WMed Turns 10!

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WMed Turns 10!

WMed’s First Decade of Innovation, Education, and Community Collaboration

March 22, 2011, was a monumental day for the greater Kalamazoo community.

Not only was it Founding Dean Dr. Hal B. Jenson’s first day on the job, it was also the day that a $100 million gift to Western Michigan University (WMU) to provide foundational funding for the new medical school was announced.

The new school would be named Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) in memory of Dr. Homer Stryker, a WMU alumnus and founder of the Stryker Corporation.

Kalamazoo’s long, rich history of excellence in education, healthcare, research, and life science exploration were assets in the development of a new medical school. Through the collaboration of WMU, Ascension Borgess, and Bronson Healthcare, the private medical school was founded and is currently funded through charitable gifts, clinical revenues, research activities, tuition, and endowment income.

“It is a challenging opportunity to create a new medical school, but the odds of successfully creating a great medical school are signifi-

Inside The Community Impact of WMed Founding Dean Hal Jenson Retires Welcoming New Dean Paula Termuhlen Celebrate With WMed Live

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cantly increased when the community is a partner alongside,” said Dr. Jenson.

WMed made another leap forward when Michigan State University Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies merged into WMed in 2012. The experienced personnel and resources offered by this merger significantly contributed to the development of the undergraduate and graduate medical education programs.

Additionally, William U. Parfet, chairman and chief executive officer of MPI Research and a greatgrandson of W.E. Upjohn, donated a 330,000-square-foot building in downtown Kalamazoo to serve as the medical school’s flagship campus, named the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus.

A $78 million renovation and expansion of that building created a 350,000-square-foot educational facility with two laboratory research floors, a forensic pathology lab, and a state-of-the-art simulation center.

WMed’s reach goes beyond the borders of its downtown campus. The medical school provides clinical ser-

vices in Kalamazoo County at WMed Health on Oakland Drive and Mall Drive, the Ascension Borgess Hospital Campus, and the Family Health Center.

In Calhoun County, WMed has family medicine services at Bronson Battle Creek and Grace Health. The Innovation Center on the Parkview Campus is a life science, technology, and engineering incubator serving early start-ups and maturing companies.

A Decade of Innovation It has been an impressive decade of achievement for WMed, which has 144 faculty, 241 residents and fellows who train in 10 residencies and five fellowships, 517 staff, and 816 community faculty in 18 academic departments and programs. Its comprehensive, patient-centered, fouryear M.D. curriculum seamlessly integrates basic science and clinical applications. WMed also has master’s degree programs in Biomedical Sciences, Clinical Informatics, and Medical Engineering and several dual degrees with 337 students enrolled

WMed Impact: Benefitting Southwest Michigan During its decade of growth and development, the impact of the medical school on the greater Kalamazoo community is truly evident: • WMed Health, the medical school’s clinical practice, offers more than 36 primary care and specialty services in Kalamazoo, Portage, and Battle Creek, providing 63,000 outpatient visits per year.

• The school’s Department of Pathology faculty serve as the Office of the Medical Examiner (coroner) for counties throughout Michigan and northern Indiana, completing more than 1,000 autopsies each year.

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• Through the active citizenship curriculum, medical school students integrate into more than 30 community agencies to learn and grow from community members of diverse backgrounds.

• During the Annual Day of Service, WMed students give back through community service projects that contribute to the needs of the underserved.

• In 2020, WMed organizational, employee, and student spending resulted in a $353 million economic impact in Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties.

on the campus. Because of their roles in creating and developing the innovative curriculum, medical school faculty are recognized nationally and internationally as thought leaders in medical education.

The inaugural medical student class graduated in May 2018. The school’s exceptional success in preparing medical students for residency training is demonstrated by its 99-percent or better match rate into a nationwide network of competitive residency programs.

All slots in WMed’s residency programs are consistently filled and the school is experiencing impressive growth in its graduate medical education. WMed has also achieved accreditation — external validation that the school’s programs meet the highest standards for quality and excellence — for its medical degree program, residencies and fellowships, simulation center, and more.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Medical Education and Healthcare Delivery From the beginning, WMed has aimed to create a welcoming environment to learn and work that embodies the medical school’s values of inclusiveness. The medical school has also drawn on the diversity of the Kalamazoo community to attract and retain students, residents, faculty, fellows, and staff underrepresented in medicine.

During its first decade, this commitment has been evident in the development of a master’s degree program in Biomedical Sciences that helps aspir-

ing physicians underrepresented in medicine to successfully transition from undergraduate education to medical school. Preferred relationship programs with other educational institutions, intentional recruitment of faculty and students, and student scholarship programs have contributed to the diversity of WMed. Additionally, the Early Introduction to Health Careers pipeline program and the new Student Athlete to Medical Careers pipeline program will enhance the diversity and

inclusiveness of the medical school community.

Creating programs that demonstrate the core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical in preparing medical students to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse patient population and helping to eliminate health disparities within our national healthcare system.

Much important work remains to be done.

Founding Dean Dr. Hal B. Jenson to Retire After a Decade of Success It’s fitting that one of Dr. Hal B. Jenson’s favorite pastimes is mountain climbing, because his career at WMed has been about striving for and leading the medical school to achieve new heights of success.

Dr. Jenson was appointed founding dean in early 2011 and has spearheaded the medical school’s development and outstanding achievements over the past ten years. In addition to being the founding dean, Jenson is a professor in the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the founding dean of WMed,” Dr. Jenson says. “Together we have accomplished significant milestones as a new medical school and I want to thank everyone for the privilege of being able to serve as this medical school’s founding dean.

