outcomes.

Exposomics—Measuring environmental exposures, such as pollutants, dietary habits, air quality and more, via biomarkers in blood specimens using high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Genomics—Investigating genetic and epigenetic changes, especially how behavior and environment (like smoking, stress or use of products like hair relaxers) may chemically modify DNA.

Tumor immunology—Analyzing how immune responses differ across ancestries and what that means for cancer progression and therapies.

Patient involvement—Ensuring that community voices and patient advocates guide recruitment, research interpretation and public communication.

“My job,” Dr. Davis said, “is to make sure everybody has what they need.” Ultimately, Team SAMBAI aims to develop an integrated model of cancer that reflects not only molecular biology but also lived realities across the globe.

The research will likely take five years or more, and some of the collected data will be housed in MSM’s newly launched Genomics Institute, the first of its kind at an HBCU. The institute is designed to serve as a data and innovation hub not just for MSM, but for a national network of minority-serving institutions (see page 34).

“What I hope is that people recognize this as a defining moment,” Dr. Davis said. “Not just for Morehouse School of Medicine, but for science at large.”

For her, the award presents a rare opportunity to reimagine and rebalance cancer research to ensure the full participation of all people. “We’re trying to help lead a movement,” Dr. Davis said, “so that people everywhere recognize that being more global in your conceptualization of developing therapeutics or interventions for prevention is essential. It has to be done in a community of scientists. And as scientists, we are serving the lives of people.”

Transforming Genomic Medicine Through Equity, Excellence & Innovation

Morehouse School of Medicine took a bold step toward reshaping the future of precision medicine with the launch of the Institute of Translational Genomic Medicine.

As the first institute of its kind at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), the center places health parity at the heart of genomic discovery. “Genomic research has ushered in a new era in the science and praxis of preserving, restoring and prolonging human health,” noted Dr. Rick Kittles, MSM’s senior vice president for research (pictured to the right).

“Our

proven track record gives us a uniquely positioned perspective to improve the rigor of genomics research and broaden the applications of genomic medicine for underserved communities.”

Funded in part by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s Accelerate Precision Health program and the Georgia Research Alliance, the institute is in its startup phase— laying the groundwork for a high-performance computing cluster and recruiting a specialized team of data analysts, software engineers and lab staff.

The ambitions are far-reaching. Under the leadership of inaugural director Dr. Melissa Davis, the institute aims to bring to MSM world-class genomic technology and analytical platforms—and to build new ones. “We will have the capacity to host things at a scale and with the momentum that has not traditionally been available to most minority serving institutions,” said Dr. Davis. “We hope it’ll become a resource for our HBCU network, regionally and nationally.”

With health outcome parity as its foundation, the institute promises to push genomic medicine into a more inclusive —and more innovative—future.

MSM Expands Maternal Health Research & Training

In a year marked by urgency and innovation, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) advanced its mission to tackle Georgia’s maternal health crisis through groundbreaking research, community-centered training and expanded support services. The Center for Maternal Health Equity, led by Natalie Hernandez-Green, PhD, MPH, has been at the forefront of this effort.

One of the Center’s key initiatives in 2024 was the continued expansion of its Maternal Near Miss research project. Designed to shed light on life-threatening complications experienced by Black women during pregnancy and childbirth, the project collects first-person narratives from survivors, healthcare workers and family members. “There is so much information with one story that you can gather,” Hernandez-Green told WABE News. “Centering and amplifying women’s lived experiences and acknowledging them as legitimate sources of data ... is a unique opportunity to not just gather data but do it in culturally congruent ways.”

As of 2024, the Maternal Near Miss project had recorded close to 100 stories from women in Georgia, New Jersey, Louisiana and Washington, DC, and expanded into Texas. It also began to include near-miss accounts from physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers.

To address care gaps, MSM also graduated its first rural cohort of Perinatal Patient Navigators—community-based doulas trained to guide Black women through pregnancy and postpartum care. “We’re developing a workforce that’s going to be providing the support that Black women and birthing people need,” Hernandez-Green has said. The Navigators program, which launched in 2023, is now active in both Atlanta and southwest Georgia and has trained more than 70 women to become doulas or healthcare “navigators.”

Doulas, Hernandez-Green emphasized, are essential: “Our navigators are basically protectors of women’s voices. Their support can reduce stress, improve outcomes and, critically, help prevent avoidable deaths. When you protect the health of a mom, you automatically protect the health of a baby ... and not just a baby but a family and a community.”

While Georgia still faces stark disparities—Black women remain three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications—Hernandez-Green is hopeful. “There are so many people working on this,” she told WABE News. “We have to be really creative on a policy level ... [but] we can get to the root causes.”

CVRI Director Dr. Herman Taylor Receives American Heart Association Award

Dr. Herman Taylor’s passion for learning all that influences heart health across all populations is the type of work that moves medicine forward.”

Keith Churchwell, MD, FAHA

American Heart Association

2024-2025 Volunteer President

In November 2024, the American Heart Association announced that it was honoring Herman A. Taylor, Jr., MD, MPH, FAHA, Morehouse School of Medicine endowed professor and director of the MSM Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI), with the organization’s Clinical Research Prize. Keith Churchwell, MD, FAHA, AHA’s 2024-2025 Volunteer President, said Dr. Taylor was being recognized for his “passion for learning all that influences heart health across all populations [which] is the type of work that moves medicine forward.”

“I’m deeply humbled by this award from the American Heart Association,” Dr. Taylor said. “Heart health and disease result from the convergence of many factors. In my work, I try to look at the interplay between the broader social and physical environments that shape heart disease, and the individual characteristics that contribute to health outcomes in hopes of advancing a more precise understanding of health that accounts not only for risk factors like behavior, genetics and access to care, but also resilience factors that can buffer against disease. Often these factors are deeply influenced by a social context often defined by race, which continues to shape both opportunities for health and barriers to care. I hope what we do moves the field forward towards true precision in prevention and care for the entire population. I’m grateful to the Association for this recognition of my work.”

