Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine Poised to Become Fifth HBCU Medical School
Photo by Susan Walsh of Xavier University of Louisiana President Reynold Verret
Xavier University of Louisiana is taking up the charge to decrease Black health inequities through its forthcoming Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine. XOCOM will reside in XULA’s Benson Tower, located in BioDistrict New Orleans, an economic development district dedicated to the biosciences sector. Dr. Leonardo Seoane, MD, FACP, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer of Ochsner Health will serve as the medical school’s founding dean.
The new medical school will focus on “interdisciplinary collaboration, clinical proficiency, and patient care, while training its students to champion inclusivity and excellence in medicine.” It addition, one of its major goals will be to provide Black patients in the Gulf South with Black doctors.
Currently, the Gulf South region is experiencing a shortage of doctors, especially those from diverse backgrounds. Studies have shown that diversity in medicine has a significant impact on preventative care, improved health, and patient satisfaction.
The Ochsner and Xavier partnership dates back to the early 1980s and has led to advances in healthcare equity including a program for physician assistants. Xavier University is known for its College of Pharmacy and stellar reputation in placing high numbers of Black students into medical school.
Xavier Ochsner will join Howard University College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science as the fifth HBCU medical school.