Medical School Proposal

[FIUFan]

Two more positive editorials today from the Orlando paper.

WHERE'S THE HERALD ??

www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-myword1605nov16,0,7645048,print.story?coll=orl-opinion-headlines

www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-ed16105nov16,0,4335625.story?coll=orl-opinion-headlines

[FIUFanatic]

Here's the editorial from the Orlando Sentinel: THANK YOU VERY MUCH ORLANDO SENTINEL!!!!:

EDITORIAL
More than whimsy

Our position: New medical schools are critical to Florida's economic future.


Posted November 16, 2005



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In the daily push and shove of government, there are really only a handful of monumental moments, debates that truly impact lives.

These issues often pop up in unexpected places -- such as Thursday's meeting of the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state's university system. When the 17 board members hear proposals for medical schools at the University of Central Florida and Miami's Florida International University, they will draw closer to a decision that will do far more than shape higher-education policy.

Their decision will affect the health and well-being of Floridians. So it is important that board members get all the facts and study the proposals before taking that final vote. Chairwoman Carolyn Roberts was wise to listen to members who believe they are not ready to vote Thursday.

That's fine, because supporters and opponents alike know that the longer board members study the facts, the stronger the UCF-FIU case becomes.

The best arguments for building the medical schools are that they are the best way to ease Florida's growing doctor shortage and they offer the state an opportunity for economic development.

That Florida's doctor shortage is severe is an unchallenged fact. Indeed, Florida's shortage is exacerbated by a national shortage that led Jordan Cohen, president of the Association of American Medical Colleges, to call for a 30 percent increase in medical-school students in the next 10 years.

Mr. Cohen cites, among other things, the aging of the baby-boomer generation and the reality that older people use more medical services. The challenges presented by an aging population are only magnified in Florida, where nearly 18 percent of the population will be over age 65 by 2009.

Opponents argue the shortage can be handled by increasing the number of medical residencies from existing med schools. But that is far from a simple -- or inexpensive -- proposition, since the federal government has all but abandoned grants for new slots at hospitals with existing programs. And it's highly unlikely that Congress will change that law.

So the surest way to increase residencies is to build new medical schools. UCF and FIU have arrangements to create more than 400 new residencies within a few years.

And the expense of these new schools -- $10 million a year for 10 years -- would be far outstripped by the economic impact for all of Florida. These medical schools would generate upwards of $6 billion of economic impact by attracting medical research and high quality jobs. That's not pork for Orlando or Miami -- that represents a real statewide impact.

Thursday offers a rare moment in time for the Board of Governors.

If they listen objectively to the facts and crunch the numbers, board members will soon reach the same conclusion we have: Florida needs and can support two new medical schools.

[FIUFan]

New Herald article today, tones down some of the rhetoric but still makes claim of $500M over 12 years. (http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/education/13187393.htm)

You can tell these people have trouble with math as they claim that $120M possible for FIU. Well, doing the math, $2M from Hospital + $5M from anonymous donor + $20M from Werthiem + $40M (final negotiations) = $67M. Multiply this by the State matching funds and you get $134M, hmm . Herald's fuzzy logic at work again.

Anyways, good news that Madique is in the process of lining up another $40M . That's a lot of queso.

[FIUFanatic]

Thanks for the link FIUFan...for some reason it didn't come up with the FIU search on the site. Anyways, you are right about their math, and way to slip in the cost over 12 years, which if they estimate at $20 million per year per college, adds up to $480 million over 12 years. I guess the writer wanted to get as close as possible to $500 million, thus exxagerating by $20 million and using 12 years (rather than customary 10) and use a $20 million per year per institution to get there. Oh well.

