Just over a year ago, Ochsner Health, in partnership with Xavier University of Louisiana, announced our plans for a new historically black college and university (HBCU) medical school in Louisiana to help address physician shortages and give more career opportunities to underrepresented students, helping to improve health outcomes for patients and community members across our region. Today, on April 29, we shared our continued progress in launching the transformational Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine (XOCOM). Through the establishment of XOCOM, Xavier and Ochsner aspire to redefine the landscape of medicine by training new physicians who authentically mirror the communities they serve. Slated to be the only HBCU medical school in the Gulf South when it opens, XOCOM expands opportunities for New Orleans’ downtown area as part of the BioDistrict, a development district growing biosciences and the local economy. As XOCOM advances healthcare equity and expands the physician workforce in the Gulf South, the medical school will also help the BioDistrict lead the region in healthcare excellence and promote inclusive, equitable job growth. At the momentous XOCOM signing celebration, Xavier and Ochsner officials proudly announced that Leonardo Seoane M.D., F.A.C.P., executive vice president and chief academic officer of Ochsner Health, will serve as the new HBCU medical school’s founding dean. Xavier University of Louisiana will seek approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which is expected to take about three years, followed by recruitment. XOCOM aims to seat 50 students in the first class, and the medical school will continue to grow as it develops. Thank you to all who have made XOCOM possible, including the Xavier University of Louisiana Board of Trustees, the Ochsner Health Board of Directors, and local and state officials. To learn more, visit: https://lnkd.in/guWTQ_ww.
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