University of the Pacific’s planned School of Medicine has received major support from The 54 Fund, founded by Stockton businessman and philanthropist Michael Duffy. 

The 54 Fund made a significant gift supporting the launch of the medical school on Pacific's Stockton Campus. The university announced a $150 million campaign this spring to build the school, which is expected to welcome its first students in fall 2030.

“Michael understands how urgently our region needs more doctors and Pacific’s unique position to fill the gap,” said President Christopher Callahan. "This new school will expand health care access and improve long-term outcomes for underserved communities. It is a transformational endeavor, and Michael's gift demonstrates the vital role that our community partners must play to make it a reality. We appreciate both his generosity and his example.”

Duffy is a dedicated Pacific supporter and a champion for local health and education initiatives. He recently retired as president and CEO of the San Joaquin Community Foundation, which supports scholarships in Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and has made numerous contributions to Pacific Athletics.

He previously managed Stockton’s Financial Center Credit Union for 30 years and served as commissioner at the Port of Stockton for more than a decade. He has founded several successful charities and participated on the boards of numerous nonprofits, including the St. Joseph's Foundation of San Joaquin.

“As a lifelong Stocktonian, I deeply appreciate all that Pacific has done for our community for more than a century, and I look forward to seeing its impact in the health care space continue to grow,” Duffy said. “The university's deep investment in the region, its commitment to serving local students, and its values of excellence, inclusion, collaboration and compassion, make it ideally suited to address our current health care crisis in thoughtful and innovative ways.”

The addition of a medical school in Stockton is significant and timely. California faces a 20% physician shortage by 2030, with Central Valley counties among the most drastically underserved. 

The region has just 47 primary care physicians for every 100,000 residents—well below recommended minimum thresholds—and one in three residents currently reports difficulty accessing care. Pacific's School of Medicine will address this shortfall by equipping locally trained providers to serve their home communities.

“Our students are drawn from these communities and understand their experiences and their needs. Supporting medical education at Pacific therefore benefits not only the students, but the countless patients and families they will serve,” said Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Scott Biedermann ’05, ’20. “We are grateful that Mike Duffy and others have already committed their support, and we look forward to seeing this effort continue to grow as more supporters join in—we need everyone.” 

The new school will expand access to medical education for Central Valley students and will fill long-standing gaps in access to care for millions of residents.  When it opens, Pacific will become just the 36th university in the nation with schools of dentistry, pharmacy, health sciences and medicine. 

The school also will support regional vitality, increasing the region’s economic output by more than $1 billion over the next decade.

“It is an honor to advance Pacific’s vision for a healthier Central Valley, and I hope others are inspired to do the same,” Duffy said. "We've seen how much we achieve when we work as a community, and I am confident that together, we can build this medical school into something truly extraordinary."

To learn about supporting the Pacific School of Medicine, contact Scott Biedermann at 209.946.2166 or sbiedermann@pacific.edu.