PHOENIX, Ariz. — Arizona State University announced that its new medical school has received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), allowing the university to begin recruiting its first class of students for August 2026. The school also received a nine-figure gift—one of the largest in ASU history—and will now be known as the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering.
“While it is something we expected, accreditation is not to be taken lightly,” said ASU President Michael Crow. “We are grateful to the LCME and to our team that has been working tirelessly to help make that happen.”
Crow noted that the generous investment naming the school amplifies its mission and impact. “John Shufeldt is the embodiment of the kind of student we want to produce. He is a doctor, an entrepreneur, and a visionary who sees the scale of ASU Health impacting all of Arizona and beyond,” Crow said. “He is contributing not only financially, but with his time and expertise to what we are building here.”
Shufeldt, who holds M.D., J.D., and M.B.A. degrees, is board certified in emergency medicine and is the founder of NextCare, MeMD, and Tribal Health. His gift will also fund an endowed professorship in entrepreneurship in medicine and establish a health-tech venture philanthropy fund, operated by the ASU Foundation, to support new medical startups known as Xcellerant Ventures Founders.
“For decades I’ve worked at the intersection of business, law, and innovation,” Shufeldt said. “We don’t simply need more physicians. What we do need is more physicians who can innovate, who are leaders, and who can do it with compassion. That’s why I’m so excited about the new school at ASU—because I know that’s what we’ll be teaching.”
The John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering, in partnership with its clinical affiliate HonorHealth, will train students at the intersection of medicine, engineering, and technology. Students will earn two degrees in four years—an M.D. and a Master of Science in medical engineering—preparing them for careers in medicine, research, entrepreneurship, and healthcare leadership. The curriculum emphasizes innovation, data science, and the use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Founding Dean Dr. Holly Lisanby called Shufeldt’s gift “transformative.” “Dr. Shufeldt really personifies excellence and innovation at the intersection of clinical care and entrepreneurship,” she said. “Our students will be immersed from the start in both medical and engineering disciplines, learning to collaborate with mentors from clinical, engineering, and venture capital fields. They will graduate as physician-engineer-entrepreneurs ready to transform healthcare.”
The new school is part of ASU Health, a system of interdisciplinary programs that includes the School of Technology for Public Health, the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, the College of Health Solutions, and the ASU Health Observatory. All will be headquartered in downtown Phoenix as part of the Phoenix Bioscience Core.
“Today’s news is another giant step forward in building the learning ecosystem that is ASU Health,” said Dr. Sherine Gabriel, Executive Vice President of ASU Health. “With accreditation secured, a talented faculty in place, and a strong partnership with HonorHealth, we can now begin recruiting our first class of medical and engineering students. It’s an incredibly exciting time.”
The John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering will initially operate from ASU’s Mercado campus in downtown Phoenix until the ASU Health headquarters is completed in 2028. Groundbreaking for the new facility is expected in spring 2026.
Preliminary accreditation from the LCME marks a key milestone, confirming that the school has met the rigorous standards required to begin recruiting and enrolling students eligible for federal aid, residency programs, and licensure exams.
