This story was updated on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at 7:29 p.m.
Morehouse School of Medicine celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Georgia State Capitol Thursday.
The milestone comes amid the federal government’s executive orders against diversity, equity, and inclusion policies across the country.
Morehouse School of Medicine is one of the only historically Black medical institutions in the country.
Valerie Montgomery Rice, the president and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine, said the school was founded on the mission of diversifying Georgia’s health care workforce.
“Diversity, equity, inclusion as it relates to health is not a political term. When we talk about health equity at Morehouse School of Medicine, we’re talking about giving people what they need when they need it and the amount they need to reach their optimal level of health,” Montgomery Rice told WABE. “And for every individual, that may be different.”
The CEO said a diverse body of health care professionals can better care for a state of culturally and socially diverse patients.
“It does lead to increased compliance when the patient and the provider have some connectivity,” she said.
“It could be that they’re from a rural county. It could be that they go to the same church. It could be that they share the same race or gender, but building that connectivity ensues trust, and trust is the foundation of the patient-provider relationship.”
The day’s events included official recognition from members of the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate.
“Fifty years ago, the members of this body, those before us, did the state of Georgia an incredible service that is continuing to pay huge dividends today by supporting the start of Morehouse School of Medicine,” Republican State Sen. Matt Brass said during Thursday’s session.
The anniversary celebration also included addresses from Montgomery Rice, Morehouse School of Medicine Dean Joseph Tyndall and former State Rep. Calvin Smyre, who has served on the school’s board of trustees and played a large role in securing state funding for the school.
Montgomery Rice said Georgia lawmakers have fostered a partnership with the school, which has seen nearly 1,900 of its 3,300 graduates become physicians since it became independent in 1981. According to her, around 60% of those physicians chose to practice in Georgia.
With the help of state legislators, the school aims to recruit more Georgians to practice in the state and plans to expand its graduating class to 225 students.
“I can see that the state is still committed to increasing the number of minority physicians who are planning to stay in practice in the state of Georgia,” she added.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly implied that Morehouse School of Medicine is part of Morehouse College. The story has been updated to indicate that Morehouse School of Medicine is an independent institution.
