Overview

Sutter Health and Santa Clara University have announced the establishment of the Mark & Mary Stevens School of Medicine, marking the first new medical school in California's San Francisco Bay Area in over a century. This collaboration aims to innovate the training of physicians and the delivery of healthcare in a rapidly evolving landscape.

The new school aligns with Sutter Health's strategy to create a learning health system that integrates education, research, and care. For Santa Clara University, this initiative fulfills a goal in its Impact 2030 strategic plan to enhance its influence in addressing significant societal needs.

Key details

  • The school is named the Mark & Mary Stevens School of Medicine.
  • It is a collaboration between Sutter Health and Santa Clara University.
  • The project is funded in part by a $175 million donation from Mary (Mathews) Stevens and Mark Stevens.
  • This gift is the largest cash contribution to Catholic higher education and the largest for either institution.
  • The medical school will be located in an 82,000-square-foot facility currently under construction.
  • The new campus is situated five miles from Santa Clara University's historic mission campus.
  • It is adjacent to the Sutter East Santa Clara Campus in Silicon Valley.
  • Sutter Health plans to open a new 272-bed, eight-story medical center on its West Santa Clara Campus by 2031.
  • Julie Sullivan, president of Santa Clara University, emphasized the school’s commitment to empathetic and trustworthy care.
  • The partnership aims to integrate innovative technologies into medical education.
  • This is Sutter Health's second consecutive year receiving a philanthropic contribution exceeding $100 million.
  • The collaboration is seen as a pioneering approach in contemporary medical education.

Context

This partnership between a leading healthcare system and a prominent private university represents a significant advancement in medical education, particularly in an area that has not seen a new medical school in over a century.

What happens next

The construction of the new medical school facility is underway, and further developments regarding the curriculum and admission processes will likely follow as the opening date approaches.

What we don't know yet

Details regarding the specific curriculum, admission criteria, and the timeline for the school's opening have not been confirmed.