March 2009 Engage - A Medical School in Austin

The most recent available American Hospital Association survey (2006) reports that Central Texas hospitals spent almost $500 million to care for the un- and under-insured in Central Texas. Historically, teaching hospitals, academic physicians, and residency programs form the backbone of the nation’s healthcare safety net. Teaching hospitals, which represent 30% of all hospitals, provide 80% of the charity care delivered in the country.

Recent news has highlighted a potential affiliation agreement between the Seton Family of Hospitals and the University of Texas that would allow the Seton system to serve as the primary teaching hospitals for an Austin-based medical school. Where does this potential agreement stand? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a regional medical school in Central Texas, and how might it impact the healthcare safety net in this region?

Dr. Sam Shomaker, Jim Walker, and Bruce Leander

Speakers:

• Bruce Leander – Former President and General Manager, Ambion / Applied Biosystems
• Dr. Sam Shomaker – Professor and Dean, UTMB Austin Programs
• Moderated by Jim Walker – Executive Director, Central Texas Sustainability Indicators Project

References from the discussion:

• Ambion / Applied Biosystems
• The University of Texas Medical Branch
• Central Texas Sustainability Indicators Project