Hershey Bell has been named the founding dean of the Methodist University College of Medicine.
University President Stanley T. Wearden announced Bell’s appointment on Thursday, according to a university news release.
The medical school is a partnership between Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health. In February, they announced plans for a state-of-the-art medical school located on the campus of Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
“Methodist University is both pleased and proud to appoint Dr. Hershey Bell as the founding dean of the MU College of Medicine,” Wearden said in the news release. “Dr. Bell brings to the position a wealth of knowledge, experience, energy, and passion for improving the quality of care through a more integrated approach to medical education and treatment.”
Bell will oversee the accreditation process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Classes are set to begin classes in July 2026, pending approval.
As dean, Bell will develop a curriculum that combines both classroom and online learning with a focus on community outreach — meeting with business, education and religious leaders from the Fayetteville area to better understand the needs and expectations of the community, the release said.
Bell also will serve as vice president and chief academic officer of Cape Fear Valley Health.
“The appointment of Dr. Hershey Bell as the founding dean at the newly established medical school represents a significant milestone in our commitment to advancing medical education and health care in our community,” said Michael Nagowski, CEO of Cape Fear Valley Health. “Together, we are shaping the future of health care and preparing the next generation of medical professionals to make a lasting impact in our community.”
Bell has more than 30 years of experience in the medical field and classroom. Most recently, he was vice president for medical education program development at Cape Fear Valley Health. Before then, Bell was a professor, vice president for academic affairs, and dean for developing initiatives at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pennsylvania. He oversaw development of Lake Erie’s school of podiatric medicine and led its planning and research institute.
“It is an incredibly humbling experience to be named founding dean,” Bell said in the news release. “This is a dream come true in the sense that I am able to work with leaders from both Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health to create something that is going to forever change Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and the entire Southeastern region.”
From 2009 to 2020, Bell was CEO and dean of Lake Erie College’s school of pharmacy, leading the effort for its first successful eight-year accreditation by the Accreditation Council on Pharmacy Education.
He also has held executive roles at Hamot Medical Center in Erie, Duke University Medical Center in Durham, and Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, New Jersey. He practiced family medicine at all three locations.
Bell received his medical degree in his hometown at the University of Toronto, later completing family medicine residency programs at both the University of Toronto and Duke University. He is also a graduate of Duke’s National Family Medicine Faculty Development Fellowship program.
Bell earned his master of science in medical education at Lake Eerie College, the news release said.
“My career has involved identifying novel ways to educate future physicians, and this school will be our laboratory for using innovative ideas to produce a different generation of physicians,” said Bell. “This school will have a foundation of patient-centered care that will allow our students to understand the issues families face in this region.”
For more information, go to methodist.edu/medicine.
