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First Annual Founder's Award Luncheon
On May 31, 2001, the first annual National Medical Fellowships
Founder's Award Luncheon saluted Dr.
Cornelius L. Hopper, an extraordinary individual, highly
respected by his peers, who has made major contributions to
medicine and academia. We were also honored to have Dr. Mark
Smith, president of the California HealthCare Foundation,
as our keynote speaker.
Since its inception, NMF has expanded its mission and its
program portfolio. In 1994, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
awarded NMF funds to institute the Arthur Ashe Program in
AIDS Care, which operates out of the Harvard AIDS Institute.
Three years later, the California HealthCare Foundation provide
funds to enable NMF to expand its need-based scholarship program
for California students, open a website, and increase its
funding base through a challenging grant. At the time, about
10 percent of NMF funds were being channeled to California
residents. This past year, California residents received 15
percent of all award dollars.
It was obvious that NMF needed to open a branch office in
California, and in 1999 we launched operations in the Bay
Area to provide needed services and support to California
medical students and the community at large.
We thank Dr. Hopper and Dr. Smith for their advice and counsel
regarding our plans to begin a national Fellows Academy for
current and former NMF Scholars, and to expand the Ashe Program
to the University of San Francisco AIDS Research Institute
(ARI). The Fellows Academy had its inaugural meeting last
November, and ARI will have its first cohort of Ashe Fellows
shortly.
Thanks to all of you who have provided such generous
support and made NMF so welcome in California. We are
appreciative of your help in building partnerships and look
forward to expanding our efforts in this magnificent state.
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