Dr. Taylor was previously honored by the AHA with its 2020 Physician of the Year award. His body of research focuses on the advancement of healthcare access optimization. Most notably, he was the principal investigator and founding director of the Jackson Heart Study, a landmark study on heart health within Black communities that continues today and has shaped cardiovascular care for more than 20 years.

MSM-Led Study Focuses on Increased Heart Disease Risk for Black Patients

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of all Americans, and the cardiovascular risk for African Americans is even higher. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, African Americans are 30% more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic whites.

In 2023, Morehouse School of Medicine, Amgen and the Association of Black Cardiologists joined forces to launch the African American Heart Study, focused on the association between Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), and heart disease in Black patients. MSM Professor of Medicine Elizabeth Ofili, MD, MPH, FACC, served as the study’s principal investigator.

“The African American Heart Study was designed to address a gap in our understanding of how high cholesterol and specifically high lipoprotein, Lp(a), affects the risk for heart disease, especially in Black people,” Dr. Ofili told BlackDoctor.org in a 2024 interview.

“What we do know is that the levels are higher in Black patients, and that’s across all dimensions, whether you’re Black African, Black Haitian or Black American.”

Although there are no specific treatments for elevated Lp(a) levels. Dr. Ofili recommended steps patients can take. “Control every other risk factor because we still don’t have a drug, but we know that, you know, if you stop smoking, you’re exercising, you make sure your lipids are under control, it will bring down the risk,” she said.

The study represented a significant step forward in addressing cardiovascular outcome variations, combining community engagement, advanced technology and patient-centered research to improve cardiovascular outcomes in the Black American population.

CLINICAL CARE

BUILDING A YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH VILLAGE

MSM is Rewriting the Story of Youth Mental Health Care—One Clinic, One Family, One Future at a Time

Morehouse School of Medicine, in the fall of 2024, launched Morehouse Healthcare East Point Children’s Mental Health Service, the first children’s mental health clinic that’s wholly under the Morehouse Healthcare umbrella. The new clinic, along with MSM’s ongoing partnership with the nonprofit organization Families First, demonstrates MSM’s dedication to protecting the psychiatric health and well-being of young people. For Danae Evans, MD, Assistant Professor and Program Director, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at MSM, the moment marked more than a milestone—it was personal.

“Coming to Morehouse School of Medicine really was a full circle moment for me,” said Dr. Evans, who is also Director of Behavioral Health at the AUCC Student Health and Wellness Center. She’d done her training partly at a now-defunct Grady Health System outpatient service, which is where says she “fell in love” with working with kids, adolescents and young adults. “There was a lot of grief related to seeing that service close back around 2013,” noted Dr. Evans. “This year, being able to launch for the very first time a children’s mental health service has been huge.”

Located south of Atlanta in an area long considered a mental health services desert, the East Point clinic was designed from the ground up with MSM’s goal of promoting health outcome parity at its core. “We wanted to be true to our mission,” Dr. Evans said, “and put the clinic in a community that was extremely underserved.”

Led by Kamille Williams, MD, the East Point site now serves not only as a care hub for young people struggling with mental health issues but also functions as a training site for MSM’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) Fellowship—the first of its kind at an HBCU medical school. “We hope it can be a training site in the future for social work as well and other allied behavioral health professionals,” said Dr. Evans.

MSM’s partnership with Families First provides more training opportunities for CAP fellows. The partnership led, in January 2024, to Morehouse School of Medicine opening a new location for its weekly child and adolescent psychiatry clinic at the Families First facility on Joseph E. Lowery Blvd in Atlanta. “It takes a team of organizations to help break the stigma, treat trauma and provide mental health services to everyone regardless of their circumstances,” Families First CEO Paula Moody said when the new location opened. Both the Families First location, now run by Dr. Evans, and the new East Point clinic are staffed by MSM child psychiatrists.

Working with struggling youth, particularly in resourcechallenged neighborhoods, is deeply aligned with Dr. Evans’ personal mission. “I grew up in a family where service was really important,” she said. “I came to medicine and medical school knowing I really wanted to work with underserved communities.”

That calling is shared across Morehouse School of Medicine, and the work she and her colleagues are doing is especially vital for today’s young people. Georgia ranks 49th in the nation in mental healthcare access, and rates of attempted suicide among young people aged 14 to 19 are highest among Black youth, according to a 2024 paper published in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, co-written by Malaka Nzinga, CHES, a program manager for research and policy at MSM’s National Center for Primary Care. Furthermore, the authors of a 2022 Pediatrics paper, “Disparities in Pediatric Mental Health and Behavioral Health Conditions: A State-ofthe-Art Review,” stated, “Compared with white peers, racial and ethnic minority children have a higher prevalence of several common Mental and Behavioral Health (MBH) conditions but are less likely to use MBH services.” In fact, the paper stated, Black boys ages 5-11 have nearly twice the suicide rate of white boys and the rates have been “increasing disproportionately among Black girls 12-17 years old.”

Another problem: “The numbers are really abysmal as far as the ratio of how many child psychiatrists there are and how many are needed,” noted Dr. Evans. “And that disparity is even greater for underserved communities.”

At MSM, addressing that gap includes more than just clinical care—it’s about looking at the whole person, including the environments in which they live and their family situations. “Morehouse School of Medicine really focuses on teaching their psychiatrists psychotherapy,” said Jenika Hardeman, PhD, MS, an assistant professor and CAP Psychotherapy Training Lead. “The people that we see are individuals, they’re whole human beings, and medication is not going to solve their problems. It can help ... but psychotherapy is oftentimes needed to get at the root of the issue.”

