Gift establishes M. Foscue Brock Institute for Community and Global Health

Story Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:01:00 EST

A $3 million gift from Macon and Joan Brock has established the M. Foscue Brock Institute for Community and Global Health at EVMS.

The Brock Institute will be the focal point for integrating EVMS' clinical, educational and research programs, enabling EVMS to take a major step toward its vision of being the most community-oriented medical school in the nation. The interdisciplinary institute will allow EVMS (1) to train the next generation of community-minded physicians and health care professionals, (2) to build a robust training program that will offer students meaningful community-service experiences and (3) to become a model for other medical schools throughout the country.

The donation from Macon F. Brock Jr., co-founder and chairman of Dollar Tree Inc., and his wife, Joan, is one of the largest individual gifts ever made to EVMS. Named in honor of Mr. Brock's father, who was a physician, the institute will allow the school's community-oriented programs to expand and deepen their impact on both local and global health issues.

"EVMS' vision of being the most community-oriented school of medicine and health professions in the nation helped us reach our decision to establish the M. Foscue Brock Institute for Community and Global Health," Mr. Brock says. "The Brock Institute gives EVMS the opportunity to significantly expand its efforts to address critical community health issues while also nurturing a lifelong commitment to community service, particularly among the students. It's rewarding to know that we can help EVMS improve health in communities throughout Hampton Roads."

Developing a strong, lifelong commitment to service among EVMS students, residents and faculty is one of the Brock Institute's core principles. To that end, significant enhancements will be made to EVMS' medical education curricula, including an innovative community-service requirement throughout the four years of medical school. The curricula will be progressive, building upon key core areas in the first year while expanding in future years with the culmination of a capstone project.

Dr. Brock, Macon's father, was a tuberculosis specialist in charge of Norfolk's Grandy Sanatorium for 29 years until he entered private practice in the early 1950s. Dr. Brock was a community service volunteer at the public-health center in Norfolk during his career and was a favorite family doctor to all he served.

"This is why EVMS was created — to improve lives in Hampton Roads," says EVMS President Harry T. Lester. "This gift will help us make people healthier right here in our backyard. Investing in our work shows just how much the Brocks care about this community. This is a wonderful way to honor Dr. Brock's legacy, and we're extremely grateful that his family has stepped forward in such an outstanding way."