But the overall tone, as you say, it's a bit more positive (less negative?) from the writer, while also espousing those great amounts of donations to our Medical School. Good to see that Mercy Hospital donated that amount, as well as Mr. Wertheim coming through with double his original donation. That $40 million donation.....Wow!!!!! Anyways, here's the story and link again:


www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/education/13187393.htm

EDUCATION


$120 million possible for an FIU med school

BY NOAH BIERMAN

[e-mail]


JACKSONVILLE - Florida International University plans to tell a key state board today that it has commitments for $27 million in donations and is in ''final negotiations'' for another $40 million gift if a new, on-campus medical school is approved.

President Modesto ''Mitch'' Maidique said the $40 million donation would represent the largest cash gift to a Florida public university, but the donor has yet to sign a contract.

''There's many a slip between the cut and the lip,'' he said Wednesday.

Maidique will formally ask the Board of Governors to approve plans for an FIU medical school. The board, which oversees Florida's public universities, must approve the plan before Maidique can seek money from the state Legislature. Board members will hear proposals today, but will vote no sooner than January.

The University of Central Florida also wants a medical school. If approved, the two med schools would cost taxpayers $500 million over the next dozen years. Donations, while significant, would not eliminate the need for tax dollars.

''I think it's important that the community demonstrated its support, but I don't think it's enough to move the'' the board of governors, Maidique said. It would be a larger issue if the school had problems raising money, he said.

Maidique says he hopes to have a written contract for a $20 million donation on hand from FIU university trustee Herbert Wertheim when he goes before the board today at a meeting at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

Wertheim, an eye-care supply magnate, previously committed to a $10 million challenge grant. Maidique said Wertheim agreed to a larger contribution in the past two weeks.

''I haven't seen the agreement, but I hope to see it very soon,'' Maidique said.

Mercy Hospital also has agreed to donate $2 million and an anonymous foundation had previously announced a $5 million gift.

Most of the donations are eligible for state matching funds. So FIU may have more than $120 million committed by January, when Maidique hopes to secure the $40 million gift for the medical school.

[FIUFan]

Yeah, ain't it funny (funny - weird, not funny - ha ha) how they overestimate the negative and underestimate the positive .

[Steve]

In the defense of the article, it does say "More than $120 million". Since $134 million is more than $120 million, then they are right.

[FIUFanatic]

Well, technically you are right, but the headline says 120, not "more than"....Also, wouldn't it be more acccurate "more than $130"?...

[FIUFan]

Well Steve, if you want to split hairs then how can they say "the two med schools would cost taxpayers $500 million over the next dozen years"? Don't they need to qualify that statement with 'an estimated dollar figure over the next dozen years', because this number is not set in concrete.

And another thing while we're at it, if they are combining the costs of the medical schools why don't they 'combine' the costs of the commitments. So instead of the $120M you get a number like $194M (our $134M + UCF's $30M x 2).

These guys need to be comparing apples to apples or they're misleading us (which I believe is their intent anyways).

[Steve]

Accuracy in reporting?!?!?! thats not the way of American media in these times!! You don't grab readers with such things as accuracy, objectivity, and you know, stuff like that! you grab it with exaggerations and taking things out of context!

[FIUFanatic]

Interesting how the Orlando Sentinel stories have changed a bit in their views about donation, just a bit. If you see this newer story, they mention more than once "broad based support", meaning more people or institutions donating a sizable amount of money...It's very possible they kind of knew of FIU's major donations (and more than them quite possibly), but only between a handful of "benefactors". They are, very subliminally, trying to diferentiate themselves a bit, just to make their point stronger that they have more donors, but less cash....


www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-medschool1705nov17,0,5066743.story

Donors fortify med-school pitch
Five more million-dollar benefactors stand behind UCF as it makes its case to the state today.

Tania Deluzuriaga | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted November 17, 2005



UCF going all out for med school
Nov 14, 2005
Undeniable need
Nov 14, 2005






Five more donors have pledged $1 million each to the University of Central Florida's proposed medical school, which the university will pitch today to members of the state Board of Governors in Jacksonville.

The new donations will enable UCF to argue that it has more than $31 million in local support for the health-care campus it wants to build in the Lake Nona development in southeast Orlando.