Meeting Young People Where They Are

One of the CAP program’s current fellows, Joshua Omade, MD, is helping put that approach into practice. “There is always some unique challenge that comes with talking to kids,” he said. “You have to use language that meets the patient where they are developmentally.” To that end, he’s been working on a project in partnership with Jack and Jill of America, a leadership organization for African American mothers and their kids aged 2-19, to develop a social-emotional curriculum using, in part, Disney Pixar’s “Inside Out” movies to talk with young people about their mental and emotional lives (see page 45).

Dr. Omade’s interest in the field is both clinical and personal.

“There’s not that many child psychiatrists within our nation—let alone folks that look like me,” said the Maryland native whose father immigrated from Nigeria. “It’s really important for them to see somebody who they [can relate to], particularly if it’s a career field they would like to look into.”

Lacking African American physicians in his own life as a child, Dr. Omade hopes to help change that for today’s youth. “I’m passionate about continuing to support the next generation, because I didn’t have that growing up,” he said.

Bringing the Village to the Children Representation and access go hand in hand—and for MSM’s mental health leaders, outreach is just as critical as clinical work. That presents challenges because while youth today frequently are more accepting of mental health assistance, some stigma persists. “It really depends on what generation you’re from,” Dr. Evans said. “Parents, caregivers, decision makers often have not caught up to where our youth are as it relates to mental health care.” But engaging with children and families in the community more often will “help break down the stigma,” Dr. Evans said, and “help people feel comfortable coming to the clinic.”

That commitment has led to meaningful, youth-centered collaborations. One example is the Black Youth Mental Health Advisory Council, on which Dr. Evans and Sarah Vinson, MD, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, have both served. A three-year initiative led by Nzinga and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health, it brought together a council of youth

and adults to shape new policies around youth mental health. “It’s a joint project between Morehouse School of Medicine, the Georgia Health Policy Center, Vox ATL,” and several other groups, explained Dr. Evans. “This was an amazing project to bring together adult experts and youth to partner and share decision making and develop outreach projects. ”The Council’s signature goal: Increase access to youth-led, youth-informed mental wellness activities. In 2024, the council decided to launch three different projects around the state aimed at high school students (see page 44). “We wanted youth engagement to be a big priority,” Nzinga said. “That is a form of health equity—giving them an equal seat at the table.”

Building a Collaborative Future

Morehouse School of Medicine’s mission is also about building a multi-perspective workforce capable of sustaining the ambitious goals the institution has for delivering care to areas with limited healthcare access.

That shift is happening with support from philanthropies like the Jesse Parker Williams Foundation, the Glenn Family Foundation and others. But Dr. Evans emphasized the need for lasting investment: “We need a sustainable path forward. We are partnering with our Office of Institutional Advancement and our community partners to really develop a way to make what we’re doing sustainable on all levels.”

For Evans, with the East Point clinic, the Families First partnership and the many projects she and her colleagues are pursuing to improve access to mental health services for young people, the joy is in watching a vision come to life. “We’ve gone from, in the past year, this being a dream, to now we have a clinic that’s open,” she said, “that’s seeing children and adolescents and young adults for evaluations, for psychotherapy, for medication management. All of these things are happening.”

Black Youth Mental Health Advisory Council Empowers Kids in Mental Health Care

Malaka Nzinga, CHES, has spent the last three years at Morehouse School of Medicine leading a youth-centered mental health initiative across Georgia. She was instrumental in creating the intergenerational Black Youth Mental Health Advisory Council, which aims to give young people a voice in shaping the psychiatric support they need.

In 2024, Nzinga and her team worked to narrow down locations where they would launch three pilot projects, based on the adult input from such experts as MSM’s Dr. Danae Evans as well as youth-led focus groups. “That gave us insight on what youth in the communities within our population age range of 10 to 17 care about, what they want and what they’re missing,” Nzinga said.

The projects ultimately launched in early 2025 at Tri-Cities High School in East Point, a local after-school program in partnership with After-School All-Stars Atlanta and a behavioral health clubhouse in Albany, Georgia.

At Tri-Cities, students started a mental health club and created peer-designed resources, including hand-written affirming notes posted throughout the school. “They were cute, positive notes just to boost morale and mood,” Nzinga said. “Their adult allies let them shift meeting agendas to meet real-time needs, which helped build trust and agency.”

In the after-school program, youth leaders from 16 sites held a youth-designed self-care workshop featuring games, breakout sessions and plenty of snacks. “Food was critical,” Nzinga laughed. “But so was creating a space where they felt safe and empowered.”

In Albany, youth who had experienced their own mental health challenges led a full-day summit with peer-run sessions, creative arts rooms and a caregiver café. “Those youth wanted to be advocates,” Nzinga said.

To measure success, Nzinga and her team emphasized capacity-building and sustainability. “Another thing that we did was a podcast in each of the places,” she said. “The youth did their own podcast. We’re excited to share that with local policy makers, within their schools, their communities— that’s the immediate next steps.”

Encouraging Future Mental Health Professionals

For Dr. Joshua Omade (pictured above), a first-year fellow in Morehouse School of Medicine’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry program, working with young people means listening carefully—not just to what they say, but how they show up.

“Oftentimes, the kid is not going to say they’re feeling sad or depressed,” he explained. Rather, their state of mind comes out “in a number of different ways, like irritability or aggression.”

One of the key lessons he’s taken from his training is how to meet young people at different developmental stages. “Understanding how to fine-tune and better connect to patients in the variety of different development stages ... we try to recognize that kids present differently,” he said. “Being able to understand the nuance in those presentations is really important.”

