Sutter Health partners with a historically black medical school to fund scholarships

Five Northern Californians will have their entire medical school paid for through an innovative new partnership to expand underrepresented physicians in the Golden State.

Sutter Health is teaming with Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, or CDU, a historically black medical program in Los Angeles, to fund the largest scholarship program in the school’s history.

“This unique collaboration marks a significant step toward building a more equitable health care system in California,” said Dr. David M. Carlisle, president and CEO of CDU, in a press release announcing the partnership. “Today’s announcement is just the beginning of our work to clear paths for medical education, enhanced clinical care, robust research and improved community health.”

CDU opened its new, nationally accredited medical school in 2023 – just one of four historically black medical schools in America. In March, Sutter announced it was making an initial $7.5 million investment to provide five full-tuition scholarships across five cohorts (2024 to 2028), covering a total of 25 scholarships to the school.

In July, Sutter and CDU announced the recipients of the first five scholarships, who will be part of the Class of 2028:

• Derrick Agbemenu of Fairfield, who immigrated to the U.S. from Ghana at 17;
• Eric Arauza of West Sacramento, whose parents operate a Mexican taco catering business;
• Priscilla Covarrubias of Salinas, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. as children and who grew up with her four siblings speaking both Spanish and English;
• Naomi Dillard of Sacramento, who was one of only two or three black students in her International Baccalaureate program in high school; and
• Anaissa Medina of Salida, who grew up translating for grandparents at doctors’ appointments; her grandmother only spoke Spanish and only attended school up to the fifth grade.

“We’ve intentionally selected five students who have a passion for serving their communities and the world around them,” said Leon Clark, vice president and chief academic affairs officer at Sutter Health, in a press release announcing the scholarship winners. “While our goal is to help alleviate some of the financial burdens of pursuing a medical degree, our teams will also be here to support these students on a personal level. We are ready to coach and mentor these students, whether one-on-one or inside real-world clinic settings, to help them experience their education in a new light.”

The scholarship program is just part of the Sutter-CDU partnership. Sutter also just hosted six CDU “summer research scholars,” who presented their research findings alongside Sutter residents and the two entities have also established the Health Equity Alliance for Research & Evaluation or HEARE to act as an “incubator lab” for health equity research in clinical practices.

Sutter will fund HEARE over the next five years to expand research into the root causes of health care inequities. Sutter also will explore additional opportunities to broaden its partnership with CDU.

In a joint interview with Capitol Weekly, Dr. Lindsay Mazotti, chief medical officer of medical education and science for Sutter Health, and Dr. Regina Offodile, associate dean of student affairs and admissions at CDU, described both the lab as well as the CDU-Sutter partnership in general as platforms for medical innovation, with a focus on growing well-rounded physicians who are leaders in not only their medical specialties, but also in their communities.

Mazotti said insights about the maternal mortality of African American women or addiction could come out of the HEARE lab, while Offodile said the partnership would get students out of the classroom and help them connect their practice with their purpose.

While this union is still in its early stages, Mazotti said “CDU has been a phenomenal partner for Sutter,” helping the provider play a role in shaping the modern physician. Indeed, Offodile said the medical education provided under the CDU-Sutter partnership differs dramatically from her own medical education experience, in that it’s much more holistic, weaving together classroom and clinical experiences together in a way that’s designed to serve communities.

“Really,” she said, “we’re producing a different kind of physician.”