February 13, 2024 at 6:03 p.m.
Elizabeth Fite
Leaders from Morehouse School of Medicine said Tuesday they’re hoping to build on their partnership with CHI Memorial with plans to establish a regional medical campus in Chattanooga in the coming years.
The effort is part of a 10-year, $100 million initiative called the More in Common Alliance — a partnership between Morehouse School of Medicine and CHI Memorial’s parent company, CommonSpirit Health. Alliance members aim to address underlying causes of health disparities, including increasing the number of clinicians from underrepresented communities in the health care workforce.
Despite accounting for nearly 14% of the U.S. population, 5.7% of the nation’s active physicians identify as Black or African American, according to data from Association of American Medical Colleges. Just 3.6% of certified physician assistants are Black or African American, according to a study in the Journal of Physician Assistant Education.
(READ MORE: New BlueCross Tennessee health equity report highlights disparities in maternal care, child vaccines)
