King Seeking Tobacco Money For Proposed Medical School

BRISTOL, Tenn. – A $25 million grant could attract part of the proposed King College medical school to Virginia.
The private, Bristol, Tenn.-based school is asking the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission for that amount to jump-start the project, college President Greg Jordan told the Bristol Herald Courier.
“This will represent our initial fundraising request, even though we’ve had some very encouraging discussions with public and private donor sources in the region,” Jordan said. “We would use the $25 million toward the construction of a $50 million facility. And we would also continue to explore various resources to obtain $50 million for operational expense for the first three years of the medical school.”
King announced its desire to establish a medical school in the Tri-Cities area last year. College officials have spent much of 2009 taking their case to area government and health care leaders, civic groups and other potential supporters.
“The [Virginia] facility would house the first two years of medical education and research, and then additional clinical space is allocated for third- and fourth-year programs [at the second facility]. This is consistent with the original vision and planning that we explored,” Jordan said.
King plans to build separate facilities near both the Bristol Regional Medical Center and the Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, working in conjunction with Wellmont Health System.
The commission allocates money from the federal tobacco settlement case to help pay for economic and community development projects in Southwest and Southside Virginia.
Their next scheduled meeting occurs later this month and a decision could come at that time, said state Sen. William Wampler, R-Bristol, who also is a commission member.
“That matter will likely come before the full commission and it’s possible – on the 29th of October – a vote could take place,” Wampler said.
Wampler and state Delegate Terry Kilgore – the commission’s vice-chairman – have been speaking with King officials for months.
“Our philosophy at the commission has been to try and find big projects that have the potential of being transformational,” Wampler said, citing previous investments in broadband telecommunications and energy research.
“If a medical school is responsible for the creation of 500 direct jobs, that would be a huge shot in the arm to our region,” Wampler said. “A medical school can help a lot of people with our health care needs and they aren’t going to leave after five years.”
A King-funded feasibility study shows the proposed school could generate a $74 million regional economic impact and more than 500 jobs by 2015. By 2025, the economic impact is forecast to reach nearly $990 million, according to the study.
Wampler said he was initially skeptical of the project, due to concerns about startup funding, but now believes it could be accomplished.
The response from other commission members also has been positive.
“I think it’s looking pretty good,” Kilgore said. “The commission views projects like this as an economic development project. With all the jobs it would create, along with the businesses a medical school attracts, this seems to be a good fit with our overall strategy for Southwest Virginia.”
A final location hasn’t been determined, but Jordan said building in Virginia wouldn’t alter their previously announced plans.
“There are a number of locations we’re considering, but none have been determined yet,” Jordan said. “We’re looking at a variety of sites and, when that’s determined, we’ll be happy to share that.”
Sections of Virginia are less than two miles from the Bristol hospital campus – along both sides of Interstate 81 – but Jordan didn’t respond to that line of questioning.
Wampler said he didn’t know where the proposed facility would be built.
“I assume it would be somewhere between [Interstate 81’s] Exit 1 and Exit 13 because it’s got to be close to the tertiary care hospital,” Kilgore said, adding he hadn’t yet seen their application.
If approved, commissioners could stipulate the project has to begin within six to 12 months, Kilgore said.
Such approval would send the project into high gear, Jordan said.
“We’re looking to stay on the time schedule originally developed – which is to receive the first class by 2012,” Jordan said. “In order to do that, we would need to identify a location, along with appropriate planning and facilities development for the medical school.”

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