Munson Healthcare Foundations recently was awarded an $884,000 grant from the Maxon Foundation.
The grant, which will be paid out over five years, will support the recruitment and training of physician students through the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine’s Rural Community Health Program (R-CHP) in Traverse City.
“The Maxon Foundation has been very generous over the life of the Traverse City Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Campus,” said Daniel Webster, M.D., co-founder of Munson Healthcare’s Family Practice Residency Program and community assistant dean for the R-CHP.
“Their grant assistance has allowed the campus to develop a very interactive rural educational focus for our students, resulting in relationships that contribute to the return of these students after residency as practicing physicians in northern Michigan,” Webster said. “This additional grant will allow further development of our rural focus through initiatives directed toward increased patient access to quality health care in northern Michigan.”
Since its inception in 2009, the R-CHP has emerged as a national model for recruiting, training and placing highly qualified physicians in rural areas.
Nearly one-third of the program’s 110 participants have returned to practice medicine within Munson Healthcare’s service area. This recruitment rate places Munson Healthcare favorably among the four leading rural physician-in-training programs nationally.
With the support of the Maxon Foundation’s gift, this program is poised to expand its reach beyond Traverse City into Cadillac, Gaylord, and Manistee. This will increase the number of participating students from 12 to 16 annually.
To date, the Maxon Foundation has committed more than $5 million in charitable support to various Munson Healthcare programs and services. This generosity has been critical in sustaining and enhancing healthcare for the residents of northern Michigan.
“I think Mr. Maxon had this vision in mind when he created the foundation,” Webster said. “He would be proud of the outcomes that he has supported.”
For more information, please contact Munson Healthcare Foundations at 231-213-1150 or email foundation@mhc.net.