What is purposeful medicine? At the Lewis Katz School of Medicine (Katz), our purpose is drawn from our mission to discover, teach, and practice medicine that improves quality of life for the patients and communities that turn to us, and the quality and equity of the systems that govern healthcare far beyond Philadelphia. And while our researchers push towards discoveries that will create tomorrow’s cures and our students learn and train alongside exceptional clinicians, our donors stand right alongside them. Over fiscal year 2024 (July 2023 – June 2024), donor support fueled meaningful progress in key areas for the school, including our top priority of bolstering the immediate impact of scholarship support.
“Our donors understand that investing in Katz is an investment in the future of healthcare,” said Georgeann Moore, Interim Assistant Dean for Institutional Advancement. “The impact of their generosity is reflected in our students’ success, the advancement of our research and the care we provide to the communities we serve. We are so grateful for their support, ensuring that Katz continues to lead in changing medicine for the better.”
Focusing on Now; Planning for the Future
Every bright, passionate student deserves the opportunity to pursue their dreams of becoming a Temple Made physician, regardless of their financial background. Support for scholarships has been the school’s top fundraising priority for several years, and this year saw a key strategic focus in increasing current-use funds to increase scholarship support for our students in real time.
A total of $6.4M was raised for scholarship support, helping to reduce the financial burden on our students, allowing them to focus on their education and clinical training without the overwhelming concern of debt. Of that total, $2.6M was raised for current-use, more than double the total from the previous year. This effort, paired with broader concentration at the school on reducing student debt, resulted in a 5% drop in median student debt for the graduating class of 2024 - a tangible difference in the lives of those preparing to enter the medical field.
“We all know the crushing reality of medical education debt and the barriers it creates, preventing students from pursuing their interests in medicine, or keeping them from the field completely” said Amy J. Goldberg, the Marjorie Joy Katz Dean of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. “Our donors’ generosity helps remove those barriers, and the difference it makes goes far beyond the students who are directly impacted. It opens the door to the patients those students will heal, issues they will address, and the barriers that they will bring down.”
Edgar Tello-Ruiz’s reflections on why he wanted to pursue a career in medicine speak directly to that ripple effect. A member of the Katz Class of 2025 and scholarship recipient, Edgar shared his experiences directly with scholarship donors who gathered together at the School’s annual Celebration of Scholarship dinner in April.
“I was ten years old when I moved to the United States and one of my first memories was spending a month in a hospital bed. Many times we were uncertain if my treatments would continue as my family faced challenges with my insurance. I also remember the times when it was hard to communicate because we did not speak English. These experiences made me realize the importance of diversity in healthcare, and they drive the way I approach my medical education. My goal is to have a seat at the table and be part of the conversation to ensure that underserved communities are well represented by future healthcare providers.”
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While moving the needle now, donor support also continued to build the foundation for continuing its movement in the future. Overall, 13 new scholarships were established this year, including the Duda-Frank Scholarship. Created by a $1M gift from John R. Duda, MD ’74 in honor of his parents and their remarkable legacy, the scholarship will support its recipients through all four years of their medical education.
This gift also utilized Temple’s Made for More fundraising initiative, designed to encourage the creation of new scholarships. All new endowed scholarship gifts of $50,000 and greater made before January 1, 2027, are eligible for a tiered match.
Aligning scholarship fundraising strategy with Katz’s immediate needs and long-term strategic priorities is essential to the school’s mission of accessibility and excellence. By focusing on current-use scholarships, Katz can address urgent student financial challenges, allowing more students to pursue their education with reduced debt. Simultaneously, the school is steadily growing its endowed scholarship funds, which provide enduring support and stability for future generations. This balanced approach ensures that Katz can meet both the present demands of its students and the future needs of the institution.
Powering Opportunity through the Dean’s Fund
Beyond scholarship support, FY24 saw a notable investment in the Dean’s Fund. The $2.9M raised for the Dean’s Fund provide Dean Goldberg with the flexibility to address immediate needs, fund groundbreaking research and support interdisciplinary collaboration across the school.
“As an elite educational institution, we have to identify and take advantage of opportunities to advance our priorities as they arise,” said Dean Goldberg. “We need to lay the groundwork for the future while creating the ability to meet the moment. The Dean’s Fund is instrumental in strengthening the impact of that flexibility.”
Among the projects supported by the fund this year was a collaborative translational research grant program, providing four grants worth $50,000 each awarded to multidisciplinary research teams comprised of Clinical and Basic Science faculty members. These projects represent innovative approaches to tackling pressing health challenges and advancing our understanding of complex diseases. Initial grantees are exploring a strategy for predicting disease progression and detecting early ALS; studying the molecular differences between early and late-onset colorectal cancer to provide insight into disease progression and therapeutic outcomes; investigating the metabolic changes associated with the development of lung adenocarcinoma to identify opportunities for therapeutic intervention; and investigating the role of the protein kinase TNIK in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas to increase the efficacy of chemotherapy.
“Whether launching new initiatives or accelerating ongoing projects, the fund empowers Katz to remain responsive and proactive,” said Dean Goldberg. “Donor support directly impacts our continued leadership in academic medicine. Every contribution makes a real and meaningful difference.”
Investing in Progress
Innovation is a cornerstone of progress, and foundational to the way medicine is taught and practiced at Temple, ensuring our students and faculty are equipped to meet the evolving challenges of medicine. This year, donors and partners again came together to invest in the spaces, projects and programs that fortify our innovation in education, research and care.
Charles Leone, MD ’60 wanted a way to give back to his alma mater and support his specialty of Ophthalmlogy, while fostering continued innovation in medical education and training. The result was a $500,000 gift naming the Ellen W. Leone Microsurgical Training Laboratory in memory of his late wife. Used by several departments across Temple's academic medical center including Opthalmology, the lab is an integrative multidisciplinary teaching space that provides hands-on opportunities to practice and advance surgical skills, develop new techniques and conduct research.
Alongside the generosity of individual donors, corporation and foundation partnerships also played a pivotal role in funding key projects fostering innovation to improve healthcare. A $200,000 Clinical Care Innovation grant from Independence Blue Cross is supporting a cross-Temple Health initiative to address racial and socio-economic disparities in cancer outcomes, screenings, and treatment. The Pincus Family Foundation renewed its support for the Urban Health Fellowship at Katz’s Center for Urban Bioethics, which focuses on pediatric health innovation and education in urban communities. Just under $500,000 was awarded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for capacity-building, and is supporting Temple’s ongoing participation in PCORI’s Health Systems Implementation Initiative (HSII), helping to accelerate the adoption of practice-changing research in clinical care to improve quality and patient outcomes. These partnerships are empowering Temple’s novel approaches to critical health equity initiatives, and ensuring impactful results.
Building on Success
With renewed focus and alignment, FY24 set a new standard for fundraising at Katz. Continuing our concentration on reducing student debt, expanding research and supporting new programs, the generosity of our community will remain a cornerstone of today’s success and tomorrow’s growth. Inspiring Excellence, the school’s strategic plan for the next five years, outlines the school’s big and bold future.
"Katz doesn’t shy away from the challenges of medicine—in fact, we’re motivated by them,” said Dean Goldberg ─ a commitment, and a purpose, shared by every donor and underscored by every gift.