CEO Veronica Mallett MD

MEHARRY Medical College subsidiary MMC VC Inc., dba MMC Ventures, is already ramping-up partnerships with two companies.

MMCV President and CEO Veronica Mallett, MD, MMM, told Venture Nashville that, in-line with Meharry's mission of addressing health disparities in minority communities, MMC Ventures has recently chartered two additional business units:

She said, "MMCV AMB LLC is a partnership with Ambitna Inc., a start-up company ​that has developed a technology platform designed to be a tool for providers to connect patients to clinical trials that have the potential to offer hopeful pathways to treatment."

Ambitna has offices in Nashville, Los Angeles and in Bellevue, Wash. It is led by people who are quite prominent in this context, including Executive Chairman, Founder and Chief Medical Officer Joxel Garcia MD MBA; and, CEO Ted Waz.

Another for-profit entity, MMCV RCVR LLC, "is a joint venture with ReCOVer Health to implement the operations needed to successfully execute the reopening of businesses and schools," she explained.

ReCOVer was founded 11 months ago as a provider of a suite of services vital to combatting COVID19.

Its founders include Turner Nashe, whose past entrepreneural pursuits included Innertainment Delivery Systems, which focused on providing controlled digital content in institutional settings. Related VNC coverage here.

James H. K. Hildreth

Creating special-purpose for-profit or nonprofit units is common practice at many nonprofit institutions.

Mallett noted that those and other innovations are consistent with the vision for Meharry Medical College that has been expressed by President and CEO James H.K. Hildreth, MD, PhD, since he took up those duties in 2015.

She added that CEO Hildreth has "widely promoted the transformation of Meharry's operations to reflect best practices of institutions where he has trained and served. The establishment of MMCV, Inc. is a part of that vision."

Hildreth's personal academic and career paths have included years at Harvard University, Oxford University, The Johns Hopkins University, the University of California at Davis, and elsewhere -- in addition to having earlier served as director of the NIH-funded Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research at Meharry Medical College, itself.

Hildreth's influence in medical education and in discussions of innovation in delivery of health and medical services has risen further, both locally and nationally, during the coronavirus pandemic. His biography is here.

Meharry has long been regarded as vital to the preparation of U.S. health and medical professionals. Its birth dates to 1876, and it was separately chartered in 1915. Read more here.

Mallett was recently appointed to her new MMCV leadership role.

For as-yet undetermined transitional period, during which she'll build the infrastructure and ramp-up MMCV operations, she will also continue serving as director of MMC's Center for Women's Health Research. Earlier, she also served as dean of the Meharry Medical College School of Medicine, among other roles.

The newly appointed CEO earned her MD at Michigan State University, her master's in medical management from Carnegie Mellon University, and her bachelor's degree from Barnard College. Her LinkedIn is here. VNC

. last edited 0630 20 May 2021