The U.S. House of Representatives has declared June 8-12, 2026, Academic Medicine Week. Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) along with our partners – Western Michigan University (WMU), Beacon Health System, and Bronson Healthcare – are proud to join other medical schools, academic health systems, and teaching hospitals nationwide to celebrate how academic medicine works for America. As the AAMC celebrates 150 years of leadership in academic medicine in 2026, we are collaborating to highlight the value of the work our institutions bring to patients and communities.
We are excited to celebrate how academic medicine advances patient care, trains future doctors, conducts innovative research, and drives the economy forward. Academic medicine stands apart from other types of healthcare through its unique integration of medical education, clinical care, and research, often referred to as the tripartite mission.
“Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine fulfills this academic medicine tripartite mission alongside Beacon Health System and Bronson Healthcare to transform the lives of patients and their families throughout Southwest Michigan,” said Russ Kavalhuna, chair of the medical school’s Board of Directors and president of WMU.
Formed in 2011, WMed is a collaboration of WMU and Kalamazoo’s two teaching health systems, Beacon Health System and Bronson Healthcare. Physicians from both health systems serve as medical school faculty training learners at hospitals and medical offices throughout Southwest Michigan.
"When our physicians teach alongside WMed residents and fellows, what happens in the clinic shapes the research, and what happens in the lab makes us better at the bedside. That back-and-forth is what sets academic medicine apart, and it is what drives real progress for patients and families,” said Kreg Gruber, chief executive officer of Beacon Health System and a member of the WMed Board of Directors. "This pipeline of talent, trained right here in Southwest Michigan and rooted in this community, is how we strengthen care close to home. Beacon is proud to play a part in that work."
“Academic medicine creates better health and a heathier future for all,” said Bill Manns, president and CEO of Bronson Healthcare and a member of the WMed Board of Directors. “Bronson is proud to be recently named the No. 1 Academic Medical Center in the country, which is a testament to these strong partnerships and the exceptional quality of care being delivered in Southwest Michigan.”
What begins inside medical schools, teaching hospitals, and health systems across the country doesn’t just help patients survive, it helps them thrive. It gives hope and transforms care.
“WMed is proud to join other medical schools, academic health systems and teaching hospitals nationwide to celebrate how academic medicine advances patient care, trains future doctors, conducts innovative research, and drives the economy forward,” said J. Adrian Tyndall, MD, MPH, FACEP, the Hal B. Jenson, MD Dean, President and CEO of WMed. “During this week, we acknowledge the tremendous contributions and impact of the more than 1,300 employed and community physicians at WMed who bring our commitment to academic medicine to life each day.”