Northern Arizona University is creating NAU Health, along with the new College of Medicine. NAU Health is an initiative aimed at improving health outcomes for all Arizonans, particularly those in rural, indigenous and underserved communities. The new college will focus on educating primary healthcare providers who reflect the residents of Arizona and who will remain in the state to serve the state’s population. NAU’s College of Medicine will be intentionally designed to create accelerated pathways and affordable options for Arizona residents seeking an MD that will enable them to practice in-state while accruing minimal debt. NAU president Jose Luis Cruz Rivera says: “with the creation of NAU Health, we recommit ourselves to elevating our existing, exceptional health education programs with the goal of doubling the number of degrees awarded by NAU in the much-needed fields of nursing, health professions, and behavioral health and increasing provider availability in every nook and corner of the state.” NAU Health will be led by Dr. Julie Baldwin, who is a nationally recognized expert in health equity. Baldwin serves as executive director of the Center for Health Equity Research at NAU, is a Regents’ professor of health sciences, and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. She will begin her tenure as NARBHA Institute vice president for NAU Health on January 1st.