Meharry students to train in HCA system; partnership bolsters Meharry’s growth
and HCA’s commitment to medical education
Nashville, Tenn. — HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services, and Meharry Medical College, one of the nation’s largest historically black academic health science and research centers, today announced that they have entered into a partnership in which the college’s students will train at TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center.
Under a Memorandum of Agreement, students at Meharry’s School of Medicine will receive medical training at HCA’s TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center in Nashville. The agreement expands a decades long relationship between the two Nashville institutions, allowing them to collaborate in new ways that will advance care.
“Meharry Medical College is known for educating some of the country’s leading physicians, dentists and researchers who have devoted their lives to serving patients, often those whose needs are unmet,” said Milton Johnson, Chairman and CEO of HCA Healthcare. “Our two organizations have supported each other for decades, and we are proud to grow that relationship through this medical training partnership. We look forward to welcoming Meharry students to TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center.”
The partnership with Meharry enriches HCA’s ongoing growth in medical education and supports Meharry’s efforts to care for diverse and underserved populations.
“This is a historic day for Meharry Medical College. We could not be prouder to partner with HCA to broaden the training ofour students,” said James E.K. Hildreth, Ph.D., MD, President and CEO of Meharry Medical College. “As fellow members of the Nashville healthcare community, Meharry and HCA have come to know and respect one another over many years. HCA has consistently demonstrated a commitment to providing high quality, compassionate care to communities throughout the country, including the diverse populations Meharry serves. We are pleased to forge an alliance that will advance how healthcare is delivered in our community.”
Founded in 1876, Meharry is the nation’s largest private, independent historically black academic health sciences center dedicated to educating minority and other health professionals. Today, it is composed of a medical school, dental school and graduate school in research and health policy, and is recognized as a top five producer of primary care physicians and a leading producer of African Americans with Ph.Ds. It has educated generations of physicians, dentists, researchers and health policy experts dedicated to reducing healthcare disparities and promoting health equity.
The agreement with HCA advances Dr. Hildreth’s vision to forge innovative partnerships that create the best opportunities for students and the local community. In recent years, Meharry has announced partnerships with institutions including Fisk University, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and Tennessee State University (TSU) to increase the number of primary care physicians among underserved communities.
The ability to train students at TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center also allows Meharry to bring students who have been training remotely back to Nashville. For several years, Meharry has sent students to hospitals out of state due to limited patient volume at Nashville General Hospital, the primary hospital where it has conducted its training.
Meharry emphasized the partnership will help ensure a continuation of the highest quality, consistent care for the people of the North Nashville neighborhood where the college resides.
“Meharry is a proud product of Nashville and grateful to the people, businesses and churches that have supported the college for the past 142 years,” said Veronica Mallett, M.D., MMM, Senior Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the College of Medicine at Meharry Medical College. “This partnership provides Meharry with the resources and reach to expose our students to specialized areas of medicine and expand into new areas of study that were not possible before. Together with HCA, we will be able to further lift the people we serve, resulting in better health and economic progress for all.”