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MU Names Department of Family and Community Medicine to Honor Dr. and Mrs. Curtis W. Long

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Held June 20

The University of Missouri School of Medicine announced the naming of the Department of Family and Community Medicine to honor Curtis W. Long and Ann H. Long for their commitment and generosity to MU. The Longs recently made a considerable donation to support the department's mission of enhancing health and primary care for rural communities. Today, the School of Medicine named the department the Curtis W. and Ann H. Long Department of Family and Community Medicine during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Longs' gift will endow the department and fund the Curtis W. and Ann H. Long Rural Medicine Training Program, which will help teach future physicians the knowledge and skills they need to bring comprehensive medical care to rural areas. The program was developed by Dr. Long, adjunct associate professor of family and community medicine at MU, in conjunction with other faculty in the department.

"The Longs have a sincere desire to help people in rural communities throughout the state and across the country. These communities are in desperate need of more physicians and the Department of Family and Community Medicine is intent on addressing this shortage. MU is grateful for the generous contributions Dr. and Mrs. Long have made to support these efforts at our University," MU Chancellor Brady Deaton said.

When it was established in 1975, the department defined two main goals, to expand and enhance primary care services, especially for rural and underserved populations, and to increase the number of teachers to train family physicians. Having dedicated faculty members who work hard and stay focused on these goals has helped the department become a nationally recognized leader, ranking as one of the top three family medicine programs in the country for the past 15 years. Ongoing funding from the Longs will allow the department to maintain its high level of excellence.

"The Longs embody the dedication to health care and service to community that are central to our mission at the University of Missouri School of Medicine," said William Crist, Hugh E. and Sarah D. Stephenson Dean of the MU School of Medicine. "The Longs' gift will improve many aspects of MU's already exceptional Department of Family and Community Medicine. Education, patient care and research - especially relating to rural medicine, chronic diseases and aging - will be transformed because of the Longs' generosity."

After receiving his bachelor's degree from MU in 1956, Curtis Long married Ann Hammack on July 20, 1958. Long graduated from MU's medical school in 1963 after a year of intensive surgical training at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center. He then completed an internship at General Hospital in Kansas City with an emphasis in obstetrics and surgery. Originally from Macon, Miss., Ann graduated in 1956 from Mississippi State College for Women. She supported Long's education at MU by teaching at Stephens College in Columbia.

In 1964, the Longs moved to Butler, where they have become pillars of their community. With the same practice operating from the same medical building for more than 40 years, Dr. Long has distinguished himself as a physician who has provided an array of essential services to rural patients. Dr. Long has performed more than 10,000 surgical procedures, delivered more than 4,000 babies and admitted more than 50,000 patients to hospitals.

In addition to his contributions to patient care and physician training, Dr. Long has been a leader for organized medicine groups, hospitals, banks and churches. Mrs. Long also has been involved with organizations in their community while serving more than 40 years as business manager for the Longs’ ranch, Briarwoods Farms. The Longs also are generous contributors to state and national angus association programs, and Dr. Long has been inducted into the Missouri Angus Breeders' Hall of Fame.

The Longs have two sons, Curtis W. Long Jr., a 1982 graduate of MU, and Kent Long, as well as two grandchildren. This summer the Longs will celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary.

June 2008