UCF President John Hitt is to speak on behalf of the university, which contends that the new campus will ease a statewide doctor shortage, improve medical care and provide economic benefits to Central Florida.

"The university has worked hard to show that there is a great need for additional medical education and that UCF is well-positioned to support it, and the community has recognized that," Hitt said in a statement.

The Board of Governors, which sets policy for the state university system, will hear from UCF and Florida International University in Miami, which also wants to build a medical school. Board members are not expected to vote until early next year on whether to endorse establishing a medical college.

Orlando is the largest U.S. metropolitan area without a medical school. Miami has a state-subsidized school at the private University of Miami. Florida's other medical schools are in Tampa, Gainesville, Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale.

More than a dozen individuals and organizations have donated to the UCF campaign. The $1 million benefactors made public Wednesday are Bank of America; the Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation; Hughes Supply; Darden Restaurants Chairman Joe Lee; and Dynetech Corp. founder Larry Pino and his wife, Janet. In addition, an anonymous donor gave $500,000.

"When people give you a million dollars, they believe in what you're doing," UCF spokeswoman Linda Gray said Wednesday.

Last month, Tavistock Group, which owns the Lake Nona community, pledged $12.5 million in cash and 50 acres for the project. Orange County contributed $1 million and urged other governments to contribute.

Seminole and Osceola counties have offered to donate $100,000 each, which will be matched by Orange.

"That kind of broad-based support is very rewarding," Gray said. "Obviously folks in Central Florida believe the university can provide a medical school with the kind of excellence that is beneficial to all."
State matching money is available for most contributions. Combined, that would make more than $62 million available to pay for the medical-college building and library at the Lake Nona site.

UCF also has a $10 million gift from car dealer Al Burnett and his wife, Nancy, to help build a biomedical-sciences building within the medical complex. That building will be built regardless of whether the medical school is approved.

If the Board of Governors and Florida legislators say yes, UCF estimates medical-school classes could begin by fall 2008. The college could produce about 120 graduates a year for a state that needs several thousand new doctors annually.

Tania deLuzuriaga can be reached at [e-mail] or 407-420-5718.

[Steve]

Ever since FIU has announced how much money it has raised and is still raising, Orlando papers have been downplaying the amount of money they have been raising and instead opting for the "we have broader support" option. I think that is interesting.

It is almost like when a kid brags about their new toys to another kid and then that other kid brings out an even nicer and newer toy. That original kid then starts to look at the flaws with the newer toy to make himself the dominant one again.

[FIUFanatic]

In this three-way conversation we are having, just came accross with link for BOG link for webcast. I think it's too late for our Med Schools presentations, but FAU president is talking right now about Hurricane damages:

www.fldoe.org/webcast/default_bog.asp

[FIUFanatic]

steve said:

Ever since FIU has announced how much money it has raised and is still raising, Orlando papers have been downplaying the amount of money they have been raising and instead opting for the "we have broader support" option. I think that is interesting.

It is almost like when a kid brags about their new toys to another kid and then that other kid brings out an even nicer and newer toy. That original kid then starts to look at the flaws with the newer toy to make himself the dominant one again.

Exactly my point of view.....

[FIUFanatic]

I just saw the proposal made by President Maidique, and it was just fabulous!!! He was eloquent, brought in a lot of facts, mentioned the amazing success of FIU students in national examinations of competency in many fields, particularly the nurses and the last professional school awarded to FIU, the College of Law.

A State legislator who is an FIU grad, I think David Rivera was his name, ended FIU's proposal by stating to the BOG members that if they approved FIU's and UCF's proposal, that the legislature will fund it. He used the "Field of Dreams" "if you build it...", saying "if you approve it, we will fund it".

All in all, very impressive. Now, as I type it, UCF's President is speaking his case....

[Steve]

What is especially ironic about this whole deal is that I think the universities themselves are going about this with the mindset being that they are just trying to get a school added and there is no real competition. I think the whole competetiveness is being added completely by the media.