On March 26, 2008, with the approval of their respective boards, Hofstra University and North Shore-LIJ Health System entered into a formal agreement that established the School of Medicine, the first allopathic medical school in Nassau County and the first new medical school in the New York metropolitan area in more than 35 years. After a formal search, Dr. Lawrence Smith, nationally recognized for his leadership in medicine and medical education, was appointed as Founding Dean. Dr. Smith had served as the Chief Medical Officer of the Northwell Health System since September 1, 2006, and has continued, as Dean, in the position of Executive Vice President/Physician-in-Chief of Northwell Health. By holding a leadership role in both the University and Northwell, Dr. Smith facilitates a unified approach to maintaining a successful partnership, providing innovative leadership, and ensuring the seamless integration of classroom and clinical experiences.In June 2010, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) granted Preliminary Accreditation to the School of Medicine. The School of Medicine officially opened its initial building. The School welcomed its inaugural class in August 2011. The School of Medicine received Provisional Accreditation in 2013 from the LCME and broke ground on it's new addition. The School opened the doors to its expansion building, which increased the size of the main education site to over 60,000 gross square feet, bringing the total physical structure to 113,000 square feet. In 2015, The School of Medicine attained Full Accreditation and graduated it's first class. Effective January 1, 2016, the School of Medicine, formerly known as the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, became the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, in parallel with the new Northwell Health brand.