$25 million gift will bolster rural, Indigenous healthcare

The largest-ever scholarship gift to the University of Washington School of Medicine Medical Student Education Program will be used to increase the number of primary-care physicians serving rural and Indigenous communities across Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho — the WWAMI region.

Philanthropists William and Carolyn Franke and their family have made a $25 million gift to create the Franke Medical Student Scholars Program. The program will fund scholarships, student support, and education programs for medical students committed to serving rural and Native communities in the five states.

This represents the largest known family gift to support rural medical education nationwide.

 “Bill and Carolyn have never shied away from tackling big challenges, and the critical shortage of doctors in rural and Indigenous communities is no exception,” said UW President Robert J. Jones. “This gift from the Franke family will enable us to increase the number of primary-care physicians in these communities across five states. This is an investment in the health of an entire region, and we are deeply honored the Frankes chose to make this historic gift.”

The gift creates a $20 million scholarship endowment that, each year, will cover half of medical school tuition for approximately 30 students who demonstrate financial need and a commitment to practicing in rural or Indigenous communities.

An additional $4.5 million will establish the Franke Family Endowed Fund for Excellence to bolster student recruitment and retention, as well as activities to support graduates practicing in rural communities across the region. These efforts include the formation of the W.A. Franke Rural Medical Education Summit. The remaining $500,000 will seed the Franke Family Excellence Fund to provide immediate support for the summit. 

  “Living part time in Montana, we have seen firsthand that the physician shortage in many rural communities persists today and we saw an opportunity to help address this challenge,” said Bill Franke, co-founder and managing partner of Indigo Partners.

“By making a strategic investment in the WWAMI Program, we can increase support for exceptional students who aspire to become rural physicians, thereby ultimately scaling and strengthening healthcare across rural communities,” said Dave Franke, principal at Franke & Company and current treasurer of the UW Foundation Board.

The WWAMI region is experiencing some of the country’s most severe primary-care physician shortages. People in rural communities often must travel great distances for the medical care they need.

“Aspiring rural physicians face significant and growing barriers to pursuing medical education, completing their degree and returning to practice rural medicine,” said Dr. Tim Dellit, CEO of UW Medicine and dean of the UW School of Medicine. “The Franke family’s extraordinary generosity will help reduce many of these barriers to allow our students to pursue their dreams, not their debt.”

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