You saw the heart of this community in the faces of more than 200 people who came for the christening of a medical teaching school that will transform healthcare in this community and beyond.
You heard it in the words of Rakesh Gupta.
“This day is something all have dreamed about—something life-changing,” Gupta, 71, said Thursday before a ribbon-cutting for the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, which is scheduled to welcome its first class of 64 medical students on July 20. “The students, I think, who will become doctors will remember being in the first class.”
Gupta, a retired gastroenterologist, was chief of medicine from 1996 to 1998 at the medical center and chair of the Methodist University board of trustees. He also is a member of the Cape Fear Valley Health board of trustees.
Call this a milestone day.
Not for Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health (CFVH) alone.
But a milestone day for this community.
Take it from the visionaries and those who believed in what this $65 million medical school along Village Drive behind Cape Fear Valley Medical Center could, can, and will be.
“This truly is magnificent,” said Hershey Bell, 71, who is the school’s founding dean. “This building represents vision, sacrifice, partnership, generosity, and years of extraordinary work by countless people who believe this community deserves its own medical school.
“But buildings don’t change the world. People change the world. Four and a half weeks from now, students will arrive with hope, and a little fear. They’ll learn the science of medicine. They’ll learn what it means to sit with a patient. They’ll learn compassion.
“The students who enter here will not leave as the same people, and people will trust them in the most vulnerable moments in their lives,” Bell said. “Years from now, people won’t remember the square footage of the building or the specifics of the technology, but they’ll remember the physician who sat beside them after a devastating diagnosis, the physician who listened, the physician who stayed late, the physician who cared. And that’s the purpose of this building.”
‘A Game Changer’
Stanley Wearden, president of Methodist University, looked into the faces of those attending Thursday’s ceremony at the Norwood and Mary Lynn Bryan Welcome Center.
“I’m feeling incredibly proud today,” said Wearden, 72, who will retire on June 30, 2027. “Proud of my team at Methodist University, proud of the board leadership of both organizations and proud of the support of this community.
“This school of medicine is a game-changer for Methodist University. It will propel us farther along the path of becoming a top university for health and medical professions. It will raise our regional and national profile. It will give us the opportunity to help generations of young people achieve their dream of becoming doctors.
“And it is in keeping of our mission,” Wearden said, “to serve this great community.”
The medical school, Wearden said, will improve healthcare outcomes in Fayetteville, Cumberland County and neighboring communities to include Bladen, Harnett, Hoke, Robeson, and Columbus counties.
Wearden cast his eyes toward Mike Nagowski, the CFVH chief executive officer who is retiring at the end of June after 18 years.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t single out the tireless work and the vision of my good friend, former Cape Fear Valley Health CEO Mike Nagowski, who has envisioned a medical school in Fayetteville for years and who worked tirelessly to find a way to make this happen. Dr. Rakesh Gupta, our board chair, introduced Mike to me,” Wearden said.
Dan Weatherly will succeed Nagowskit as CEO.
Irrigating the ‘Doctor Desert’
“Today marks a truly transformational moment for Cape Fear Valley Health and the diverse communities we serve,” said Weatherly, 59. “I would like to thank our partners at Methodist University. The leadership team there has been wonderful to work with on this momentous endeavor. I would also like to thank the current Cape Fear Valley Board of trustees for their continued commitment to our academic mission.”
Like Bell, he reminded us that the medical school is more than a building with tomorrow’s physicians and healthcare professionals to come.
“It is a profound investment in the future of healthcare across southeastern North Carolina,” Weatherly said.
He reflected on what Mike Nagowski has called “a doctor desert” when joining with Stanley Wearden on February 23, 2023, in announcing plans for the medical school.
The medical school is about irrigating the desert.
“Southeastern North Carolina continues to navigate severe physician shortages, a challenge felt most acutely in our rural and historically underserved neighborhoods,” Weatherly said. “For many patients, this reality translated into exhausting wait times, grueling travel distances for basic care and severely limited access to specialized services. The School of Medicine was engineered precisely to confront these challenges head-on. By training physicians locally, we aren’t just addressing a temporary gap. We are building a permanent solution to elevate health outcomes across our entire region.”
