SACATON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona and Gila River Health Care (GRHC), the tribally operated healthcare system of the Gila River Indian Community, have announced a long-term partnership to establish the nation’s first MD-granting medical school branch located on the lands of a sovereign Tribal Nation.

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix Regional Medical Branch in Sacaton will train future physicians within a Tribal healthcare system while expanding access to care in Tribal, rural and medically underserved communities.

Beginning in July 2027, 10 students will be admitted annually to the college’s three-year MD-granting Primary Care Accelerated Program at the Gila River Branch. Students will receive full tuition scholarships funded by GRHC. They will complete their first 18 months of foundational medical education in Phoenix before moving to Sacaton for the final 18 months of clinical training.

“Tribal and rural communities have some of the nation’s greatest unmet primary care needs,” University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella said. “This partnership to establish the country’s first medical school branch within a Tribal Nation will train physicians through an accelerated three-year MD program, support them with full scholarships to free them of debt burden and provide residency opportunities that anchor them to the places and patients they know.”

The partnership comes as the United States faces persistent physician shortages, particularly in rural and Tribal communities. Arizona ranks 42nd nationally for primary care access, while population growth continues to increase demand for physicians.

Rather than relying solely on traditional academic medical centers, the program will place students directly within a community-based Tribal healthcare system. Under faculty supervision, students will care for patients while gaining firsthand knowledge of the cultural, historical and social factors affecting Native communities.

GRHC has committed more than $25 million through 2034 to support the branch, including faculty positions, student scholarships and educational infrastructure. Leaders are also exploring the development of primary care residency programs at GRHC to help retain physicians in the Community and other underserved areas.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our community and for the next generation of physicians,” Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said. “It gives them the opportunity to learn, train and build their careers right here in the Community, where they can make a real difference for the people they serve.”

The University of Arizona and GRHC say the partnership could also encourage more Native students to pursue careers in medicine while strengthening Arizona’s long-term healthcare workforce. The Association of American Medical Colleges projects the nation could face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.

“This partnership challenges us to think differently about where and how physicians are educated,” said Dr. Fredric Wondisford, dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.

The initiative demonstrates how a public research university, a sovereign Tribal Nation and a tribally operated healthcare system can work together to expand educational opportunities and improve access to healthcare in Native and rural communities.

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