Med Center to raise $600 million

The Medical Center has launched a $600 million campaign to raise funds for student financial aid, research and patient care. So far, almost $300 million has been raised. Officials estimate that the campaign will meet its entire goal by the fiscal year 2000. This is the largest fund-raising campaign for a major academic health center in the country, according to William Kelley, Medical School dean and chief executive officer of the University Health System. Half of the overall funds will be specifically earmarked for research, according to Medical Center spokesperson Lori Doyle. Money from the campaign will also go toward the 21st Century Endowed Scholars Fund -- a program which will provide financial aid to medical students, endowment for faculty and money for patient care. Medical School alumni and grateful patients are the primary donors. The specific goal for the 21st Century Endowment Scholars Fund is $77 million. And if the campaign is successful, it may become possible for students to attend the Medical School tuition-free in the distant future, according to Jay Angeletti, director of Medical School alumni development. "It's a unique and bold program designed to fund full-tuition scholarships at the school. Ultimately many years down the road, we could create a tuition-free medical school,"Angeletti said. "To endow every tuition is a goal that we will hopefully accomplish -- but not during this campaign." Some of the funds will assist in establishing the ambulatory care facility, advance programs in clinical care and provide funding to support an integrated health care delivery system, Associate Campaign Director Linda Schleifer said. Schleifer added that this is the largest campaign undertaken by any academic health center in the U.S. "It will really allow us to continue our excellence and to move into the 21st century as a leader in medicine," she added. Interim Campaign Director Steve Derby said the campaign is Kelley's brainchild, although many Medical School faculty members have contributed valuable input. Medical Center officials have been working since 1989 at getting the campaign off the ground. Two major sources of the funding are the National Alumni Council, chaired by Stanley Dudrick, and the 21st Century Endowed Scholars Advisory Committee, chaired by Arthur Asbury. Kelley said the money garnered by the project will enhance the medical Center's national stature. "The funds raised from now through the end of the century will allow us to continue to advance the institution's 230-year mission for excellence in the delivery of health care," he said in a statement.

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