Longtime community philanthropists, H. Pat and Nancy E. Artis have made a $5.1 million commitment to the Virginia campus of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM-Virginia) to support scholarships for medical students. In recognition of the couple’s extraordinary commitment to VCOM-Virginia and its students, the campus will name its new Health Sciences Education Building in their honor.
The Artises have long supported colleges, universities, and organizations throughout the region, with a particularly deep commitment to advancing medical education. They have already awarded more than 30 scholarships to VCOM-Virginia students, easing the financial burden of pursuing their medical degrees. Their generosity will continue to make a lasting impact on VCOM-Virginia, its students, and the patients they will ultimately serve.
“It’s hard to imagine healthcare in the New River Valley today without VCOM-trained physicians,” they say. “Today, almost 300 VCOM-trained physicians are caring for patients across Roanoke and westward, helping keep healthcare close to home. Without them, the New River Valley could face a serious shortage of accessible care.”
The couple says they invest in scholarships because such support reduces the cost of medical school and shows students that someone believes in them and the investment they’re making in our communities.
Pat notes that there are a lot of good causes donors can support and feel like they have done something worthwhile. However, “I view donating to VCOM as acting on my own self-interest,” he says. “Investing in VCOM is investing in the future physicians who will allow us to live our lives more fully.”
VCOM President Dixie Tooke-Rawlins applauds their generosity. “We are proud to have Pat and Nancy Artis as a part of our community of friends,” she said. “They are making a meaningful difference in the lives of our students and the communities they will one day serve as physicians. This commitment will empower students from rural and medically underserved areas to pursue a medical education at VCOM and return to care for the populations that need them most.”
For more than two decades, VCOM has remained dedicated to its mission of serving communities that are often overlooked, particularly those in rural and medically underserved regions. The new Health Sciences Education Building, located in Virginia Tech’s Corporate Research Center near VCOM’s main academic facility, was recently acquired by the College. Once fully renovated, the 48,000-square-foot building will expand the College’s capacity to educate and train future physicians.
In recognition of the Artises’ extraordinary philanthropy, the facility will be named the H. Pat and Nancy E. Artis Heath Sciences Education Building. A formal dedication ceremony will be announced at a later date.