Widening the Circle of Friends

Kim Jassem doesn’t live in Nashville, but when she arrives at Meharry Medical College, she says it feels like coming home. 

“The relationship with Meharry is really special,” said Kim, the senior director for strategic operations at the Ascension Foundation for Health Equity. “It feels like family.” 

That’s why it was particularly meaningful when Meharry honored the Foundation with the 2024 Circle of Friends Award, an annual recognition of people or organizations who have demonstrated deep commitment to the college’s mission. 

From the beginning 

Conversations with Meharry leaders started shortly after the Foundation’s creation and its decision to dedicate focus to building a future healthcare workforce that reflects the diversity of our country. Meharry leaders were willing advisors and collaborators as ideas and initiatives took shape, working through open questions such as “how might this look?” and “what do we need to make it happen?” 

The results of those conversations included 12 scholarships for medical students, four scholarships for masters of data science students, the capacity for 48 medical clerkships and the creation of #GOALS (Go Out And Love Science), a program that helps middle schoolers envision careers in healthcare. The Foundation has since replicated the #GOALS model developed with Meharry in New Orleans and Detroit, reaching over 1,400 middle school children. 

It’s something created from this really special relationship,” Kim said of #GOALS. “And the secret sauce to it is Meharry and their hospitality. They’re all in with us – 200%.

The most recent #GOALS event at Meharry served 220 middle school students for a full day, offering hands-on explorations of CPR, dentistry and more. Meharry student volunteers line the entry stairway to welcome the middle school buses and dedicate those days to supporting the pre-teens.

“It brings tears to your eyes to see the kids come and see that staircase lined with medical students who look like them,” Kim said. “It’s just really special.”