Dr. Omade also spent time in 2024 talking to youth interested in pursuing a career in the mental health professions. A member of the HBCU L.E.A.P. mentorship program housed at Clark Atlanta University, he’s led multiple outreach events—including a career chat for high school and college students, and a seminar introducing them to psychiatric research. “In that particular case, I was able to show them some of the most recent information that we were looking at,” he said. This includes, “What are the barriers that providers have when it comes to talking to parents or talking to loved ones or family members, boyfriends, police, whatever the case may be?”

By opening up conversations about both emotions and professional pathways, Dr. Omade is helping the next generation see mental health challenges not just as a stage in their young lives to overcome—but as a field where they can lead.

Screening for Change: MSM Pushes for Prostate Cancer Equity

When Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) held a prostate cancer screening event at Atlanta’s King Center in honor of Dexter King—who died in January 2024 at 62 of the disease—the turnout was remarkable. With only days’ notice, more than 100 men came in the middle of a Friday to get tested.

For Leanne Woods-Burnham, PhD, co-director of MSM’s Prostate Cancer Precision Prevention Program (PCP3), it was a powerful example of what’s possible when community trust and the institution’s healthcare access mission align. “It was exciting to be able to get the word out there,” said Woods-Burnham. “Michele Thomas, who’s in the Office of Institutional Advancement, and Pamela Cooper, Director of Translational Community Engagement, really made that event happen.”

A cancer researcher and member of MSM’s Surgery faculty, Dr. Woods-Burnham is driven by personal experience—her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 50. She has devoted her career to uncovering why African American men are disproportionately affected by the disease. “I just wanted to know why and how it can be fixed,” she said.

Through PCP3—a program she and Dr. Rick Kittles, MSM’s Senior Vice President for Research, originally developed in Los Angeles—they’ve implemented community-based screening initiatives, supported by MSM’s deep ties in Atlanta. The city has among the nation’s worst outcomes for Black men with prostate cancer. Their efforts have been accelerated by Cooper, MSM’s longtime director of translational community engagement, whose relationships

with churches, municipalities, the city and other partners have bridged the gap between research and outreach.

A major step forward came through Dr. Woods-Burnham’s collaboration with Atlanta’s Grady Health System. She helped develop new prostate-screening guidelines in 2024 that led to an electronic medical record flag for PSA testing in Black men over 40. “They’re not necessarily following national screening guideline recommendations, which would be to start at age 55,” she explained. “They are recognizing that their patient population is higher risk, and they’re tailoring their prostate-testing guidelines based on who walks through their doors.” Grady is one of the first public hospitals in the nation to make such a move. “That will undoubtedly change the landscape of prostate cancer health equity in Atlanta,” she added.

But screening is only one part of the puzzle. Dr. Kittles, co-director of PCP3, is also leading work to develop a polygenic risk score that can help predict which men are more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer. “The PSA test doesn’t say you have prostate cancer—it’s a red flag,” Woods-Burnham explained. Dr. Kittles’ screening would “go beyond the PSA test ... to better inform what the treatment options look like moving forward.”

Because most genetic testing has focused on European ancestry, there are critical gaps in understanding how West African genetics influence disease. “We’re trying to tailor a prognostic test based on ancestry,” Dr. WoodsBurnham said. “That, in and of itself, is one of the definitions of precision medicine.”

At its heart, PCP3 is a team effort. “We have about 45 people—scientists, clinicians, nurses, students,” she said. “Morehouse School of Medicine has taken the lead in addressing prostate cancer health equity.”

Assistant Professor, MSM

Surgery Department

Leanne Woods-Burnham, PhD

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Georgia is Our Foundation, but the World Is Our Reach—Serving Locally, Shaping Lives Globally.

MSM Stands at the Forefront of HIV Education, Research & Community Impact

With 1.2 million people in the U.S. having HIV and 13% of them not knowing it— according to HIV.gov—MSM’s Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) has been working to create a more collaborative environment. Named after the 16th United States Surgeon General, the former president of Morehouse School of Medicine and the founding director and senior advisor for the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine Dr. David Satcher, SHLI is using their educational resources, collaborative partnerships and advocacy for community engagement to ensure that everyone living with HIV has the opportunity to thrive.

SHLI has been the leading transformational force for health equity in policy, leadership development and research for the sexually transmitted disease.

“Many people know about social determinants of health but we take a step back as we look at political influences and implications related to negative health outcomes, particularly the drivers of disparate health outcomes and that’s when we talk about political determinants of health,” said Dr. Maisha Standifer, Director of Population Health at SHLI.

Making Progress with Gilead Sciences Grant

SHLI is in its second year of a three-year grant courtesy of Gilead Sciences in its “End the Epidemic: Examining the Health Equity Implications of Health Systems, Policy, and Data Gaps for People Living with HIV” program.

The grant has helped SHLI collaborate with partner organizations to implement joint initiatives, facilitate community outreach efforts to promote HIV testing, prevention and education and strengthen its social media presence.

Standifer said the progress has been a success and they are developing and strengthening the relationships they established in year one.

Georgia Thrives and Louisiana Can

Developing a marketing strategy was crucial to raising awareness of HIV. That is why SHLI created the “Georgia Thrives: In This Together to End This Together” campaign.

The program addresses structural barriers that exist within Black communities in the Southeastern U.S. regarding HIV testing, treatment and ongoing care.

Increasing access to care, enhancing clinical provider training, initiating early engagement with clinicians and assessing hazard mapping and policy education and assessment for legislation impacting people living with HIV/AIDS were some of the strategic solutions rolled out with Georgia Thrives.

Standifer says that they have been able to implement their strategy by discussing educational materials and knowledge, disseminating materials that are targeted at the right populations and organizations.

