Broadridge supports Zucker School of Medicine with $3M gift
Lake Success-based Broadridge Financial Solutions has donated $3 million to fund an endowed deanship, creating the Deborah and Lawrence Smith Dean of the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in Hempstead.
With this gift, the endowed position honors the institution’s founding dean and his late wife, who were both integral to the school’s creation in 2008.
Dr. David Battinelli, dean of the Zucker School of Medicine and executive vice president and physician-in-chief of Northwell Health, is the inaugural recipient of the endowment. The endowment is designed to enable more of the medical students to graduate debt-free.
“We are immensely grateful to Broadridge for their transformative support in helping us offer more scholarships for students in need, allowing them to focus fully on their studies and provide the best patient care,” Battinelli said in a news release about the new endowment.
“It is a profound honor to be the first dean to hold this endowed position, which pays tribute to my dear friend and colleague Dr. Smith and honors the memory of his compassionate wife, Deborah,” he added. “Their legacy of service and humanitarianism will live on through the success of our future physicians.”
Broadridge has supported Hofstra University and the Zucker School of Medicine, funding scholarships and programs across the university since 2011. This latest gift to the medical school will establish scholarships for incoming medical students, beginning with the new class entering in 2025.
“Broadridge’s long association with Northwell Health has proven to be a key differentiator, enabling Broadridge to remain an employer of choice to our associates, specifically through our in-house medical facilities which are affiliated with Northwell physicians, physician assistants and nurses,” Tim Gokey, CEO of Broadridge, said in the news release.
“I have had the privilege of knowing Larry and Debbie Smith for over 40 years,” Rich Daly, executive chairman of Broadridge, said in the news release. “Larry’s never-ending commitment to help all of Broadridge’s associates obtain the best medical care available has extended and saved many of our associates’ lives. All of us at Broadridge are proud to honor Larry and Debbie and support the entire exceptional Northwell Health system.”
Dr. Lawrence Smith is credited with guiding the school through major milestones, including its first graduating class in 2015, full accreditation the same year and reaccreditation in 2020. Smith championed initiatives to promote diversity and equity in the medical field, such as the Medical Scholars Pipeline Program, launched in 2010 to support underserved students in health care.
“I am deeply honored by this recognition from the Zucker School of Medicine and the Broadridge Foundation,” Smith, who served as dean until his retirement in 2022, said in the news release. “This is not just a personal honor but a tribute to the values of compassion and service that define our school.”
Deborah Smith, a passionate advocate for human rights, played a crucial role in shaping the school’s culture, mission and vision. Her devotion to ending food insecurity and advancing global welfare continues to inspire the school’s ongoing commitment to social responsibility – a value strongly aligned with the Broadridge Foundation’s philanthropic mission.
“Debbie would be thrilled that our names are now attached to a legacy that will help more students achieve their dreams of becoming physicians, ultimately shaping the future of medicine and improving health care and uplifting communities,” Smith said.
Battinelli, who succeeded Smith as dean of the Zucker School in 2022, is a founding member of the medical school and previously served as its vice dean and dean for medical education. He chaired the committee charged with developing the new medical school’s curriculum.
While serving as founding dean, Smith was the chief medical officer for Northwell Health, and then served as physician-in-chief until December 2021.
“We are grateful to donors like Broadridge, whose vital investment in our clinicians, scientists and students enables us to elevate research and improve clinical care,” Brian Lally, president of the Northwell Foundation and chief development officer at Northwell, said in the news release. “Supporting student scholarships through this endowed deanship will have a profound impact on a new generation of health care leaders and practitioners as well as patients in Northwell’s communities and around the world.”
“We thank the Broadridge Foundation for this generous gift, named in honor of Deborah and Dr. Lawrence Smith,” Hofstra President Susan Poser said in the news release. “The financial support provided by the endowment will give generations of medical students the security to pursue their academic and professional goals, while affirming the Zucker School’s leadership role in the health care community.”
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