The Golden LEAF Foundation has approved an additional $2.95 million investment in East Carolina University’s health sciences programs. The Brody School of Medicine received $1.95 million to support the new Brody Center for Medical Education and the ophthalmology program, while the College of Health and Human Sciences received $1 million to support the expansion of its clinical lab sciences department. Thus, bringing its total support for ECU medical education and healthcare workforce training to nearly $4 million over the past two years. This funding will help provide critical equipment, technology, simulation resources and clinical training tools elevating the classroom experience for students and faculty.
This investment in the clinical lab sciences program enhances training opportunities for the workforce behind diagnostic medicine (public health labs, hospital labs and biotech), directly supporting the healthcare delivery system and health workforce education.
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The vision for the state-of-the-art technology in the Center for Medical Education (CME) at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine came into better focus this month thanks to a $1 million award from the Golden LEAF Foundation.
The award is the first million-dollar philanthropic investment — in partnership with the ECU Health Foundation — for the medical school expansion. The funding will outfit the CME’s learning studio with 360-degree screens and the software to run the whitebox simulation room.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this transformative grant from Golden LEAF in support of the Center for Medical Education, as it will allow us to further the mission-driven alignment between the health system and the university,” said Dr. Scott Senatore, Chief Philanthropy Officer of the ECU Health Foundation. “Golden LEAF is an outstanding community partner and is an integral part of elevating student success and training future physicians to meet crucial health care needs in North Carolina. Their award will provide a lasting impact for years to come, and for that, we are truly grateful.”
In addition to the CME support, Golden LEAF provides an undergraduate scholarship program, which currently supports 70 ECU students. The organization has provided funding for the world-renowned ECU Diabetes and Obesity Institute, the ECU Family Medicine Center, which trains future physicians, and the Eastern Region Pharma Center in ECU’s Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building, which connects industry and business to academics and research. In 2018, Golden LEAF also provided a $10 million grant for cancer care equipment for the Vidant Health Cancer Center (now ECU Health Medical Center).
Click here to learn more about the impact the Golden LEAF award will have on the CME building.