“What we do at Morehouse School of Medicine is encompassing some of our training modules and developing a course to focus on HIV, sexual health and prevention along with the educational continuum with students, residents and clinicians,” Standifer said.

SHLI partnered with the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education at Xavier University to mirror a campaign similar to Georgia Thrives called Louisiana Can.

Standifer says Georgia Thrives provides educational materials with an increasing understanding of HIV to ensure that they are connected with the right populations and organizations to have an impactful effect.

WHERE HEALTH EQUITY MEETS HIV ADVOCACY

Working Together

SHLI has extended resources to schools throughout the Peach State in order to reduce the number of new cases of HIV.

One channel they have established is with some of the other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) within the state of Georgia.

In addition to Xavier, Albany State University, Paine College and Savannah State University, SHLI has been a trusted voice for Black Americans in their communities.

“HBCUs are this trusted voice because residents may not trust doctors so they go to wellness centers,” Standifer said. “These particular institutions and those products, so people have graduated and moved on to other graduate schools or become doctors, are also in those real spaces. We don’t focus on educating the communities but we really want to look at the cultural context that may be a little different in rural spaces.

[African Americans] are not a monolith. As we talk about their communities—rural, remote and suburban—all are different.”

In addition to HBCUs, the institute has partnered with predominantly white institutions (PWIs) to promote research that explains the increasing diagnoses of HIV.

SHLI utilized the Morehouse School of Medicine clinic near Columbus State University, particularly the substance and addiction abuse center, to get connectivity in the area.

There is also a relationship with Valdosta State University in southern Georgia and other researchers in the area who are leading efforts in HIV prevention in that region. “We’ve had the policymaker academy that we’ve connected with talking about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and what it is,” Standifer said.

... and able to make informed decisions, particularly when you’re talking about prevention because it is kind of a shift.”

She also said that SHLI continues to amplify the message of empowerment and making healthy decisions. Currently, they are connecting with the administrators of the Gilead Sciences grant and other organizations, such as the pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare, which focuses on PrEP development and has concentrated its efforts particularly on Black women, who are one of the leading demographics of new diagnoses in the U.S.

ViiV, with the assistance of SHLI, has implemented a curriculum for residents and clinicians in Morehouse School of Medicine’s Family Medicine and Healthcare departments.

Standifer, with the help of others within the institute and HIV patients or “thrivers,” participates in grand rounds sessions every other month where they sit down with 30 clinicians and have them ask questions regarding the best takeaways on treating patients with the sexually transmitted disease.

We want to make sure that we are amplifying the message that people of color, particularly in Black Southern communities, are knowledgeable, aware ...

From ballroom houses to churches, hair braiding salons and other public facilities, SHLI has been in the communities, ensuring that the messages are delivered where they need to be heard. The strides they have made in HIV/AIDS awareness have made SHLI and Morehouse School of Medicine a trusted resource for education, research and the opportunity-limited community.

Hancock County Schools Become New Partner to Expand Health Equity & Rural Opportunities Project

The Hancock County School District partnered with MSM to create the Health Equity and Rural Opportunities (HERO) Project for students at Hancock Central High School in Sparta, Georgia.

With the mission of “Bridging the gap of health equity in rural communities through digital resources,” provided by MSM’s Office of Digital Learning and other healthcare stakeholders, the program aims to build health technology capacity and improve access to health care and education in rural counties in Georgia.

A dozen students participating in the program had the chance to receive anatomy lab training from MSM students virtually, closing the 100-mile gap between the high school and the medical school.

“This opportunity will enable our students to experience anatomy labs in a way that wouldn’t otherwise be available if not for this partnership. Several of our students are interested in medical careers, and to have the chance to be taught by faculty and students from Morehouse School of Medicine is truly an honor,” said Dr. Alma D. Harper, Superintendent of the Hancock County School District.

MSM’s HERO Project is improving health outcomes in areas with limited healthcare access. It works with other rural school systems and communities in Early, Randolph, Stewart and Clay counties to provide anatomy labs and community health worker experiences.

MSM Research Centers Build Partnership for Representative Clinical Trials

The Research Centers in Minority Institutions Coordinating Center (RCMI-CC) at Morehouse School of Medicine partnered with Equitable Breakthroughs in Medicine Development (EQBMED) and the first 14 community and faith-based organizations and professional societies to

further the mission of fostering equitable access to its clinical trials in the communities that they serve.

Additionally, the program addresses misinformation and historical mistrust while ensuring the trials are accessible.

“The significance of ensuring communities of color co-create with our clinical trial efforts cannot be emphasized enough. Community-based organizations bring established relationships and firsthand insights about individuals’ concerns, and this information can help us better overcome any hesitancy they may have. By harnessing this collective expertise, we are rolling out focused initiatives that tackle the unique needs and obstacles encountered by the communities we serve,” said Priscilla Pemu, MD, MS, FACP, Associate Dean for Clinical Research at Morehouse School of Medicine.

EQBMED and the professional societies will support the program development models that ensure clinical research practices.

IN IMPACT MOTION

Event Highlights

Violence Prevention Pre-Symposium

September 18, 2024

In partnership with 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc., Morehouse School of Medicine took a leadership role and helped set the scene for a planned 2025 event to confront gun violence. The pre-symposium, which brought together community leaders, public health experts, law enforcement personnel, elected officials and more to discuss violence prevention efforts aimed to review data tools that provide statistics on current trends in lethal violence. These tools include the Health Equity Tracker, created by the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at MSM, which is a free-touse online platform promoting health and data parity. Sandra Harris-Hooker, PhD, MSM Senior Vice President for External Affairs and Innovation, has noted that gun violence “remains a leading cause of death among U.S. adolescents, disproportionately affecting Black males.”

