Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
We were so impressed when Creighton built the health sciences campus in Phoenix, and we saw this as a meaningful opportunity to support both students and a rapidly expanding area that needs more healthcare providers.
By Micah Mertes
A major gift will support scholarships in three different schools at the Creighton University Health Sciences Campus – Phoenix.
Mary Pat (Statz) McCarthy, BSBA’77, and Kevin McCarthy, BSBA’75 (of Scottsdale, Arizona) have established the McCarthy Endowed Scholarship, which will be awarded to Phoenix students in the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions’ pharmacy program, the College of Nursing and the School of Medicine.
“We’ve been blessed in our life and want to support others in need,” said Mary Pat, former Vice Chair and partner at KPMG and current board member at Micron Technology and Palo Alto Networks.
“We were so impressed when Creighton built the health sciences campus in Phoenix, and we saw this as a meaningful opportunity to support both students and a rapidly expanding area that needs more healthcare providers,” said Kevin.
The McCarthys said it seemed fortuitous when they moved to Arizona and that God was calling them to support this community and these professions. They said they were energized by the work that's being done by Creighton, in both Phoenix and Omaha.
The McCarthys are long-time donors to the University. In 2011, Mary Pat and her siblings — Matt, Mike and Steve Statz, and Annette Statz-Dunlap — established the Joseph F. and A. Anne Statz Family Endowed Scholarship, named after their parents. The scholarship supports Creighton students from the Statz family’s home state of South Dakota. Joe was a Creighton pharmacy graduate, and Anne was a College of Nursing alumna.
The McCarthys’ roots to Creighton, the Creighton health sciences and their belief in a Jesuit education run deep. All four of Mary Pat’s siblings also went to Creighton; as did Kevin’s three siblings. Collectively, there are more than a dozen Bluejays in their families. All three of Mary Pat and Kevin’s children went to Jesuit schools, as well.
“The Jesuits do a remarkable job, not only educating the student in their chosen field,” Mary Pat said, “but also on being a person of integrity, believing in God and looking for ways to give back.”
Deans of the three schools said that the McCarthy scholarship will be a game-changer.
“In the face of Arizona’s critical nursing shortage, with experts predicting a deficit of nearly 30,000 registered nurses this year, Mary Pat and Kevin’s creation of this scholarship will help us equip the next generation of nurses to meet this pressing need,” said Jessica Clark, DNP, RN, dean of the College of Nursing.
“The scholarship will not only reduce the strain on our Phoenix healthcare system but also empower students to pursue their passion for patient care without the burden of financial hardship. The McCarthys’ generosity and support will make a lasting impact on both our students and the local communities they serve.”
Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions Amy Friedman Wilson, PharmD’95, said the gift will help “more Creighton-trained pharmacists provide competent and compassionate care to those most in need. We are so thankful to the McCarthys and donors like them who are helping us meet our mission to improve care in the Southwest.”
What sets Creighton apart, said Randy Richardson, MD, Phoenix regional dean of the School of Medicine, “is the men and women working for and with others to move forward the Ignatian mission of caring for those in need in our community.
“The McCarthys are a part of this Jesuit mission and have found significant ways to support students in becoming compassionate healers in the Ignatian tradition.”
