$100 million plus naming gift from philanthropist Dr. John Shufeldt for newly accredited medical school

Arizona State University has reached a milestone that’s been decades in the making. With the launch of the newly accredited John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering—made possible by a transformative nine-figure gift from Dr. John Shufeldt—the university is officially entering the field of medical education.

The moment marks a defining chapter not just for ASU, but for Shufeldt himself, whose career has long bridged medicine, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

For President Michael Crow, the achievement represents the culmination of years of vision and preparation.

“Dr. John Shufeldt embodies the kind of innovator we aim to produce in our graduates — a physician, entrepreneur, and forward-thinking leader contributing his time, talent, and resources to advance the future of health care,” Crow said.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) recently granted preliminary accreditation, allowing ASU to begin recruiting its first class of students to start in the fall of 2026.

For Shufeldt, an ASU alumnus, the announcement feels like a natural continuation of a lifelong mission.

“I realized early on that everyone should have a shot at health, no matter where they are in the birth lottery,” he said. That conviction led him to become an emergency medicine physician, a business founder, and now the benefactor of a school designed to reshape how medicine is taught and practiced. “All I could think of was, ‘I know what I want to do for the next 30 years.’ I’m on board to provide whatever help I can—literally, if it’s sweeping the floor, I’m in because I’m so excited about this medical school and what it’s going to do for humanity.”

Shufeldt’s career reads like a case study in multidimensional leadership. Armed with an MD, JD, and MBA—all complemented by a Six Sigma Black Belt from ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering—he has spent decades turning ideas into impact.

In 1993, he founded NextCare, transforming a single urgent care clinic into one of the country’s largest networks, with 60 locations across six states.

He later launched MeMD, a national telehealth provider, and Tribal Health, focused on improving medical care in Indigenous communities.

Through each venture, his guiding belief has been that medicine can be compassionate and efficient when coupled with entrepreneurial insight.

“From the inside, I’ve treated patients in overcrowded emergency departments and built companies to address inequities and inefficiencies in the system,” Shufeldt said. “But one truth stands out: we don’t just need more physicians—we need physicians who can innovate and lead with compassion. That’s exactly what this school will produce.”

The John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering will train students to think across disciplines—merging medicine, engineering, technology, and the humanities. In partnership with HonorHealth, its primary clinical affiliate, students will earn two degrees in four years: a Doctor of Medicine and a Master of Science in Medical Engineering. From day one, they will learn to apply artificial intelligence, data science, and biotechnology to real-world healthcare challenges.

Founding Dean Dr. Holly Lisanby called the gift “transformative,” noting that students will be “dually trained from the very beginning in both medical and engineering disciplines, learning alongside experts from clinical, technical, and entrepreneurial fields.”

The school will also establish an endowed professorship in medical entrepreneurship and a venture philanthropy fund—Xcellerant Ventures Founders—to support early-stage health-tech innovations.

The school is part of ASU Health, a sweeping initiative that unites multiple schools and disciplines to tackle health challenges at scale. Alongside the new medical school, ASU Health includes the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, the College of Health Solutions, the School of Technology for Public Health, and the ASU Health Observatory—all headquartered in downtown Phoenix’s growing bioscience hub.

Dr. Sherine Gabriel, executive vice president of ASU Health, said the milestone sharpens the university’s vision.

“We’ve assembled an incredibly talented faculty, forged a powerful alliance with HonorHealth, and now, with accreditation, we can begin recruiting the students who will help build this new model of medical education. It’s a fascinating time for everyone involved.”

For Shufeldt, the motivation behind his nine-figure gift is as personal as it is visionary.

“This isn’t for me. It isn’t about legacy—it’s about impact,” he said. “It’s about training the kind of leaders I wish I had when I was starting out. ASU is not only the right place to do this—it may be the only place to do this, because it’s already redefining what a public university can be.”

When the first class of students walks through the doors in 2026, they’ll be stepping into a bold experiment in the future of medicine.

The John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering stands as both a tribute to one man’s lifelong pursuit of purpose and a declaration of how courage, compassion, and curiosity can converge to change the world.