Lawrence Larson, DO, former Chair of PNWU’s Board of Trustees and co-founder of Pediatrics Northwest, establishes The Dr. Lawrence and Mary Larson Endowed Scholarship.
Created in honor of his late wife, the new PNWU scholarship aims to inspire a new generation of compassionate community pediatricians.
Dr. Lawrence Larson never doubted the visionary optimism that accompanied the founding of PNWU. Having co-founded Pediatrics Northwest – a now nationally-renowned multi-specialty practice – in his own medically underserved hometown of Tacoma in 1980, the concept of building something implausible and new was neither new nor implausible.
Having signed on immediately to support PNWU’s bold and complementary vision, Dr. Larson has continued to impact and shape the healthcare available to families throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Following a decade of service on PNWU’s Board of Trustees, including the role of Chair from July 2015 through June 2017, Dr. Larson recently established The Dr. Lawrence and Mary Larson Endowed Scholarship. Created in honor of his late wife – who shared a passion for healing and inspiring children and, as a result, entire communities – the new scholarship is a clear “yes” to the question that has forever directed the Larson’s efforts: “Is this a decision that’s good for children and families?”
Designed to help combat a significant shortage of primary care providers in Washington, as well as throughout the Northwest and entire nation, The Dr. Lawrence and Mary Larson Endowed Scholarship aims to support PNWU Student Doctors committed to providing compassionate, high-quality pediatric care.
“My heart is in pediatrics,” Dr. Larson said. “I want to make sure we have enough pediatric primary care providers for our children.” By helping to reduce the financial burden of medical school, Dr. Larson hopes to inspire even more graduates to pursue a career in pediatrics, expanding the substantial impact he’s already had on children and families in Washington.
Formally trained as a fourth-grade teacher, with a master’s in educational psychology, Mary Larson’s lifelong love of children will also echo with each student the scholarship supports.
“She spent so much time within the community,” said Dr. Larson of his late wife, “She was a mentor and constant source of support for people at risk, especially women at risk, and her kindness spread through families and into entire communities. I hope this scholarship can achieve that same sort of community spread.”
“We have such great opportunity as physicians to have an influence on people’s lives that nobody else gets,” Dr. Larson said. “Similarly, support of PNWU scholarships has an unrivaled impact. Every dollar of scholarship can help to produce a provider that’s going to see thousands and thousands of patients for years to come. It’s a can’t-miss.”