Santa Clara University, Sutter Health to open new medical school

Santa Clara University, Sutter Health to open new medical school

Santa Clara University and Sutter Health have partnered to launch the Mark and Mary Stevens School of Medicine, the Bay Area's first new medical school in over a century.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. - In a major effort to combat the growing physician shortage, Santa Clara University and Sutter Health announced a partnership Thursday to establish the first new medical school in the Bay Area in more than 100 years.

The new institution, to be named the Mark and Mary Stevens School of Medicine, will be located in northern Santa Clara near a planned Sutter Health medical complex. The initiative comes amid a critical deficit of healthcare professionals nationwide.

National physician shortage

Big picture view:

According to healthcare leaders, the primary objective of the new institution is to alleviate pressure on an overburdened healthcare system. Long wait times for doctor appointments have become a frequent complaint for patients both locally and nationally.

"We are facing a very large workforce shortage of physicians nationally — about 100,000 physicians per year," said Dr. Lindsay Mazotti, medical school planning dean for Sutter Health. "Not just in primary care but also in specialty care, surgical care."

Dr. Mazotti noted that California lacks the medical school capacity to keep pace with its population. However, medical data shows that doctors are more likely to practice medicine in the geographic regions where they complete their education and training.

"So it is our hope that our students will be here and will be training in the Bay Area and across Northern California," Dr. Mazotti said.

Santa Clara University and Sutter Health announced plans to open the Mark and Mary Stevens School of Medicine, marking the first new medical school in the Bay Area in over a century. (Photo: Santa Clara University)

Healthcare education

The backstory:

The medical school is named after Mary Stevens, a Santa Clara University alumna, and her husband Mark, following a $175 million donation from their family to fund the project.

"We are incredibly blessed and fortunate to be in a position to give back to this community," Mary Stevens said during an announcement ceremony outside the building that will eventually house the campus.

University officials said the medical school will be deeply integrated into Santa Clara University’s existing academic and pre-med scientific programs. A core pillar of the curriculum will focus on modernizing medical education, specifically leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced technology in clinical settings.

"Our new partnership will prepare doctors for the health care future that is unfolding, not the one that has passed," said Julie Sullivan, president of Santa Clara University.

Warner Thomas, CEO of Sutter Health, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the need for forward-looking training models.

"This is about making a difference. This is about training the next generation and this is about paying it forward," Thomas said. "This is about making sure we train people, and train physicians, the way they need to be trained for tomorrow. Training with the right technology and knowledge around AI."

Enrollment and accreditation timeline

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What's next:

An exact opening date for the Mark and Mary Stevens School of Medicine has not been finalized, as the institution must first navigate the official medical school accreditation process which is currently underway.

Once fully operational, the medical school is projected to graduate approximately 120 new physicians each year, with many expected to remain in the region to bolster the Northern California healthcare workforce.