STEVENS POINT – The Medical College of Wisconsin has received a $2 million gift from the Sentry Insurance Foundation, the college announced this week.

The gift will establish the Sentry Deanship at the MCW-Central Wisconsin campus in Wausau. It is the largest charitable commitment to the campus and will provide the resources needed to expand training programs for medical students at the Medical College of Wisconsin campus based in Wausau, according to the college.

“We are humbled by the leadership and generosity driving this commitment from Sentry,” said John R. Raymond, Sr., M.D., president and chief executive officer of MCW, in a news release. “This support of our vision to ensure that people have access to the highest quality physicians in every part of Wisconsin is a demonstration of Sentry’s commitment to innovation, partnership and the health of our community.”

Sentry’s endowment supports MCW-Central Wisconsin’s dedication to training best-in-class physicians so that it can better treat patients in communities that have faced a shortage of providers. Studies show physicians who attend medical school and perform their residency in the same area are up to 87 percent more likely to stay in the community, taking care of people they know and understand. This support is vital to improving the quality of care for communities in central Wisconsin.

“We are making this gift to build healthier communities and to secure access to quality healthcare for families in central Wisconsin,” said Pete McPartland, chairman of the board, president, and CEO of the Stevens Point-based Sentry, in the release. “The innovative programs provided by the Medical College of Wisconsin enrich us all and we’re honored to stand with them in committing to improving the health of people here and across our state.”

The gift from Sentry will support MCW’s Hope to Health comprehensive fundraising campaign, a philanthropic initiative aimed at building healthy and thriving communities. Priorities of the campaign include: accelerating research and advancing patient care, driving health and vitality with our community, transforming healthcare education, and leading the way in cancer research and care.

The founding dean of the MCW-Central Wisconsin campus is Lisa Dodson, M.D.  The Sentry Deanship, MCW-Central Wisconsin campus, is bestowed upon Dodson as the highest honor a faculty member can receive for exemplary leadership in their field. This deanship also is the first deanship received by a faculty member of MCW.

Photo courtesy Medical College of Wisconsin. Pictured are Pete McPartland; Lisa Dodson, M.D.; John R. Raymond, Sr., M.D.