Golden LEAF Foundation supports ECU Center for Medical Education
GREENVILLE, N.C. (10/21/25) – The Golden LEAF Foundation has awarded $1 million to East Carolina University in support of the Center for Medical Education (CME) at the Brody School of Medicine.
Construction of the state-funded, seven-story, 195,000-square-foot building is underway and expected to be complete in 2027. The construction will allow space to train more medical students with classes growing to 120 students in the coming years. The number of residents and fellows who can be trained at ECU will also increase.
“We are grateful to the Golden LEAF Foundation for investing in our new Center for Medical Education,” Chancellor Philip Rogers said. “Their support helps ensure a state-of-the-art learning environment is available for future medical students. By investing in the Brody School of Medicine, Golden LEAF is also advancing the future of health care for the region we both serve.”
The award is the first million-dollar philanthropic investment — in partnership with the ECU Health Foundation — for the medical school expansion. The funding will outfit the CME’s learning studio with 360-degree screens and the software for a whitebox simulation room.
“Growth at the Brody School of Medicine directly supports Golden LEAF’s mission,” said Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. “By expanding ECU’s capacity to train more physicians, physician assistants and medical residents, this project will not only increase health care jobs in rural communities but also help build a healthier workforce by improving access to care in a medically underserved region.”
Once open, the CME will be connected to the existing Brody Medical Sciences building at every level, providing high-tech classrooms, anatomy labs and simulation technology integrated with space for the growing student body to learn.
Dr. Michael Waldrum, dean of the medical school and CEO of ECU Health, said the Golden LEAF award will help the medical school continue to build on its reputation for producing physicians who are prepared to provide health care in rural North Carolina.
“Healthy rural communities need access to excellent physicians, and no one does that better than ECU. This grant allows us to answer the call of students in this state who dream of being physicians in North Carolina,” Waldrum said.
Dr. Scott Senatore, chief philanthropy officer of the ECU Health Foundation, described the Golden LEAF grant as transformative in furthering the mission-driven alignment between the health system and the university.
“Golden LEAF is an outstanding community partner and is an integral part of elevating student success and training future physicians to meet crucial health care needs in North Carolina,” Senatore said. “Their award will provide a lasting impact for years to come, and for that, we are truly grateful.”
Contact: Patricia Earnhardt Tyndall, public communications specialist, earnhardttyndallp22@ecu.edu
Telephone: 252-737-1505
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