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UT HEALTH
SAN ANTONIO
UT HEALTH SAN ANTONIO:
ENDOWMENTS ARE CHANGING THE
TRAJECTORY OF HEALTH SCIENCE EDUCATION
By William L. Henrich, MD
Recently, The University of Texas Health Science Center (now Endowments deliver significant, sustained long-term impact as
known as UT Health San Antonio) announced the naming of the the Long Fund clearly has demonstrated. When considered in its
School of Medicine as a result of an extraordinary gift that significantly totality, the impact of the Longs’ philanthropy, with their new gift
expands the educational legacy of philanthropists Joe R. and Teresa of $25 million, now exceeds $61 million. In recognition and appre-
Lozano Long of Austin. The Longs initially gave $1 million to UT ciation of the new gift and the collective impact of the Longs’ pre-
Health in 1999 to support scholarships for medical students from vious commitments to UT Health, the UT System Board of Regents
South Texas, and they followed this with a transformative $25 million enthusiastically authorized the naming of the School of Medicine
gift in 2008 to expand scholarships for students from across Texas at UT Health San Antonio as the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long
studying to be physicians, nurses, physician assistants or scientists. School of Medicine.
Last month the Longs the contributed an additional $25 million The Longs’ new $25 million gift will establish a $1 million dis-
that will change the trajectory of health science education for Texas tinguished chair endowment for the dean of the School of Medicine;
and beyond. Their previous gift of $25 million established the Joe a $4 million endowment to support scholarships for students from
R. and Teresa L. Long Scholarship Research and Teaching Fund, a throughout Texas who are attending UT Health and studying to be
permanent endowment that supports student scholarships in med- physicians; and a $20 million President’s Endowment for Faculty
icine, nursing, graduate and physician assistant studies; advances Excellence in Medicine to support priority faculty recruitment in
medical research in diabetes and other areas that affect the health of the School of Medicine.
the population; and sustains faculty through perpetual funding of
new endowed chairs that support efforts in priority areas of UT The Longs have supported more than 290 scholarships to more
Health’s education, research and patient care missions. Two new en- than 115 students. Today, 44 Long Physicians are practicing medicine
dowed distinguished chairs have been established to date. in South Texas and beyond — graduates of the Long-funded scholar-
ship programs that covered their medical school tuition for their entire
30 San Antonio Medicine • March 2017