When I was a very young boy growing up in Columbia, South Carolina my parents, particularly my mother, always reminded me to say "thank you" to everyone who helped me. Last week, this community did something that few people believed could be done -- it raised a significant amount of money. I have so many folks to thank for their support of our recent Gala to announce the Dr. Thaddeus John Bell Endowment Fund -- a fund that will help African American Students at MUSC defray the costs of a health education. Any minority student who has been accepted to any MUSC program and is recommended by the Dean of his or her respective college is eligible for assistance.

"Thank you" to Select Health Insurance for stepping up and saying that increasing the number of African Americans in the health profession is important. "Thank you" to the African American community and to our corporate sponsors who will help us continue to raise money to support the endowment. It will take several years for the fund to mature to where it can be of significant assistance to our young black students, but what a remarkable start we have made. Thank you all for your support. I am Dr. Thaddeus John Bell --- Closing the Gap in Health Care.

Bell Update Chapter 2 Volume 17
Copyright May 2007