Four-day celebration to feature national health care summit, public community health fair, milestone gala, and legacy luncheon

(Black PR Wire) CHICAGO – National Medical Fellowships (NMF) will return to the city where its mission began in 1946 for its 80th Anniversary Homecoming Weekend, October 1–4, 2026.

Under the theme “The Future of Care Starts Now,” the four-day Homecoming will bring together NMF scholars and alumni, health care leaders, and community partners to celebrate eight decades of expanding pathways to medical education while focusing on the future of the nation’s health care workforce.

A centerpiece of the weekend will be the NMF Impact × Rush University Community Health Fair on Saturday, October 3, at the Charles G. Hammond Elementary School, bringing NMF’s mission directly to Chicago residents through community-centered health programming.

NMF will further extend its community outreach through a collaboration with the Chicago-based CPASS Foundation, founded by NMF alum Dr. Eric Whitaker, to co-present a discussion on maternal health disparities, featuring the documentary film Listen to Me, during CPASS’s Chicago symposium.

WHO:

• Michellene Davis, Esq., President and CEO, National Medical Fellowships
• Morgan DeBaun, Founder & CEO of Blavity Inc. and AfroTech
• Tiffany Aliche, Founder and CEO of The Budgetnista
• Dr. Camille Clare, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women’s Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Antoinette Hardy-Waller, Chair, Board of Stewardship Trustees, CommonSpirit Health
• Dr. Garth Walker, MPH, Commissioner, NMF Alumni, Chicago Department of Public Health
• Dr. Robert “Bob” Higgins, President, Chief Academic and Clinical Officer, Rush University System for Health and NMF Alum
• Dr. John Whyte, CEO, American Medical Association, Weekend Co-Chair
• Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, President & CEO, Morehouse School of Medicine, NMF Alumna
• Dr. Sharon Malone, Chief Medical Officer, Alloy Health and NMF Alumna
• NMF scholars and alumni
• Corporate and Community partners and supporters
• Additional 80th Anniversary speakers and honorees

WHEN & WHERE:

Thursday, October 1 – Friday, October 2
NMF Summit & Convening: “This Moment in Conversation”
Six10 | Chicago

Friday, October 2
NMF Connects Reception
Restoration Hardware | Chicago

Saturday, October 3
NMF Impact × Rush University Community Health Fair: “This Opportunity, In Community”
Charles G. Hammond Elementary School | Chicago

Saturday, October 3
NMF 80th Anniversary Gala: “This Time, This Place”
Four Seasons Chicago

Sunday, October 4
NMF President’s Legacy Luncheon
The Langham | Chicago

WHY:
For 80 years, NMF has worked to broaden pathways to medical education and strengthen the health care workforce. The organization has supported more than 32,000 scholars across all 50 states and awarded more than $50 million in scholarships, helping generations of physicians and health care leaders build careers serving communities nationwide. 

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
Media are invited to cover select Homecoming Weekend events. Interview opportunities will be available with NMF leadership, scholars, alumni, health care leaders, and community partners. Advance coordination is required for interviews and on-site coverage.

Source: National Medical Fellowships