DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), a leading global medical products company, announced today the introduction of three scholarship and grant programs to support Black students pursuing health and science degrees and ultimately help expand the pipeline of Black healthcare professionals. Over a three-year period, $1.2 million will be distributed to three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): Meharry Medical College, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), and Tennessee State University (TSU).

The lack of diversity in healthcare is a longstanding and multifaceted problem, one that we are focused on helping to address, said Vernica Arroyave, senior director of Global Community Relations. Creating opportunities that support and empower Black students to pursue medical and scientific careers is one way we can help drive positive change, and we are proud to partner with respected organizations like Meharry, Morehouse, and Tennessee State to expand this effort.

Launching the Baxter Scholars Award at TSU and Meharry Medical College

Beginning in 2021, the Baxter Scholars Award will support the Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. Medical, Dental and Accelerated Pathway Program, a shared program between TSU and Meharry Medical College. The accelerated pipeline program prepares qualified TSU students for early acceptance to Meharry, where students will spend three years in pre-medical courses of study at TSU before being admitted to and enrolling at Meharry to study medicine or dentistry. The Pathway Program participants will complete their undergraduate and medical school studies in seven years, instead of the customary eight years.

The Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. Institute is grateful to Baxter for its support and participation in this journey to increase the number of African American physicians and dentists, to assist young outstanding students in pursuing their dreams, and to invest in the communities we serve, said Ms. Barbara Murrell, chair of the Institute. This is an exciting time!

Morehouse School of Medicine Grants

Baxters donation will support several initiatives within the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) Undergraduate Health Sciences Academy (UHSA), a pre-medical targeting program designed to assist undergraduate scholars as they pursue medical school admissions. Baxter funding will provide support in the areas of student research stipends, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparation for students and related instructor grants. The gift will also be used to support several MSM Graduate Pipeline Programs, including Bridges to Biotechnology & Bioentrepreneurships, curriculum that raises awareness for the biotechnology field and its offerings, and Bridges to Health Informatics, a program exposing students to health information technologies and analytics.

We must continue to identify and remove barriers for Black students who enter medical school and other fields in health sciences, said John K. White, associate vice president and chief of staff for institutional advancement at Morehouse School of Medicine. Baxters support allows us to offer more assistance to students as they pursue education in these important areas, and were immensely grateful for this support.

About ACT: Activating Change Today

Baxters ACT: Activating Change Today program is a multidimensional and multiyear initiative to advance inclusion and racial justice within the workplace, communities and markets the company serves. Baxters commitment through ACT is about taking action and driving results to achieve meaningful, sustainable change. The HBCU funding builds on the recent introduction of three additional partnerships supporting efforts to combat prevalent health issues in the Black community:

About Baxter

Every day, millions of patients and caregivers rely on Baxters leading portfolio of critical care, nutrition, renal, hospital and surgical products. For 90 years, weve been operating at the critical intersection where innovations that save and sustain lives meet the healthcare providers that make it happen. With products, technologies and therapies available in more than 100 countries, Baxters employees worldwide are now building upon the companys rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of transformative healthcare innovations. To learn more, visit http://www.baxter.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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Baxter Announces $1.2 Million in New Scholarships and Grant Funding to Support Students Pursuing Health and Sciences at Historically Black Colleges...