What's next for King medical school project?

BRISTOL, Tenn. – King College may have found its dancing partners.

While Monday’s $15 million offer by the Washington County, Va., Board of Supervisors and Abingdon Town Council doesn’t assure King’s proposed medical school would be built there, it makes the county a front-runner, college President Greg Jordan said.

“The Washington County-Abingdon resolution propels this project to the next level and signals the community is supporting this initiative,” Jordan said Tuesday afternoon. “We are delighted with their expression of support. This is a significant step toward meeting the match needed for the Tobacco Commission funds.”

The offer would still leave King with a $10 million gap toward raising a mandatory match to a $25 million pledged last November by the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission.

College officials first announced interest in establishing a medical school in November 2008 and they’ve met with state and local government entities across Tennessee and Virginia during the subsequent 20 months.

However, Monday’s announcement has spurred additional interest, Jordan said.

“Already this [Tuesday] morning, we’ve heard from numerous individuals who are interested in the project and want to be supportive,” Jordan said. “The announcement by Washington County and Abingdon has afforded a wide spectrum of people to now come forward and express their support.”

Monday’s vote was the culmination of months of conversations with county and town leaders, who first expressed interest last year after the Tobacco Commission made its announcement, Jordan said.

King officials will continue reviewing all options and the final decision rests with the college Board of Trustees, Jordan said.

“We’ll convene the board in the near future after exploring other options and some of the overtures that have been made, even as recently as today,” Jordan said.

Finding and securing a site for the proposed medical school remains a top priority, Jordan said, noting that the $10 million needed to meet the match could include additional contributions, in-kind gifts and the value of land.

“We have two or three opportunities in Washington County and Abingdon that we are considering. And all would be strategically located and be enormously beneficial,” Jordan said. “The goal is to secure a sufficient amount of property to accommodate growth over 100 years.”

College officials are looking for between 60 and 100 acres close to the Interstate 81 corridor,  Jordan said. The access is important for medical students to easily reach Bristol Regional Medical Center – because hospital parent company Wellmont Health System is committed to be a clinical partner in the project – and to allow students better access to clinical opportunities in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

“There is no timetable, but we are keenly interested in identifying that site and securing it. The value of the property would be considered within the Tobacco Commission grant and we have several opportunities where the land would be donated,” Jordan said.

Virginia Sen. William Wampler, R-Bristol, who is a member of the Tobacco Commission, said there is no deadline for progress.

“At the Tobacco Commission, we remain fully supportive of the King School of Medicine. These things take some time,” Wampler said. “That said, all of us would like to see a [financial] commitment met and a site determined. October is our next meeting and everybody would like to report a site has been determined and the host locality is known.”

If land eventually becomes the third piece of the puzzle, that would meet the commission’s guidelines, Wampler said.

“The first $50 million is for capital projects and the Tobacco Commission expects a $25 million match – that could be cash and land,” Wampler said.

In addition to the estimated $50 million for construction, King plans to raise an additional $50 million to sustain operational costs.

“The public sector has stepped forward and indicated their support for this project in Southwest Virginia and – in the near future – we can move to secure the second $50 million from the private sector,” Jordan said.

The college, town and county have held “sustained” conversations throughout this year.

Dulcie Mumpower, chairwoman of the county Board of Supervisors characterized the project as the “biggest” she can recall in this area. She said no public money will be committed until both the county and town have all the information needed to make a good decision.

A King-funded study predicts the medical school would create about 500 jobs and have a $74 million economic impact within a few years and continue to grow for the following 20 years.

“It’s a very positive step in realizing the start of the King School of Medicine,” Wampler said. “King College has the commission’s commitment and the commitment the county and town made is probably one of the most significant investments – and most unique investments – in my 23 years of service.”

dmcgee@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2532