When Dr Giuseppe Colasardo, president of the Texas Health Science Center in Houston and president of the Alec Williams Endoid, suggested the global fundraising idea, he was told the school was too small to raise such funds. UTHealth was founded in 1972.
Colasardo pushed back. UTHealth Houston knew that college deans and board members needed research funding to win the war on recruiting healthcare talent. Fortunately, he also knows donors who can provide transformative gifts.
The initial target was $500 million. On April 20, Colacerdo announced that the Mission Many Faces campaign had raised a total of $534.4 million, the largest donation in Houston history.
More than 11,315 donors contributed to this record, which will contribute three points to the campaign's success: $184.5 million to educate the next generation of doctors and nurses. $182.2 million to improve access to health care in Houston. and $105 million to advance mental health and behavior.
Key prizes in 2015 included $75 million from the John B. McGovern Foundation, which was awarded to John B., in the College of Biomedical Informatics, who works to advance human health through data science. The school was named the D. Bradley McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston in his honour.
McWilliams, a University of Texas student who grew up in Bellaire, contemplated this gift for years before turning to computer science.
“When I decided to give an heirloom as a gift, it suited me. I give for many reasons, especially at the station where I make medical contact. I have a lot of medical problems,” he said. He said. “I can help all of them by giving to the School of Biomedical Informatics. It will help all the different schools in some way. It will lead in all areas of AI.”
Additional support from Jane and Robert Cizik in 2017 and the John S. Dunn Foundation in 2021 for the new Jane and Robert Cizik School of Nursing and the John S. Dunn Foundation. And serves as successive director of the Center for Behavioral Sciences.
The new seventh school was approved last month by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Council and the UT System Board of Regents. The School of Behavioral Health Sciences at UTHealth Houston will offer more than 35 degree or certificate programs over the next decade.
"Our strategy is to fill this huge gap in healthcare," said Colasardo.
He added that behavioral health is called mental health. Progress in this field has been a pillar of the "Missionary Mission".
Other areas of interest include teacher recruitment, grants and research funding.
"The education and training of doctors, nurses and community health workers has always been a hotspot for people in this community," said Cosardo. “Especially for those who have taught themselves and know firsthand the difficulties of training. Most importantly, these students want to succeed.”
The campaign's focus on health care may seem self-explanatory, although Cosardo makes an important distinction.
"Everyone wants a good nanny and they want to be cared for like I was in Italy and I carried my little bag to the village," she said. “If they have serious health problems, they want to be treated here. Who hasn't dealt with Alzheimer's or depression or stroke? It doesn't save a millionaire or a billionaire or a patient in a county jail. He felt this support and this fostered connection. "
amber.elliott@chron.com