A historic partnership between Morehouse School of Medicine and CommonSpirit Health, More in Common Alliance is aimed at addressing the underlying causes of health inequities, including the lack of representation among care providers.

Transforming Lives: The Power of Philanthropy!

As the demand for skilled health care professionals continues to rise, the need for robust, innovative educational programs becomes ever more pressing—particularly in underserved and underrepresented communities. This is where philanthropic contributions make a significant impact. The More in Common Alliance stands out as a pioneering effort to foster collaboration and understanding, ultimately enhancing medical education and health care delivery.

Empowering Medical Education

Philanthropic donations are essential to training, developing, and delivering highly skilled health care professionals to communities in need. These gifts fund a variety of activities that cannot be covered by tuition alone, including:

• Research and Innovation: Funding new treatments, technologies, and methodologies.
• Scholarships and Financial Aid: Providing talented individuals from diverse backgrounds greater access to quality medical education.
• Infrastructure Development: Building and maintaining learning facilities, including state-of-the-art laboratories and simulation centers.
• Community Outreach and Service: Ensuring students have opportunities to reach underserved populations, fostering social responsibility and cultural humility that are essential to achieving health equity.

Connection and Collaboration

The More in Common Alliance (MiCA) is bridging divides and promoting collaboration between education, health care, and community stakeholders. By aligning our shared goals and values, MiCA is cultivating an integrated approach to health care and medical education, with particular emphasis on:

Collaboration: Convening medical education institutions, health care providers, and community organizations, this collaboration enables resource sharing and encourages innovative, sustainable solutions to pressing health care challenges.

Equity and Inclusion: Focusing on making health care education and services accessible to all, regardless of such factors as socioeconomic status, ethnic or gender identity, or sexual orientation. By advocating for equitable practices, MiCA helps to create a more diverse health care workforce that reflects the communities it serves. And through this lens of cultural humility, both undergraduate medical students and graduate residents are better prepared to treat and serve patients with genuineness and authenticity.

Lifelong Learning: In the rapidly evolving field of medicine, continuous education is crucial. MiCA supports and creates opportunities for ongoing professional development and collaboration among health care professionals and the communities they serve, keeping them at the forefront of medical advancements.

Your Role in Supporting the Next Generations of Health Care Leaders

Philanthropic donations to medical education institutions enhance research, provide scholarships, and support infrastructure—all essential components of effective medical training. Initiatives like the More in Common Alliance further amplify these efforts by fostering collaboration, equity, and continuous learning. Together, these contributions and alliances not only strengthen medical education but also pave the way for a healthier, more inclusive society. As we look to the future, the importance of philanthropy in this sector cannot be overstated; it is an investment in the health and well-being of communities around the world.

To donate to the More in Common Alliance, please direct inquiries to info@moreincommonalliance.org or follow this link and select “More in Common Alliance” from the dropdown menu to make a one time or recurring donation.

Family Medicine residents inaugurated in White Coat Ceremony at Dignity Health Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, CA.

This past July, the incoming class of eight Family Medicine residents was formally inducted into this newly established graduate medical education program, marking the start of a rigorous three-year education journey dedicated to nurturing culturally competent family physicians as part of the More in Common Alliance mission.

“They will be working both in the hospital learning inpatient medicine, but also with multiple partners throughout Santa Cruz County and Watsonville, for outpatient training. And this will be a great opportunity for them to help address the underserved populations in our community who so desperately need our help”, shared Dominican Hospital President Dr. Nanette Mickiewicz.

Watch a video of celebration highlights here.

MiCA STEM Academy: Cultivating the Next Generation of Health Care Professionals

As our world becomes increasingly technology-driven, the significance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers grows. Introducing students to these fields early can spark interest, a crucial first step toward developing essential skills and addressing workforce shortages.

Early exposure to STEM careers can ignite students' curiosity and passion. By providing hands-on experiences and mentorship, educators can help students understand the relevance of STEM in real-world applications, encouraging them to pursue these subjects further.

Many industries face a shortage of qualified STEM professionals, particularly health care. Introducing students to STEM fields can cultivate a new generation of skilled workers ready to meet this demand, ensuring that industries have the talent necessary for innovation and growth.

The mission of the More in Common Alliance (MiCA) relies on identifying, developing, and training the next generation of health care professionals. Early exposure and involvement of students in STEM, one of MiCA’s strategic education initiatives, can have a lasting impact on the career choices they make, strengthening the pipeline of health care professionals entering their respective communities.

This summer, MiCA partnered with CHI Saint Joseph Health, Kentucky State University, CommonSpirit Health, and Morehouse School of Medicine to launch the inaugural More in Common STEM and Health Careers Academy. The Academy was a residential camp for middle school, high school, and college students from underserved counties and communities in Kentucky.

The Academy focused on academic enrichment and career/skill development specific to health care fields. Academy participants spent a week on the campus engaging in such varied and relevant activities as:

• Anatomy and Physiology Exploration with Dissections
• Clinical Skills Simulation
• CPR Certification (High School and College Students)
• CHI Saint Joseph Hospital Tour
• Mobile Health Unit Design

MiCA is proud to sponsor this enriching event and gratified to introduce health care as a potential career for over 50 students in this first Academy cohort. We look forward to growing the academy to other markets across CommonSpirit Health!

Research suggests that promoting STEM education among diverse student populations can enhance representation in these fields. Highlighting role models from various backgrounds inspires students and shows that success in STEM is attainable for everyone. By investing in STEM education today, MiCA is helping to lay the foundation for a prosperous and innovative tomorrow.

Learn more about the MiCA STEM and Health Careers Academy through the website or summary video.