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HCA Healthcare commits $5 million to Belmont University’s Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine
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Today, HCA Healthcare announced a $5 million gift to the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University to support the Belmont Collaborative for Health Systems Innovation. Half of the gift will create the HCA Healthcare Health Systems Science Endowed Chair, and the other $2.5 million will be used for programmatic support in the Health Systems Science department. HCA Healthcare’s endowed chair will be matched by the Johnson Academic Challenge, a matching fund program that will create up to 20 endowed professorships across Belmont’s academic programs.
“We are proud to deepen our long-standing connection with Belmont University through this new gift to the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine,” said Sam Hazen, CEO of HCA Healthcare. “We believe it’s vital to invest in those who will shape the future of healthcare, and it is an honor to support the next generation of medical students at Belmont University as they learn, grow and lead in Nashville.”
The Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine welcomed its inaugural class of 50 students in July 2024. Over the course of their four-year M.D. program, students will have the opportunity to complete clinical rotations at HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Health facilities, including TriStar Centennial Medical Center, TriStar Skyline Medical Center and TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center, with planned expansion to other local HCA Healthcare hospitals. Core rotations will cover internal medicine, surgery, OB-GYN, pediatrics, psychiatry, neurology and family medicine, with advanced experiences in acting internships, critical care and emergency medicine.
The HCA Healthcare Health Systems Science Endowed Chair will sit within the college’s Collaborative for Health Systems Innovation, an initiative dedicated to transforming healthcare delivery through collaborative education, research and design, implementation and scaling of health care systems solutions.
“This transformative gift from HCA Healthcare embodies our shared commitment to health care excellence and innovation,” said Belmont University President Dr. Greg Jones. “The support for our Health Systems Science program, complemented by the Johnson Academic Challenge, will significantly enhance our ability to prepare future physicians who understand the complex systems in which health care is delivered. This partnership honors the legacy of Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr. and strengthens the historical bonds between our institutions as we work together to shape the future of healthcare education and delivery.”
HCA Healthcare and Belmont University have a long history of connection and collaboration. The medical college is named after HCA Healthcare co-founder, Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr., who founded the organization in 1968 alongside his father, Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr. and Jack C. Massey, who is also the namesake of Belmont’s College of Business.
Milton Johnson, who alongside his wife Denice established the Johnson Academic Challenge fund, served as HCA Healthcare’s CEO from 2014 to 2018, during which time he also was a member of Belmont’s Board of Trustees.
Additionally, HCA Healthcare served as the local health advisor for the Oct. 22, 2020 Presidential Debate at Belmont during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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About HCA Healthcare
HCA Healthcare, one of the nation's leading providers of healthcare services, is comprised of 190 hospitals and more than 2,400 ambulatory sites of care, in 20 states and the United Kingdom. Our more than 300,000 colleagues are connected by a single purpose — to give patients healthier tomorrows.
As an enterprise, we recognize the significant responsibility we have as a leading healthcare provider within each of the communities we serve, as well as the opportunity we have to improve the lives of the patients for whom we are entrusted to care. Through the compassion, knowledge and skill of our caregivers, and our ability to leverage our scale and innovative capabilities, HCA Healthcare is in a unique position to play a leading role in the transformation of care.
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