DALLAS, Texas – Today Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation announced a $10 million gift from the private foundation of legendary oil and gas entrepreneur and philanthropist T. Boone Pickens to establish an endowment to support graduate medical education at Baylor University Medical Center, a part of Baylor Scott & White Health.
The endowment will provide funding for residencies, fellowships, research and other educational opportunities for post-graduate medical education students at the academic medical center. In recognition of the gift, Baylor Scott & White is also creating the T. Boone Pickens Graduate Medical Education Endowment Committee, which will play an important role in ensuring that the impact of this endowment is felt for generations.
"Boone Pickens dedicated his philanthropy to solving problems for future generations," said Jay Rosser, director, T. Boone Pickens Foundation. "And health and medical causes have long been a hallmark of his giving. It's fitting that this will be the last major gift from Boone in Dallas because he not only trusted his care to Baylor Scott & White in the final years of his life, but he truly believed in the vision of Baylor Scott & White and its unwavering commitment to improving health care for all Texans.
"This endowment exemplifies how two great Texas institutions could come together to help find a solution to a problem affecting not just those in North Texas but across the state," Rosser said.
Texas faces a shortage of 10,000 physicians by 2032. This crisis is expected to worsen as the population of older adults grows and current physicians retire, leaving many Texans without convenient access to care. The issue is being exacerbated by the limited number of residency positions nationwide, which are needed to train qualified medical school graduates.
In the next 10 years, Baylor University Medical Center's graduate medical education program will train over 3,000 physicians. The faculty is committed to preserving a holistic approach to medical training that combines academic rigor, embedded within a supportive learning environment that has earned the hospital recognition as a Top 10 Teaching Hospital by Fortune/Merative's annual top hospital rankings.
Baylor Scott & White has become a top choice for physicians seeking advanced training due to a demonstrated excellence in graduate medical education. As the largest not-for-profit health system in Texas, by growing the number of high-caliber physicians trained in the state, the system is fueling the physician pipeline of future leaders who will provide outstanding patient-centered clinical care for communities across Texas.
Continued Investment in Advancing Education and Training
"Philanthropy is more important now, than ever, to continue advancing education and training excellence to meet the needs of our communities. The future of compassionate healing, paired with the knowledge and skills to improve quality care available across Texas, is here," said Ben Renberg, president, Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation. "This generous investment from the T. Boone Pickens Foundation will make an incredible impact in our community for generations to come by helping to build the future of medicine and beyond."
Philanthropic support of Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation from generous donors such as Mr. Pickens can:
- Increase annual support for more than 300 residency and fellowship positions in a rich-training environment at our academic medical center.
- Expand reach and opportunities for residents and fellows to harness the robust infrastructure and operations of our research institute and collaborate with our esteemed researchers.
- Create new residency and fellowship opportunities that expand the programs' scope and scale in a way that reflects the needs and priorities of Texas.
Graduate medical education programs at Baylor Scott & White are well-established and top-notch. Resident physicians have been training at Baylor Scott & White facilities since 1909, with a clinical faculty that is so passionate about teaching that they volunteer to do so. The system's training encompasses experience in a diverse patient population and health care setting – from Level I Trauma Centers to outpatient primary care clinics – in urban metropolitans as well as suburban and community settings.
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit BSWHealth.com.
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