Tim Dellit, MD, Fel. ’03, and Liz McNamara, MN ’08, Establish Endowed Scholarship

Timothy H. Dellit, MD, CEO of UW Medicine and the Paul G. Ramsey Endowed Dean of the University of Washington School of Medicine, and Elizabeth McNamara, MN ’08, RN, have established an endowed MD scholarship in recognition of the impact of the increasing cost of medical education and the importance of supporting future medical leaders who are dedicated to serving all members of our communities. 

The Rickey R. Dellit Endowed Scholarship is named after Dellit’s father, Rick, who was the son of a Methodist minister in rural Iowa. Rick knew at an early age that he was gay at a time when expression of his self-identity was not accepted. Growing up, Dellit visited his father in Philadelphia, where he developed a strong appreciation for the closeness of the gay community and an awareness of the discrimination and harm his father and others experienced. 

Dellit witnessed firsthand the devastating effect of HIV with the death of his father and most of his father’s friends while those communities most impacted by HIV were marginalized. Rick Dellit died in 1992, prior to the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy that potentially could have led to a different outcome. This experience had a profound impact on Dellit, shaping his interest in infectious diseases and the intersection between medicine and the communities we serve.  

McNamara, who received her master’s in nursing at the UW, worked at UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center for nearly three decades and is deeply committed to improving healthcare for the most vulnerable members of our community. She is recently retired from Northwest Kidney Centers, where she served as VP of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer.  

"As the cost of medical education continues to increase, one of my biggest priorities as dean is to promote endowed scholarships to decrease the financial burden on our students so that they have the freedom to pursue their interests in medicine."

— Tim Dellit, MD

The $260,000 endowed scholarship will support MD students across the WWAMI region with financial need.  

“As the cost of medical education continues to increase, one of my biggest priorities as dean is to promote endowed scholarships to decrease the financial burden on our students so that they have the freedom to pursue their interests in medicine,” said Dellit. “Liz and I share a passion to support future physicians and healthcare professionals that reflect the communities we serve and are committed to addressing healthcare inequities, and hope that others might be inspired to join us.”  

The UW School of Medicine is one of the largest medical schools in the country, with approximately 1,085 students. While the school’s MD scholarship endowment has increased to more than $130 million in recent years, there remains a significant gap between the total demonstrated financial need and the amount of scholarship funds available to support those students.  

For more information on the impact of scholarship support, visit our Celebrate Scholarship webpage or contact Cathy Reilly, senior director for philanthropy, at 206.685.5329 or reillyc2@uw.edu.