Sutter Health and Santa Clara University announced the launch of the Mark & Mary Stevens School of Medicine, which will become the first new medical school established in California’s San Francisco Bay Area in more than a century. The school is being funded in part through a $175 million gift from Santa Clara University alumna Mary (Mathews) Stevens and her husband, venture capitalist Mark Stevens.
The collaboration brings together Sutter Health and Santa Clara University to create a new model for physician education that combines healthcare delivery, research, innovation, and academic training. The school will be built adjacent to Sutter’s East Santa Clara Campus in Silicon Valley, with an 82,000-square-foot facility currently under construction.
The $175 million contribution represents the largest cash gift ever made to Catholic higher education and the largest gift ever received by either Santa Clara University or Sutter Health. It also marks the second consecutive year Sutter Health has received a philanthropic contribution exceeding $100 million.
The medical school is expected to become a major component of Sutter Health’s long-term strategy to develop a learning health system integrating research, education, and patient care. For Santa Clara University, the school aligns with the institution’s Impact 2030 strategic plan, which emphasizes expanding its role in addressing critical societal needs while building upon its strengths in science, technology, ethics, and healthcare education.
The partnership is designed to provide students with integrated clinical training opportunities within Sutter Health’s healthcare system. Unlike many newly established medical schools that rely on multiple healthcare partners for clinical rotations, the Mark & Mary Stevens School of Medicine will be embedded directly within Sutter Health’s not-for-profit integrated healthcare network.
Sutter Health currently operates more than 30 residency and fellowship programs and expects to train approximately 575 residents and fellows across 39 accredited graduate-level programs by the end of 2027. The new medical school is expected to further expand physician training pathways and help address California’s ongoing physician shortage.
The school’s curriculum will focus on integrating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and digital healthcare tools, into medical education and patient care. Students and faculty will have opportunities to collaborate with Sutter Health’s Innovation Center and Santa Clara University’s Cunningham Shoquist Center for Applied AI and Human Potential, along with other interdisciplinary academic programs across the university.
The launch comes as California and the broader healthcare industry face increasing physician shortages and growing demand for coordinated care for aging populations with chronic conditions. The school plans to emphasize whole-person care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world clinical experience across multiple care settings.
The medical school is currently undergoing a multi-year accreditation process before welcoming its inaugural class.
KEY QUOTES:
“We chose to partner with Santa Clara University because of our shared values and a belief in a more human-centered, forward-looking model of care. Together, we’re building something that will last. This medical school will train physicians for generations to come and adapt as medicine and patient needs evolve. This is part of Sutter’s larger vision to bring together undergraduate and graduate medical education and training alongside research and clinical care into a dynamic academic ecosystem. We are deeply grateful to Mark and Mary Stevens for their extraordinary generosity and long-standing commitment to both organizations. Their gift will have an enduring impact and create a lasting foundation for physician training that will help improve the lives of millions of patients in the decades ahead.”
Warner Thomas, President And CEO, Sutter Health
“We are proud to partner with Sutter Health to create a world-class medical school to produce physicians who are continually anticipating and defining the future of healthcare. Our new school will be grounded in Santa Clara’s Jesuit tradition of keeping the needs of the whole person at the forefront of empathetic and trustworthy care, while also embedding innovative technologies that assist physicians in keeping individuals, families, and communities well. We are profoundly grateful for the extraordinary naming gift from the Stevens family, who embody the values and standards of excellence of both organizations.”
Julie Sullivan, President, Santa Clara University
“California doesn’t wait for the future—we build it. And that’s exactly what this partnership between Sutter Health and my alma mater, Santa Clara University, represents: a new model for medical education built to support a more innovative, connected healthcare ecosystem. By embedding students directly in a leading, integrated healthcare system, this new medical school is breaking down silos between education, training, and care—and that’s how you expand access, strengthen the workforce for tomorrow, and deliver better outcomes for patients. At a time when we need more doctors in more communities, California is stepping up—training the next generation of physicians in real-world settings, with a focus on innovation, equity, and whole-person care.”
Gavin Newsom, Governor Of California
“As a proud Santa Clara alumna, Board of Trustees member, and long-time Sutter Health patient, I’ve seen firsthand the potential to bring these two organizations together. Years ago, we had a vision to honor the outstanding leaders shared by both organizations while also supporting the health of students on campus and the broader community. This medical school represents the natural next step in that journey. Our gift recognizes a perfect match between two organizations that share a deep mutual respect, a dedication to educating compassionate healers, and a commitment to serving the greater good. We believe it will have a meaningful and lasting impact on patients, students, and communities.”
Mary (Mathews) Stevens, Santa Clara University Alumna And Donor
“Mary and I are very pleased to provide the cornerstone philanthropic gift for a brand-new medical school in the heart of Silicon Valley. The unique partnership of California’s oldest university, a large and well-respected Northern California integrated healthcare delivery network, and our investment will deliver the next generation of physicians and clinicians. This new school will be at the forefront of the integration of artificial intelligence technology with healthcare delivery.”
Mark Stevens, Venture Capitalist And Donor
“Our goal is not only to educate the next generation of physicians, but to build a medical education model rooted in real-world practice, innovation, and continuous learning. By integrating clinical care, research, and medical education across a working health system, we can give students meaningful experience in the environments where healthcare is actively evolving and prepare them to lead the future of medicine.”
Conrad Vial, M.D., Executive Vice President, Sutter Health Network
“Sutter has spent decades building a strong foundation in medical education, with physician resident and fellow training programs embedded across our system. As we continue to expand that footprint, we are creating the infrastructure, faculty, and learning environments needed to support the next phase of physician education and train tomorrow’s physicians across a range of communities and care settings.”
Lindsay Mazotti, M.D., Chief Medical Officer Of Medical Education And Science At Sutter Health And Planning Dean Of The School Of Medicine
“This investment comes at a time when Santa Clara is building out the future for our students in ways fully consistent with our Jesuit mission and values. The medical school will make Santa Clara a destination for strong pre-health students, who will go on to practice and make a difference in their communities. From the move of our Jesuit School of Theology to our main campus, to the launch of our AI Center, and now the creation of the Mark & Mary Stevens School of Medicine, Santa Clara is committed to providing solutions for our ailing world and opening up opportunities for all qualified students, while leveraging the best that Silicon Valley can bring to bear to these efforts.”
James M. Glaser, Provost And Executive Vice President, Santa Clara University
