CMU receives $80 million in commitments from Covenant HealthCare and MyMichigan Health

Gifts will name CMU's College of Medicine and its new home in Saginaw, Michigan

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich., Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Central Michigan University's College of Medicine announced today it has received two landmark philanthropic gifts from two of its health care partners, Covenant HealthCare and MyMichigan Health, in support of the College's "Advancing Health Together" initiative. The two systems each pledged $40 million to support the development of a new medical education building in Saginaw, Michigan.

The gifts are the two largest in the university's history and stand as a testament to a united partnership committed to profoundly impacting the healthcare challenges and economic aspirations of the communities each serves, said CMU President Neil MacKinnon.

"We are thrilled to announce this extraordinary collaboration that brings two of our state's most respected health care systems together with our university to strengthen medical education, enhance the medical student experience, improve patient outcomes and expand healthcare access here in the Great Lakes Bay Region," MacKinnon said. "This tremendous partnership will have a positive effect on lives and communities for generations to come. Together, we are truly Advancing Health Together for our region and for the state of Michigan."

Moving forward, the College of Medicine will have a new name, the Covenant HealthCare College of Medicine at Central Michigan University, and a new home in Saginaw in the CMU MyMichigan Health Medical Education Building, located on the MyMichigan Health campus.

"As part of our decades-long commitment to medical education, Covenant HealthCare is proud to support the CMU College of Medicine and strengthen the training opportunities that shape the future of care in our region. Meeting our mission of extraordinary care for every generation starts with supporting education and training for the next generation of extraordinary physicians," said Beth Charlton, president and CEO of Covenant HealthCare. "Assurance of a strong medical talent pipeline is foundational and requires both collaboration and resources. Individuals and families across the Great Lakes Bay Region are experiencing an increasingly critical need for well-educated medical professionals, and our mutual investment with CMU and MyMichigan Health reflects our collective belief in this partnership and our staunch commitment to keeping exceptional care and care providers close to home. Through Advancing Health Together, we are collaborating to ensure patients across our communities and beyond continue to receive the high-quality, local care they deserve—now and for years to come."

"We are proud to be part of the Advancing Health Together initiative with Central Michigan University and Covenant HealthCare. It is one to which we are most proud as it allows our three organizations the honor to advance the future of medical education, and it will happen right here in the Great Lakes Bay Region. The collaboration will have a great impact on our communities, our region and our state now and long into the future," said Lydia Watson, M.D., president and CEO of MyMichigan Health. "Since 2010, our partnership with CMU's College of Medicine has been pivotal in training future health care professionals. These students are not only equipped to deliver exceptional care but are also encouraged to serve in Michigan's most medically underserved areas, including our rural communities. This next chapter will not only help grow the volume of health care providers but also continue to pave the way for a future where health care is more accessible, equitable, and effective for all."

Across Michigan, and particularly within underserved areas such as the communities of the Great Lakes Bay Region, many individuals and families face persistent and profound barriers to healthcare. Currently, 74 of Michigan's 83 counties carry at least a partial designation as health professional shortage areas.

"The need for a strong, community-oriented medical education program and physician pipeline has never been greater," MacKinnon said.

CMU's College of Medicine was established in 2010 to help address these disparities and rapidly outgrew its home on the CMU Mount Pleasant campus – growing from its initial cohort size of 60 to more than 100 students per class year. As a result, currently all first- and second-year medical students are educated in Mount Pleasant, while most third- and fourth-year students complete their education in Saginaw.

This separation of the class years has posed challenges for student engagement, while consolidating classes in one location has proven to be best practice in the training of medical students. Moving the college to the new location in the Medical Diamond in Saginaw will strengthen medical education at CMU, said Dr. Tina Thompson, interim dean of the CMU College of Medicine.

"Bringing the majority of our medical students together into a single geographic area will provide greater opportunities for peer-to-peer mentoring and student engagement," Thompson said. "It will allow for more interaction between and among students and faculty and open doors for further collaboration in research and clinical education across the region."

The Medical Diamond project, located in Saginaw, Michigan, aims to become the state's third bioscience hub and the only one serving the northern part of the state. The project brings together CMU's College of Medicine, Covenant HealthCare, MyMichigan Health, and numerous other healthcare providers and educators. The diamond-shaped project sits alongside the riverfront in Saginaw and will also include a new riverfront park with public access and recreation.

