VCOM 2024 Annual Report

Nancy and Pat have been incredibly generous to VCOM, providing funding for four fully endowed scholarships. “It is impossible to imagine healthcare in the New River Valley today without VCOM-trained physicians,” they say. “Today, there are far more than 200 VCOM-trained physicians practicing west of Roanoke. If they weren’t here, the New River Valley would be a healthcare desert.” Pat notes that there are a lot of good causes donors can support and feel like they have done something worthwhile. However, "I view donating to VCOM as acting in my own self-interest,” he says. “Investing in VCOM is investing in the future physicians who will allow us to live our lives more fully.” The couple supports scholarships in particular because they help reduce the cost of medical school for students and because scholarships show students that someone believes in them and the investment they’re making in our communities. In addition, VCOM matches endowed scholarship contributions. That match shows VCOM’s commitment to students and medical education, while also ensuring that gifts from donors will have a maximum impact. Nancy is from Northern Virginia and Pat hails from the coal country of southern Ohio. They think it is important to support worthy students who are preparing to provide healthcare in communities like the ones they grew up in— whether those communities are in Virginia, Ohio, or anywhere in the southeastern United States. In fact, 74% of VCOM alumni are practicing in an Appalachian or a Mississippi Delta state. “Investing in VCOM is investing in the future physicians who will allow us to live our lives more fully.”

Pat and Nancy Artis, outside edge, with Dr. Elliot Freed and his wife, J.C.

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