Valerie Montgomery Rice, President and CEO, Morehouse School of Medicine

In an interview with Focus:, Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine, discussed health equity, strategic partnerships, and innovation in education and research. “Access and trust are what truly shift outcomes. In many cases, screening is the most critical intervention.”

What have been some of the most meaningful changes for Morehouse School of Medicine in the past year?
Much of what we’ve accomplished over the past year builds on the work of the last 11 years, and on the foundation established 50 years ago. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we reflect on our founding principles of health equity, even though that wasn’t the term used at the time.

Back then, we focused on what was missing: too few physicians, glaring health disparities, and widespread inequities. Morehouse School of Medicine was founded to address the physician shortage in Georgia, improve access, and deliver better outcomes.

At the time, Georgia was still segregated. One new medical school was created, Mercer, but a group of seven Black physicians pushed for another, noting that 93 of them were caring for 75% of Georgia’s Black population. Their vision created a school focused on producing more Black physicians for underserved communities.

Since I arrived 11 years ago, we’ve stayed true to that mission. Our MD class size has more than doubled, growing from 54 to around 125 students. We’ve expanded from five to 16 degree-granting programs, including new physician assistant and nursing programs.

All of this is about meeting the needs of Georgians and other underserved regions. We’ve continued to live out our mission with a sharper focus on access and equity.

What impact did being named a top medical school for social mission have on your leadership and strategy?
When we received that recognition, we reflected on what it truly meant to lead in a social mission. The designation was based on factors like the percentage of graduates from underserved communities, the number going into primary care or core specialties, and how many returned to serve similar communities.

Those outcomes directly align with our founding purpose. We weren’t surprised by the ranking; it affirmed our identity and direction.

Over the past decade, I’ve worked to reinforce the idea that healthcare is a team effort. Becoming a physician is a long journey, so we’ve committed to training other healthcare professionals to work alongside them. That’s how we expand access and improve care quality in the communities we serve.

How has your background in clinical care and reproductive medicine shaped your leadership approach?
I originally planned to be a neurosurgeon, but that came after deciding I didn’t want to be an engineer. As a chemical engineering major at Georgia Tech, I realized I needed more personal interaction in my work. I joked that I was too cute to be an engineer and started looking for a different path.

I turned to medicine, a decision that wasn’t rooted in a calling, but ended up being the best one I’ve ever made.

During my final year of medical school, I discovered OB-GYN and fell in love with the patient connection. Especially with pregnant women, trust leads to strong engagement. 

Reproductive endocrinology also appealed to me because it involved solving problems. Couples came in struggling to conceive, and nine months later, they could hold a baby. It was science, human connection, and real results.

These experiences taught me that disease happens in context — it’s influenced by where people live, work, and worship. True care requires understanding that environment and co-creating solutions.

At Morehouse School of Medicine, we define health equity as giving people what they need, when they need it, and in the amount they need to reach their own best level of health. That requires deep understanding and shared commitment.

What new opportunities do you see for connecting medicine, public health, and community-centered innovation?
There are many, and the first is a renewed commitment to science. Evidence-based medicine is vital for building trust and ensuring communities receive accurate, effective care.

Everyone plays a role in that ecosystem: researchers, clinician scientists, regulatory bodies, and providers. Public health professionals must also understand the science behind clinical trials and treatment outcomes so they can advocate for informed decision-making at every level.

Unfortunately, we’ve reached a point where decisions about vaccine access or safe medications like acetaminophen are being made without scientific grounding. For example, managing maternal fever during pregnancy is critical to fetal health, and the evidence supports that. Every link in the care chain must be guided by accurate science.

Innovation brings new possibilities, but it must be grounded in reliable data. Artificial intelligence, for example, can only deliver value if it pulls from sound, evidence-based sources. If the input is flawed, the output will be too. As we expand our use of technology, we have to ensure the foundation remains scientific and trustworthy.

What role do local partnerships play in advancing your mission and expanding your impact?
Partnerships have been essential to Morehouse School of Medicine’s growth. In the early years, primary care physicians welcomed our students into their practices for clinical training. We also partnered with Emory at Grady Hospital, where our students completed third- and fourth-year rotations alongside Emory students, eventually developing our own clerkships there.

One of our most critical early partners was the state of Georgia. Through an initial operating grant, we received $1 million to build the school’s capacity and infrastructure. That launched a longstanding model of public-private collaboration. Morehouse and Emory are private institutions, while Grady and the state are public — these partnerships have been key to our development.

Today, we’ve expanded this model across Georgia. In Columbus, we’ve partnered with local primary care providers and hospital systems to create our Columbus Regional Campus. In Albany, we’re launching another campus through a partnership with Phoebe Putney Health System.

Nationally, we’ve partnered with CommonSpirit Health through the More in Common Alliance, or MICA. This allows us to establish regional medical campuses and graduate medical education programs within a large national health system.

These partnerships exist because we’ve consistently delivered on our mission. We recruit students from underserved communities, train them in primary care and core specialties, and see over 65% return to serve those same communities. Whether in Georgia or at MICA sites, this model improves representation, expands access, and enhances outcomes.

How is Morehouse School of Medicine approaching community-driven research?
Community-based participatory research is central to our work. It goes beyond clinical trials and begins with mutual education between researchers and the community.

Trust is essential. We train students and faculty to listen first, with the goal of understanding rather than responding. Knowing what motivates someone to participate in research is just as important as the study itself.

This approach helps define our research priorities. While data may highlight disparities, direct engagement reveals the underlying causes. For example, prostate cancer has a disproportionate impact on African American men. We study the biology and treatments in the lab, but we also focus on breaking down barriers to early screening.

Community engagement helps answer important questions. What prevents people from seeking care? Do services need to be closer to home? Are we relying on the right messengers? I may not be the most effective person to speak to men about prostate cancer, and that is something we have to accept. The goal is to meet people where they are.

Cultural humility is at the heart of what we do. We recognize where our expertise ends and where the community’s insight begins. This approach applies not only to prostate cancer but also to breast cancer. Many women fear mammograms, often because of past experiences. I’ve gone with women who were afraid to go alone, and I’ve felt that fear myself. Still, we know that early detection saves lives.

Research is only part of the equation. Access and trust are what truly shift outcomes. In many cases, screening is the most critical intervention.

What are your top priorities over the next three to five years?
At Morehouse School of Medicine, we plan in three categories: now, near, and next.

Right now, we’re focused on the start of the academic year and navigating the current landscape of federal funding and research continuity. We’re expanding our regional campuses in Columbus and Albany and launching two of the five undergraduate medical campuses through MICA.

Our immediate goal is to ensure these new campuses reflect the same values and mission as our Atlanta campus. We’re also focused on financial sustainability. We recently completed a capital campaign, raising $530 million over eight years, finishing two years ahead of schedule. Being strong stewards of those funds, particularly for student scholarships, is a top priority.

Looking ahead, we are expanding both our research and clinical programs. We aim to build a more robust, integrated ambulatory care network on the south side of Atlanta. We’ve streamlined some of our existing sites to concentrate on that region, and we’re forming new partnerships to expand access and services there.

On the research side, we’re investing in genomics to study how disease presents differently based on genetic profiles. We’re also focused on how technology can support more equitable access to care and improve outcomes.

Over the next three to five years, our top priorities include expanding regional campuses in Georgia and through MICA, strengthening our clinical network, and growing our genomics and technology-driven research to close equity gaps in healthcare.