Calling it “bold action,” State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) applauds the March 12 decision by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees to establish a new academic medical school in Urbana in conjunction with Carle Health System.
“This is a major opportunity for our University to place itself at the forefront of medical research,” Rose said. “Our nation is facing a shortage of physicians. Today’s decision by the trustees will help fill that critical gap, while also bringing to east central Illinois the brightest students from around the world who will help make our world a better place by establishing new advances in medicine.”
Sen. Rose has been an early proponent of expanding opportunities in the medical professions and, specifically, medical research and applied technologies through a new academic medical school entity at the Urbana-Champaign campus. In May 2014, he took the lead, coordinating support of the area’s legislative delegation for this expanded mission for the University of Illinois. In a letter sent to the Board of Trustees, Rose said, “I believe very strongly in the potential positive economic, academic, and healthful effects such an undertaking would mean for our region, the State of Illinois, and our country.”
Rose also authored Senate Bill 1576 in 2013, designed to heighten awareness of the coming physician shortage in the United States.
Rose says he shares the same enthusiasm as other proponents and agrees with campus Chancellor Phyllis Wise, who calls the new medical school a “game changer.”
“Now the challenge will be to make sure this grows our local economy during the transition phase as this gets up and running,” Rose said.