PEORIA, Ill. – An important donation has been made to the University of Illinois College of Medicine’s Peoria campus.
Canton-based Graham Health System has donated $500,000 to a scholarship that provides third-year medical students with a clinical experience in rural communities, called the “Rural Student Physician Program.”
“This generous scholarship is another demonstration of the commitment the Graham Health System and the Canton community has to advancing medical education of UICOMP students and promoting the virtues of practicing medicine in rural communities,” said Kelvin Wynn, MD, UICOMP chair of Family and Community Medicine, in a news release.
The University says there is a great need for rural healthcare providers, with 20 percent of the population living in rural areas, but only ten percent of doctors serving in them.
“These dollars will be invested in the next generation of physicians who will care for our families and loved ones,” said Bob Senneff, Graham Health System CEO, in a news release. “My hope is that other healthcare organizations and major employers in rural Illinois understand the critical role the college plays and will make significant investments as well.”