Convocation

September 20, 2024

Last fall, MSM welcomed 332 new students—future MDs, PAs, biomedical scientists and public health experts—at the 40th Convocation and White Coat & Pinning Ceremony where over half of the incoming students identified as Black/ African American men. Speakers included U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. “Convocation stands as one of our institution’s most meaningful traditions, where we proudly embrace new scholars into the MSM community. In just a few short years, they will emerge as healthcare and scientific leaders prepared to make the world a healthier, more just place for everyone,” said the Dean and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, J. Adrian Tyndall, MD, MPH

2nd Annual Global Health Equity Summit

September 23, 2024

The Quest for Global Health Equity was the theme of the second annual Dr. David Satcher Global Health Equity Summit. The event brought together health professionals, thought leaders, students and advocates from around the world to explore innovative strategies for addressing global health disparities. Dr. Roger I. Glass, former Associate Director for International Research at the NIH, delivered the keynote address, and panels covered topics such as maternal health, mental well-being and student leadership. “Public health is a global issue that affects everyone, no matter who they are or where they’re from,” said David Satcher Global Health Equity Institute Director Barney Graham, MD, PhD. “Real solutions require global collaboration. Morehouse School of Medicine is committed to co-creating systemic change and advancing health equity.”

What this institution has done for countless young people throughout its history is an extraordinary gift and contribution to the world.

Courtney B. Vance Award-Winning Actor, Producer and Philanthropist

10 Annual Community Engagement Day

October 5, 2024

In the fall, MSM held its annual Community Engagement Day, marking the 10th year of the event that highlights the best of the institution’s partnerships in service, research, patient care and training, as well as its collaborations with neighborhood residents. More than 120 vendors participated while the student-run Health Equity for All Lives (H.E.A.L.) Clinic administered free flu vaccines and offered screenings for high blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol. MSM’s mission “requires us to work towards optimal health care and collaborate to address the social determinants that make health easier or harder to achieve,” noted MSM Chair of Community Health and Preventive Medicine and Associate Dean of Community Engagement Tabia Akintobi, PhD, MPH. The well-attended event, held at Antioch Urban Ministries in Atlanta, also included fun activities for all ages, food trucks and music. “It was nothing short of amazing,” MSM noted on Instagram.

Winter Commencement

December 13, 2024

“Shape the world the way you want it to be,” Emmy Award winning actor Courtney B. Vance, the keynote speaker, told the 2024 graduates at MSM’s fourth Winter Commencement. “Whatever you’re going through, it has come to pass, it has not come to stay.” At the commencement, which took place in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College, President and CEO Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice noted that she believed the students invited Vance as their speaker because of the 2023 book, The Invisible Ache: Black Men Identifying Their Pain and Reclaiming Their Power, which he cowrote with Dr. Robin L. Smith and Charisse Jones, and which recounts his formative experiences and focuses on grief, relationships, identity and race. “What this institution has done for countless young people throughout its history,” Vance said in an earlier statement, “is an extraordinary gift and contribution to the world.”

PURPOSE WHERE MEETS PRESS

Atlanta Business Chronicle

First Lady Jill Biden put Morehouse School of Medicine and women’s health care at the heart of her visit to Atlanta.

“Remarkable work is happening here,” Biden said, citing the efforts of Atlanta universities, entrepreneurs and city leaders. Biden underscored the importance of research at schools such as MSM. She also highlighted the need to increase funding and close gaps in women’s health and research.

Forbes

Team SAMBAI, under the direction of Melissa Davis at Morehouse School of Medicine, will investigate inequities in cancer prevention, screening and treatment that ultimately result in disparities in cancer incidence and mortality. The team, consisting of researchers from 14 institutions in Ghana, South Africa, the UK and the U.S., will focus on prostate, breast and pancreatic cancers in people of African descent.

CBS | Why the U.S.

medical

field is pushing for more Black doctors

In 2020, Bloomberg gave the Morehouse School of Medicine $26 million to help students pay down debt. Resident physician Jamil Joyner received $100,000.

“It not only says, ‘We believe in Black doctors,’ it says, ‘We believe in Black institutions, and how they will play a role in changing health care for Black individuals,’” Joyner said.

AP | Bloomberg gives $600 million to four Black medical schools’ endowments

Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine, said that gift relieved $100,000 on average in debt for enrolled medical students. She said the gift has helped her school significantly increase its fundraising.

“But our endowment and the size of our endowment has continued to be a challenge, and we’ve been very vocal about that. And he heard us,” she said of Bloomberg and the latest donation.

CNN | Making pregnancy safer for Black women

Natalie Hernandez-Green, Executive Director of the Center for Maternal Health Equity at Morehouse School of Medicine, says she hears the same birthing stories over and over: Women who felt they were disrespected, whose concerns were dismissed and had birthing experiences that felt transactional and not relational. “You want to be heard when you’re giving life. This should be the most amazing day of your life,” says Hernandez-Green.

The Center for Maternal Health Equity has partnered with local Atlanta hospitals to gather data about “Maternal Near-Misses” and see where the problems are.

WABE | Rural communities in Georgia are losing access to maternity care—can training more doulas help?

“We’re developing a workforce that’s going to be providing the support that Black women and birthing people need,” said MSM Obstetrics and Gynecology Department Associate Professor Natalie Hernandez-Green, executive director of the Center for Maternal Health Equity, speaking at the program’s commencement ceremony in Albany, Georgia.

The Hill | Sanders calls for free public college to boost minority health care workforce

Morehouse School of Medicine resident, Cook, said that he was once told about how a Black woman in an Atlanta-area hospital was placed into a psychiatric hold after health care workers observed her “furiously hitting her head.”

