Westchester Medical Center Health Network has received a $2 million philanthropic commitment from Everest Family Foundation (EFF) to establish the Everest Scholars Program, a landmark initiative to cultivate the next generation of physician-leaders dedicated to serving rural and underserved communities.
The gift was celebrated at a special reception during WMCHealth’s Departments of Medicine and Neurology Research Day on May 13, 2026, at the Taylor Conference Center in Valhalla, bringing together clinicians, researchers, and medical educators.
Founded in honor of Dr. Edwin A.D. Everest and led by Founder and Chairman Emeritus Dr. Michael Everest and Chairwoman Mrs. Agata Everest, EFF has grown into one of the nation’s leading philanthropic forces in graduate medical education and academic research. Guided by the principle of being “Part of the Cure,” the Foundation’s research portfolio spans internal medicine, neurology, psychiatry, cardiology, oncology, and public health, with a special dedication to cardiac and diabetes research in tribute to Dr. Edwin Everest’s legacy.
“My father believed that medicine is a calling, not a privilege. The Everest Scholars Program honors that belief by investing in physicians who choose to go where the need is greatest, to the rural and underserved communities that too often go without. We are proud to partner with Westchester Medical Center, an institution that shares our conviction that excellent care should reach every patient, regardless of where they live.” – Dr. Michael Everest, Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Everest Family Foundation
Everest Scholars are physician-researchers selected for their commitment to evidence-based practice, academic excellence, and medical education in underserved settings. Through mentorship, expanded post-graduate opportunities, and active scholarly engagement at WMCHealth, Scholars will Scholars will strengthen the Graduate Medical Education system and elevate care for the communities WMCHealth serves.