An $8 million gift to the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Carolinas will address healthcare needs in rural and underserved communities in South Carolina while providing opportunities for aspiring physicians.
Philanthropists Gail Lott and James Edinger live in Orangeburg and spent their careers working in healthcare.
They’ve had first-hand experience with the challenges faced by poorer communities, and they wanted to do something to make a difference.
Half of their gift, which comes in the form of a beachfront property at Hilton Head, will support need-based scholarships for students who want to practice medicine in rural areas.
“There are very few physicians in rural communities,” said Lott, who grew up in the small South Carolina town of Blackville and worked as supervisor of the blood bank, donor center and transfusion services at Orangeburg Regional Hospital.
“If this gift makes it possible for even one student to fulfill their passion for becoming a physician, then it’s a blessing.”
Edinger, her husband, is a retired osteopathic physician who specialized in radiology. He attended Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Iowa and completed a residency program at Duke University.
They considered contributing to one of those institutions, Lott said, “but we felt better about making the gift in South Carolina.”
On June 6, VCOM held a ceremony to recognize Lott and Edinger. The college announced the naming of its main academic building in their honor.
In addition to scholarships, their gift will support ongoing beautification and maintenance of VCOM’s campus, located in Spartanburg’s Northside community, as well as technology investments and programs to give students deeper insights into the role of nutrition in health and wellness.
“Healthy food habits can be an effective part of medicine,” said Matthew Cannon, VCOM’s dean.
Meanwhile, addressing the needs of underserved communities “is part of our mission,” he said.
It’s why the gift from Lott and Edinger “is so important,” he said. “Residents in our rural communities simply don’t have access to care that people in other areas do.”
“We feel blessed to support VCOM’s mission and help remove barriers for future doctors,” Edinger said in a prepared statement. “This is our way of giving back to the people of South Carolina.”
VCOM has four campuses. In addition to Spartanburg, the medical school educates students in Virginia, Alabama, and Louisiana.