When a Black female psychiatrist at the hospital visited the woman’s bedside, she immediately told the rest of the medical team that “the patient was, in fact, not harming herself, but simply patting her head because that is how you scratch an itchy scalp without messing up your hair,” said Cook. “Had a Black physician not intervened in this instance, that patient was on a pathway to being chemically or physically restrained, and that hospital and staff would have justifiably faced a malpractice lawsuit.”

The Atlanta Journal Constitution | Morehouse School of Medicine physicians in training get their first white coats

“It’s definitely not just a coat,” said Juan Gomez, 38. Gomez echoed those who spoke of helping build strong men and women rather than trying to repair broken ones. “It’s a symbol of the superpower I’m now able to put forth into that work,” said Gomez, who is interested in oncology or internal medicine.

SI | HBCU Medical School Students Participate in Year 3 of the NFL’s ‘Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative’

“My dream is to become a sports medicine physician, and I’m thrilled to make the most of this program as it gives me the opportunity to learn from the best, develop lasting relationships and take the first step in turning my dream into a reality.”

– Jerry Yue, Morehouse School of Medicine, assigned to clinical rotation with the Atlanta Falcons

SCI AM | What Gives You Hope for Health Equity?

“Hopefulness comes from a faith and belief that things have a way of evolving toward the good. The moral arc of the universe bends toward the good. But it may take a long time. Helping to diversify the public health workforce through creating more opportunities and knowledge for students is a multigenerational process. Four African American students did almost all the bench work that was needed to get the Moderna COVID vaccine into that first phase 1 trial in March 2020. We’re very proud of them for getting that whole vaccine program launched.”

– Barney Graham, MD, PhD, Founding Director, David Satcher Global Health Equity Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine

BlackDoctor.org | This Heart Study Was Made by Black Doctors Just for Black Patients

Dr. Elizabeth Ofili, a cardiologist from Morehouse School of Medicine and the study’s global principal investigator, explained the study’s focus: “The African American Heart Study was designed to address a gap in our understanding of how high cholesterol and specifically high lipoprotein, little a as we call it, which is Lp(a), affects the risk for heart disease, especially in Black people.” She added, “What we do know is that the levels are higher in Black patients, and that’s across all dimensions, whether you’re Black African, Black Haitian or Black American.”

Media Metrics

Total articles

Total broadcast clips (television and radio)

Total engagement (number of times a link was shared, commented on or liked on social media

Total journalist reach

Average UVM (unique views per month)

Total UVM 5,453 2,068 1.24M 11.95M 9.23M 50.35B

Major 2024 Donors

Bloomberg Philanthropies Makes Historic Gift to MSM

In August 2024, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) received the largest single donation in its history: a $175 million gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative. The funding is part of a $600 million investment in the nation’s four historically Black medical schools—MSM, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Howard University College of Medicine and Meharry Medical College.

The gift will support MSM’s endowment and help alleviate medical student debt, reinforcing the institution’s mission to educate a more diverse healthcare workforce. The funding comes as part of Bloomberg’s broader goal to expand opportunity and address racial wealth inequities.

“We not only need more physicians in the future, but we also need a healthcare workforce that is well-equipped to serve a more multigenerational, multicultural American society,” said MSM President and CEO Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice.

The Greenwood Initiative, launched in 2020, is designed to accelerate economic progress in Black communities. For Morehouse School of Medicine, the donation represents a generational investment in its students and the future health of resource-limited communities across the nation.

Sanofi Invests in Clinical Trial Diversity at MSM

In October 2024, Sanofi announced an $18 million investment over 10 years to support clinical trial diversity at three historically Black medical schools, including Morehouse School of Medicine. The funds will be used to strengthen MSM’s Clinical Trial Center of Excellence, helping build infrastructure, hire research staff and create training programs for future clinical investigators.

The initiative is part of Sanofi’s commitment to increasing representation of statistically less prevalent communities in clinical health studies. At MSM, the funding will also support pharmacy upgrades and digital tools to meet clinical trial requirements and improve participant engagement. The investment builds on previous efforts by MSM—including a 2021 grant from Novartis—to address gaps in clinical research.

By supporting MSM’s mission to advance health equity, the partnership aims to ensure that more people of color are included in research that informs future medical treatments and therapies.

PURPOSE LEADING WITH

Walter Douglas, Jr., MBA Executive Vice President of Operations and Business Affairs

Veronica Mallett, MD Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of More in Common Alliance

Executive Leadership Team

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG President and CEO

Sandra Harris-Hooker, PhD Senior Vice President for External Affairs and Innovation

Rick Kittles, PhD Senior Vice President of Research

Adrian Tyndall, MD, MPH Executive Vice President of Health Affairs and Dean

Dorian Harriston, MA Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

Katherine Napier, PhD, MBA, CPA, CISA Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer

Senior Vice President of Advancement

Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer

Creshema Murray, PhD Vice President and Chief of Staff

J.

Kandy Ferree

Cindy Lubitz

Board of Trustees

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG President and CEO

Aaron D. Dent

Managing Director and Chief Procurement Officer, Tishman Speyer

John Whyte, MD, MPH Chief Medical Officer, WebMD

Joy Fitzgerald Retired President and CEO, Atlanta Housing Authority

Arthur R. Collins Chairman of the Board

Managing Partner, theGROUP

Javarro (Jay) Edwards President, JME Group

Lawrence V. Jackson Chairman, SourceMark LLC

Susan Grant Vice Chair of the Board

Retired, Executive Vice President of CNN News Services

Camille Davis-Williams, MD, FACOG Greater Atlanta Women’s Healthcare

Douglas Love, Esq President and CEO, Annexon Biosciences

Thomas N. Malone, MD Private Practice Physician, OB/GYN

Kimberly Evans Paige Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, BET Networks and Live Events

Neeraj Tolmare Global Chief Information Officer, The Coca-Cola Company

Glenn W. Mitchell, III Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP

Claire Pomeroy, MD, MBA President, Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation

