Affiliate Hospital Receives Golden LEAF Grant

Lumberton, NC—An affiliate hospital with Campbell University’s Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine, Southeastern Health (SeHealth), has been awarded a $500,000 grant by The Golden LEAF Foundation to assist with the renovation of a portion of Southeastern Regional Medical Center for the organization’s Medical Education program.
Third year medical students will arrive at Southeastern Regional Medical Center on July 27th, 2015 to begin their rotations along with the first internal medicine, family medicine and emergency medicine residents.
“The Golden LEAF Foundation created a special health care initiative to help reduce deficits in the number of professional and highly skilled health care workers in rural, underserved areas of North Carolina,” said Golden LEAF President Dan Gerlach. “Research has shown that residents trained in rural areas are more likely to practice in rural areas. The grant to Southeastern Health will help train approximately 92 physicians in residency and 125 nursing, allied health and mid-level practitioners per year.”
The grant will be used to fund the renovation of a section of the fourth floor of the building which was built in 1952 as part of the original hospital. The space will be used for Southeastern Health’s medical education programs including residency programs through Campbell University’s Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine as well as other programs including nursing, allied health and mid-level provider training. The renovated space will be developed into a health education center which will include a 100-seat auditorium within a flexible classroom design as well as several “green” initiatives. Construction is scheduled to be completed by July 2015.
“This grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation will help make our dream of a health education center at SeHealth a reality,” said Dr. Robert Hasty, vice president of Medical Education for Southeastern Health and associate dean for Postgraduate Affairs for Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine. “This is a critical step in our transformation into a teaching hospital and a learning organization. Over the next 20 years, SeHealth will have trained over 1,000 caring and expert physicians.”
Last year, SeHealth announced three additional grants for the renovation project: a building reuse grant of $500,000 by the N.C. Department of Commerce, a grant for $500,000 by The Duke Endowment, as well as a $100,000 grant by The Cannon Foundation, bringing the total project funding through grants to $1.6 million.  The Golden LEAF foundation has been an invaluable contributor to the medical school from its inseption providing support for the state of the art 6,500 square foot Simulation Center in Leon Levine Hall of Medical Sciences at Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC.