SunTrust Signs on as Premier Corporate Sponsor for L.D. Britt Scholarship
“Partners in Excellence” Program

October 17, 2007

NORFOLK—The prestigious L.D. Britt Scholarship program at Eastern Virginia Medical School has gained a new partner.

SunTrust Bank, Inc. has signed on as the first corporate sponsor in the Britt Scholarship’s new Partners in Excellence program, which provides an opportunity for major donors to become more involved with this growing scholarship program for minority medical students. SunTrust donated $15,000 to this year’s scholarship program, bringing its total support for the Britt Scholarship to $30,000.

“Dr. Britt is an outstanding surgeon, national leader and devoted community servant,” said Tommy Rueger, President and CEO, SunTrust Bank - Hampton Roads. “SunTrust is very pleased to help outstanding student leaders follow in Dr. Britt’s footsteps. They enrich our community as students, and they will serve our nation as physicians.”

The Britt Scholarship program began in 1995 when William E. Russell, Ed.D., and other grateful patients established the scholarship as a way to thank Dr. Britt for care he had provided.

The Britt Scholarship was established in honor of L.D. Britt, M.D., Brickhouse Chair and Professor of Surgery at EVMS. A nationally renowned surgeon and educator, Dr. Britt holds many national leadership positions. He serves on the board of directors for the American Board of Surgeons and as a member of the National Advisory Board for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Clinical Scholars program, among others.

The Britt Scholarship program began in 1995 when William E. Russell, Ed.D., and other grateful patients established the scholarship as a way to thank Dr. Britt for care he had provided. Each year since then, the L.D. Britt, M.D. Scholarship Committee, chaired by Dr. Russell, has hosted an annual dinner to raise funds for the Britt Scholarship.

An ongoing source of scholarship support is particularly important in the national effort to increase the diversity in medicine. Only 2.3 percent of all physicians in the United States are black, according to the American Medical Association’s 2006 report on Physician Characteristics and Distribution in the U.S. Various evidence-based research studies conducted in recent years have shown that minority physicians were more likely than were whites to serve individuals from their own racial backgrounds and were more likely than were their non-minority colleagues to provide care to the poor, uninsured and underinsured.

“The growth of the Britt Scholarship has been a great asset to our students and our community, but we have many more qualified students than scholarship dollars. The Partners in Excellence program will help us help more students, and we are very grateful for SunTrust’s leadership.” L.D. Britt, M.D.

Tuition, fees and living expenses bring the cost of medical education to approximately $120,000 – a financial commitment that can dissuade minority college students from considering careers in medicine. Over the years, the Britt Scholarship program has grown to provide up to $25,000 for one student in each incoming class at EVMS.

“The growth of the Britt Scholarship has been a great asset to our students and our community, but we have many more qualified students than scholarship dollars,” Britt said. “The Partners in Excellence program will help us help more students, and we are very grateful for SunTrust’s leadership.”

SunTrust Banks, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the nation's largest banking organizations, serving a broad range of consumer, commercial, corporate and institutional clients. As of June 30, 2007, SunTrust had total assets of $180.3 billion and total deposits of $122.9 billion. The company operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high-growth Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states and a full array of technology-based, 24-hour delivery channels. The company also serves customers in selected markets nationally. Its primary businesses include deposit, credit, trust and investment services. Through various subsidiaries the company provides credit cards, mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage, equipment leasing and capital markets services. SunTrust’s Internet address is suntrust.com.

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