The opportunity to work with and lead such a talented group of faculty, researchers, residents, staff, and students has been the honor of a lifetime.“ “At the core of our collective success has been the unwavering involvement and financial support from our community and donors. Without the active involvement, vision, and generous contributions from our community benefactors, WMed could have never accomplished all that it has in our first decade,” said Dr. Jenson. “Kalamazoo is an extraordinary community.”

New Dean Dr. Paula Termuhlen Brings Wealth of Experience Dr. Paula M. Termuhlen takes over as the new dean of WMed on May 1. Her selection follows an extensive national search to find a successor for Dr. Hal B. Jenson, who is retiring after 10 years as founding dean.

“We are confident Dr. Termuhlen will be an exceptional leader for WMed,” said WMU President Dr. Edward Montgomery, who chairs the WMed Board of Directors and led the search committee to hire the medical school’s new dean. “She is a brilliant surgeon and academic leader who will deliver the quality of medical education that is needed to take WMed to new levels of national distinction.”

"I am truly honored to have been selected to serve as the next dean," Termuhlen said. "I’ve greatly enjoyed working with Dr. Jenson and the faculty and staff in preparation for the beginning of my work as WMed’s new dean. My first task will be to launch a listening tour to gather feedback, input, and suggestions from all of WMed’s key stakeholder groups. I believe this process will help to guide and inform my understanding of the medical school’s tremendous potential for the future.

Dr. Termuhlen is a graduate of the St. Louis University School of Medicine and completed her general surgery training at the University of Texas Health Science Center and a surgical oncology fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She is widely published in surgical oncology and surgical education.

Prior to coming to WMed, Dr. Termuhlen has been the regional dean for the Duluth Campus at the University of Minnesota Medical School since 2015. Prior to that, she was a member of the faculty at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, and the Medical College of Wisconsin. She served as a general surgery residency program director at Wright State University and at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She was also vice-chair of the Department of Surgery at Wright State University.

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It’s a celebration, a big thank you, and a welcome the new dean event!

The medical school will celebrate its first ER STRYK 10 years of achievement and the retirement E OM H of Founding Dean Dr. Hal B. Jenson at its live virtual gala, WMed Live: A First Decade Celebration, on Thursday, May 27, 2021.

Our local community, along with medical educators from across the country, are invited to this live, virtual event featuring special guests, national celebrities, internationally recognized medical professionals, and keynote speeches from Kalamazoo business, civic, and Pictured above are WMed Live co-chairs are William D. Johnston and philanthropic leaders. Tune in to watch special messages Ronda E. Stryker (left) and Barbara A. and William U. Parfet (right). from Association of American Medical Colleges President Dr. David J. Skorton, acclaimed TV host Tom Bergeron, Grammy Award-winning singers and songwriters Paula Abdul and Ne-Yo, and a special musical performance by American smooth jazz saxophonist Kenny G. This cuttingedge virtual celebration will be co-hosted by Kalamazoo philanthropists and medical school benefactors William D. Johnston and Ronda E. Stryker and William U. Parfet and Barbara A. Parfet.

A live virtual event celebrating a decade While WMed Live is taking the place of the annual inperson Imagine Gala for 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions of achievement and Founding on public gatherings, it is a star-studded event that is sure Dean Dr. Hal B. Jenson’s retirement to please. In addition to recognizing Dean Jenson for his 10 years of innovative leadership and highlighting the medical Thursday, May 27, 2021 school’s impact and accomplishments, the event will include 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. a special welcome to new WMed Dean Dr. Paula Termuhlen and showcase giving opportunities to advance the misRegister at sion of the medical school. As a private medical school, med.wmich.edu/WMedLive2021 financial contributions are key to the institution’s financial sustainability.

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Celebrate with Us!

Register now for WMed Live: A First Decade Celebration

You Can Support WMed’s Next Decade and Beyond The WMed Philanthropy Team extends a special invitation to our community partners to show their support for the medical school’s tenth anniversary by making a gift.

“Philanthropic donations allow WMed to continue its mission to educate future physicians, serve patients in the community, and create new knowledge that makes a difference in the world,” shared Jack Mosser, WMed associate dean for development.

“The medical school strives to educate and inspire lifelong learners to be exceptional clinicians, leaders, educators, advocates, and researchers of tomorrow through programs that promote health equity and advance community values of diversity and inclusion,” said gala co-chair, William D. Johnston.

“These activities and the strong engagement of WMed with the community underscore how transformative a

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medical school can be for a community like Kalamazoo,” said gala co-chair William U. Parfet.

“This degree of collaboration also represents the spirit of WMed — the spirit of authentic collaboration and service.

Philanthropic partnerships enhance the collective power of WMed to do good,” William U. Parfet also shared.

Through a VIP Sponsorship of WMed Live, you can: • Play a leadership role in supporting health equity, diversity, and inclusion activities in Kalamazoo.

• Expand the reach of medical education, research, and healthcare delivery across Southwest Michigan.

• Showcase your commitment to health education, research, and patient care.

• Connect with other community leaders to support the mission of the medical school for the future.

Your financial support for WMed Live will extend the reach of the medical school by helping to sustain medical student scholarships and growth in medical resident opportunities in the region, fund programs to remove barriers to health equity, and advance the health and wellbeing of everyone in the community.

For more information about WMed’s giving programs contact Lori Larsen, manager of annual giving, at (269) 337-6575 or visit med.wmich.edu/giving.