Weatherly said that nationwide, 67% of physicians who complete their medical school education and residency within a specific region choose to stay there.
“By anchoring medical education in Fayetteville and the surrounding counties, we are establishing a sustainable, long-term pipeline of exceptionally talented doctors,” he said. “These future physicians will not just work here, they will understand the unique culture, needs and hearts of our communities. I can’t say thank you enough to our current medical staff and their willingness to share their talents and experience with our students. This partnership offers our exceptional current providers a fulfilling new avenue for professional growth, allowing them to step into vital roles as educators, mentors and leaders for the next generation of medicine.”
‘A Vision Becomes Reality’
Kirk deViere, chair of the Cumberland Board of County Commissioner, called Thursday a hallmark day for the community.
“Today, Cumberland County becomes a place where doctors are made,” he said. “We are celebrating more than a building. We are celebrating the people of Cumberland County and what happens when a community decides to invest in its own future.
“When Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health announced this partnership in 2023, they set out to do something transformational. They set out to build a medical school that would train the next generation of physicians and expand access to care for rural and underserved communities.
“Today, that vision becomes reality.
“In just a few weeks, the inaugural class will walk through these doors,” deViere said. “Those students will learn from talented faculty and gain hands-on experience in hospitals and clinics right here at home.”
He implored all to give thought to his words.
“Local students who dream of a career in medicine can now chase that dream without leaving home,” deViere said. “Families who have waited too long for care will see new physicians in their communities. And our region takes its place as a leader in healthcare, education, workforce development and economic growth.”
The impact, he said, will reach far beyond the walls of the medical school with hundreds of jobs, new investments and a stronger pipeline of healthcare professionals who will care for our neighbors for decades to come.
“We are not just training physicians,” deViere said. “We are growing our own. The credit belongs to this community. We saw a need. We came together. We delivered. Most importantly, this school represents hope. Hope for those who need care. Hope for students pursuing their dreams. Hope for a healthcare stronger region. Our children will grow up in a county where becoming a doctor does not require leaving home. That is the legacy we open today. Together, we can build that future, and today proves it.”
On this day, they were aglow with pride—from Franklin Clark to Mary Lynn Bryan to George and Carolyn Armstrong to Murray Duggins to Will Gillis and Mary Holmes, president and CEO of the Cumberland Community Foundation. They were the early believers in what this medical school could be, along with Wes and Lucy Jones, Ralph and Linda Huff, and P.K. Vyas.
“In addition, the school has had generous gifts from the Golden LEAF Foundation, the County of Cumberland, The Duke Endowment, The Anonymous Trust and others,” said Sabrina Brooks, vice president of philanthropy and marketing for the Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation. All of the generous philanthropic gifts we have received, regardless of size, have helped to make this ribbon-cutting possible.”
The People and the Numbers
Perhaps the day was bittersweet for the retiring Mike Nagowski, 60, who reminded us of those who supported the medical school beginning seven years ago.
“Today is more than the opening of a building,” he said. “It is the realization of vision that has been years in the making.”
Nagowski said the medical school was the work of board members of Cape Fear Valley Health present and past, such as County Commissioners Glenn Adams and Marshall Faircloth, and Sandra Carr-Johnson, Brad Broussard, Chuck Chima, and Murtis Worth.
“Many elected officials at the state level helped make this a reality,” he said, including Sen. Tom McInnis and former state senators Billy Richardson, Wesley Meredith, and deViere. He didn’t leave out state Rep. Diane Wheatley or former legislator John Szoka.
“One of the most important facts in medical education is that physicians often practice where they train,” Nagowski said. “That means this school is not just educating future physicians. It is helping build the future healthcare workforce of southeastern North Carolina.”
Epilogue
Mike Nagowski paused to tell us the christening of this medical school was not so much about Thursday, but about the days and years and decades to come along Village Drive.
“When future generations look back on this day, they will not remember the ribbon we cut,” Nagowski said. “They will remember the physicians who stayed. They will remember patients who received care closer to home. They will remember healthier communities, because we chose to invest in the future. The future is bright for the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine.”
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
