Efforts to establish a UC Merced School of Medicine recently crossed another milestone and received a boost at the same time.
The “Preliminary Program Proposal and Business Plan to Establish a UC Merced School of Medicine” was recently completed and is being submitted to UC Merced faculty for comments as part of the campus’ strategic academic planning process.
In February 2006, faculty approved continued planning for a medical school at UC Merced. The preliminary proposal is the result of that effort.
In the coming months, UC Merced’s faculty and administration will be making critical decisions regarding the university’s future academic priorities and the outcome of the proposal.
Faculty are encouraged to read the preliminary proposal, which makes a strong case for the long-term importance of a School of Medicine to UC Merced’s faculty and students, to surrounding communities and to California.
The proposal also is being sent to other UC medical school experts for feedback and will be submitted to the UC Office of the President for review. Feedback will be considered in a revised plan that will be submitted to Chancellor Steve Kang.
In November, UC Merced is expected to present an update regarding the campus’ planning for medical education to the UC Board of Regents. There is strong local support for a UC Merced School of Medicine from Valley communities, including elected officials. Enthusiastic support from the UC Merced faculty is essential if the campus is to continue moving the plan forward and obtain support for the medical school.
Meanwhile, UC Merced received nearly $1 million to establish a telehealth network in the Valley that will improve access to health care and connect underserved communities with advanced communications services while providing a fundamental building block for the medical school.
Funding for the project includes $500,000 from AT&T; $200,000 from the California Emerging Technology Fund and $250,000 from the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley.
More than 100 sites from Stockton to Bakersfield and surrounding foothill communities are being considered as eHealth centers. From that number, four sites will be selected.
The centers will be at existing health care facilities in the Valley and will provide telemedicine services via videoconferencing with electronic storage and forwarding capabilities, training for physicians and staff and educational opportunities for high school and college students in the region.
