UofM, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and Shelby County Schools Create Partnership

July 29, 2016 - The University of Memphis, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and Shelby County Schools have created a partnership designed to help inspire and prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Central High School will develop a dual enrollment program to prepare students for the health science, healthcare administration, healthcare law and nursing fields. Methodist Healthcare will provide resources for classrooms and teachers for the dual enrollment courses.

The University of Memphis will supply quality instructors to teach the courses. Central High School students also will have opportunities to work in facilities at the UofM and at Methodist University Hospital, benefitting from mentoring by physicians and other clinicians. Offering increased opportunities for local students also will help attract and retain high-quality, well-prepared employees in the healthcare sector, while supporting multiple priorities of the District's Destination 2025 strategic plan.

"The University of Memphis recognizes the value of making strategic investments in the lives of this city's young people, providing them an engaging academic experience, and preparing them for successful careers in the thriving healthcare industry," said President M. David Rudd. "We are pleased to join Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and Central High School in this exciting partnership."

Gary Shorb, CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur, said, "This new partnership strengthens each institution in immeasurable ways by allowing each of us to extend our own missions in the community. We're eager to do whatever we can to help prepare today's high schoolers for lives of learning and success, as doing so will only strengthen the recruiting efforts of the University of Memphis and help prepare a strong, knowledgeable workforce for the growing health sciences sector. Likewise, we hope that by partnering with Central in such a meaningful way, we can help provide resources that further enhance the school's educational experience, and situate Central as one of the premier high schools in the city."

Greg McCullough, principal of Central High School, added, "This is a great partnership that will help give our students opportunities in health care and nursing with real professionals in real professional settings. This is a wonderful program for our students and for Shelby County Schools."

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Gabrielle Maxey
901.678.2135
gmaxey@memphis.edu