Lisa LeCointeCephas, Esq. Partner, Compliance and Investigations Global Co-Chair of Life

Sylvester McRae, MD Assistant Professor, Director of St. Francis OBGYN Physician Partners

Marvin O’Quinn, BSc, MBA, PhD Retired President/ Chief Operations Officer, CommonSpirit Health

Frank Jones, MD, MPH President MSMNAA 2022-2024 MSM MD Class of 1991

Woodrow W. McWilliams III, MD

John B. Amos Cancer Center, Radiology and Oncology

Carey Roth Bayer, EdD, MEd, BSN, RN, CSE Professor, Community Health and Preventive Medicine (Faculty Representative)

Keana Murray MSM Student Government Association President (Student Representative)

RESULTS FINANCIAL 2024

A Letter from the Senior Vice President for Finance & Chief Financial Officer

Katherine Napier, PhD, MBA, CPA, CISA

We are pleased to present MSM’s financial results for fiscal year 2024. This report offers a broad financial perspective of our results and the strength of our financial efforts.

MSM is dedicated to its students and to training healthcare professionals who will serve Georgia and the nation. During the academic year 2023–2024, we continued to grow our class size, with enrollment increasing 8% over the prior year, totaling 982 students. Development efforts remained strong in FY 2024, targeting scholarships, facility improvements and partnerships to support our mission.

We are committed to investing in our students and reducing educational debt. During fiscal year 2024, we awarded $12 million in scholarships and other support to students.

MSM continues to invest in capital resources as we focus on our campus master plan. We revitalized the campus with completion of the Hugh Gloster Building, the Medical Education Building and the Calvin Smyre Academic Conference Center. We are modernizing and expanding to meet the needs of our growing class size.

We closed fiscal year 2024 in strong financial health, with an operating revenue surplus of $18.1 million, a 3% increase over the previous year, adding to total net assets of $306.6 million, with 63% donor-restricted and 37% unrestricted.

MSM’s investment portfolio remains strong with $141 million in investments at fair market value. The endowment distribution policy smooths the impact of volatile markets by providing up to 5% of the endowment’s fair market value using a three-

year moving average. Based on this policy, the endowment distribution amounted to $4.9 million in FY 2024, supporting research, scholarships and chair packages.

We continue to diversify revenue streams. The largest revenue portion is 58.7% in federal, state and local funding, followed by 16.7% in private gifts, grants and contracts, 8.5% in net tuition and fees and 8.8% in faculty practice revenue. Revenue diversification has kept MSM financially stable despite some challenges.

As we navigate current economic and federal landscapes, we prepare for significant changes in our research portfolio. Our researchers address societal challenges through initiatives with federal, state and local agencies.

Our financial plan focuses on strategic initiatives, maintaining financial health, forming partnerships and bolstering stability while advancing our mission of “Leading the Creation and Advancement of Health Equity to Achieve Health Justice.”

Overall, MSM concluded fiscal year 2024 in a robust financial position. Continued financial stability and disciplined fiscal approaches ensure enduring strength. Future success depends on fulfilling the strategic plan’s vision, goals and objectives. MSM continues improving efficiency through technology, processes and people. Investments from donors and federal, state and local governments strengthen MSM’s capabilities in education, research, healthcare and community partnerships. Our dedication to operational excellence enables MSM to implement sound financial policies and practices, yielding positive outcomes for the entire MSM community.

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

Consolidated Statements of Activities and Changes in Net Assets

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Year ended June 30,

Operating Activities

Change in net assets $18,094,524 $21,491,297

Adjustments to reconcile change in net assets to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

and amortization

$6,578,330 Non-cash lease expense

$3,048,717

Net realized and unrealized loss on investments ($13,353,529) ($10,326,721)

Loss on disposal of property and equipment $18,252 $85,079 Gifts and grants restricted for long-term investment ($2,767,893) ($10,959,177)

Change in operating assets and liabilities:

($1,446,645)

lease liabilities ($3,137,890) ($2,545,849) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

Morehouse School of Medicine, Inc., and Affiliate—

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Continued

Investing Activities

Collections on loans receivable $31,112 $9,482

Purchases of investments ($25,106,605) ($32,061,309)

Proceeds from sale of investments $35,422,932 $36,151,471

Transfer of investments, at fair value to restricted cash and cash equivalents $11,921,837

Purchases of property and equipment $(56,952,790) $(24,535,302)

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities ($46,605,351) ($8,513,821)

Financing Activities

FR 2024 Assets

FR 2024 Total Liabilities

50 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION TH 2025

50th Anniversary Presenting Sponsor

Our Yearlong Celebration of 50 Years of Impact!

As we prepare to celebrate our 50th Anniversary in 2025, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) eagerly looks ahead with pride, reflecting on a legacy of excellence, innovation and service. Our remarkable history inspires the impactful work we do today and drives us to envision even greater achievements in the years to come.

From humble beginnings to our role as a world-renowned institution, MSM has been a cornerstone in reshaping healthcare education and advancing health equity. Built on a foundation of access, compassion and service, we remain dedicated to making a meaningful difference in Georgia and beyond.

Join us in honoring 50 years of distinction in 2025 as we reflect on our journey, celebrate our accomplishments and imagine a future that leads to health equity and health justice. Together, we’ll continue to transform lives and create lasting change through the work that only MSM can do best.

Celebrate with us as we honor MSM’s rich history, influential contributions and outstanding alumni shaping healthcare locally and globally. Throughout 2025, we’ll unite through a series of events and initiatives, showcasing our ambitious vision for the future while paying tribute to the legacy that brought us here. Let’s partner together to mark this momentous milestone and inspire the next 50 years of impact.