With the confirmation of these two leadership gifts, CMU will move forward with the design and development of a new medical education facility in the Medical Diamond, MacKinnon said. The university hopes to break ground on its new site in 2026 and will continue to fundraise toward its $100 million goal for the building.

The shift of the medical school to Saginaw will also provide opportunities for expansion of other health professional programs on CMU's Mount Pleasant campus, MacKinnon said. Nurses are in high demand, and our new four-year nursing program has launched and is ready to grow, he said.

"CMU, Covenant HealthCare and MyMichigan Health have a shared commitment to improving the lives of patients and strengthening the communities we serve," MacKinnon said. "This unique, collaborative partnership is a perfect alignment of our missions and visions and will benefit each organization and the people we serve."

About CMU College of Medicine

The CMU College of Medicine was established in 2010 to meet Michigan's growing demand for highly qualified medical professionals, especially in rural and historically underserved areas. In 2025, the College was ranked among U.S. News and World Report's top medical schools for graduating physicians who will serve in rural, underserved and health professional shortage areas. More than 7,000 students apply for the 104 spots in each medical class cohort annually; and the College has achieved a 100% residency match rate in each of the last two years. Approximately half of CMU College of Medicine graduates choose to continue their practice in the state of Michigan.

About Covenant HealthCare

Covenant HealthCare is a non-profit regional health system dedicated to delivering extraordinary care for every generation across Michigan's Great Lakes Bay Region and beyond. From moms-to-be to babies to great-grandfathers, families trust Covenant for a full continuum of high-quality, compassionate care. As the largest employer in Saginaw County, Covenant HealthCare has more than 4,600 employees and a medical staff of over 800 providers who work collaboratively to advance the health and well-being of the communities it serves. The health system offers a comprehensive range of inpatient and outpatient services, including high-risk obstetrics, neonatal and pediatric intensive care, acute care, primary care, cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics, robotic surgery, rehabilitation, and a Level II Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center. In 2025, Covenant HealthCare was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of Michigan's "Best Regional Hospitals," placing Covenant HealthCare in the top 10% of hospitals in the state.

Covenant is deeply committed to advancing medical education and supporting the next generation of health professionals. As a long-standing teaching hospital in Saginaw, Covenant HealthCare serves as a key learning site for medical and nursing students, residents, fellows, respiratory therapists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, nursing assistants, and more—continuing decades of investment in training and developing future caregivers for the Great Lakes Bay Region and beyond.

Learn more at www.covenanthealthcare.com

About MyMichigan Health

MyMichigan Health, a non-profit health system headquartered in Midland, Michigan, is a leader in providing award-winning, high-quality care to the 26-counties it serves. With Medical Centers in Alma, Alpena, Clare, Gladwin, Midland, Mt. Pleasant, Saginaw, Sault Ste. Marie Standish, Tawas and West Branch, MyMichigan also has affiliations with Medical Centers in St. Ignace, and Mackinac Island. MyMichigan Health provides a full continuum of care across a wide array of settings, including urgent care centers, home health, virtual care, as well as medical offices in more than 80 specialties and subspecialties including cardiology, family medicine, hematology/oncology, neurosciences, orthopedics, pediatrics, vascular surgery, and more. MyMichigan Health demonstrates its commitment to the future of medicine by partnering with leading institutions to offer medical education programs that train medical students, physicians, nurse practitioner and physician assistant students, nursing students and other clinical experts for our region. Listed by Forbes among 'America's Best Employers by State' for four consecutive years from 2022 to 2025, MyMichigan is a major employer in all of the areas it serves. In fact, its more than 10,500 employees, volunteers, health care providers and other personnel work together to create healthy communities through solutions designed to meet the ever-changing needs of the more than one million residents in the health system's 26 counties served. In fiscal year2025, MyMichigan Health provided more than $243 million in community benefits, as well as supported its patients and families with new equipment, services and programs with funds raised by the MyMichigan Health Foundation, MyMichigan Medical Center Saginaw Foundation, MyMichigan Medical Center Tawas Foundation and Field Neurosciences Institute. www.mymichigan.org

Media Contacts:

CMU: Aaron Mills, Director of News and Media, [email protected]
Covenant HealthCare: Samantha Strieter, Marketing and Communications Manager, [email protected]
MyMichigan Health: Millie Jezior, APR, Public Relations Manager, [email protected]; (989) 839-3351

SOURCE Central Michigan University