New Orleans has the potential to be an economic powerhouse in the South starting in 2015 with LSU’s proposal for a brand new academic medical center, called University Medical Center.
The UMC would not only replace Charity Hospital, which used to be one of LSU’s teaching hospitals and has been closed since Hurricane Katrina, but also would serve as a leading center for research, patient care, medical training, job creation and economic growth in the South.
The proposed hospital would boast a whopping 424 beds, which would support the existing supply of patients that consistently fills the 225-bed Interim LSU Public Hospital to 90 percent capacity. And it would draw in more patients throughout the region.
To put into perspective how beneficial the UMC would be, consider the academic medical center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The facility is the largest single employer in Alabama, claiming one out of every 33 jobs. In addition, it provides $1 out of every $25 of the state’s budget, generating more than $300 million annually.
LSU’s plan would produce a facility that would rival UAB’s.
The 424-bed plan has faced criticism from Sen. David Vitter, state Treasurer John Kennedy and state House Speaker Jim Tucker, who claim such a facility would be financially unsustainable. They propose scrapping the plan and instead expanding three already existing hospitals in New Orleans.
Vitter’s plan ultimately factors out an opportunity for Louisiana to attract bright minds from out of state. With a three-building model, the medical center would be much less efficient than would a one-building model. It would be less impressive, unable to house the innovative research and cutting-edge resources necessary to prevent our future physicians, nurses, clinicians, faculty and researchers from leaving the state and to reel in business and talent from the rest of the country.
LSU’s plan creates competition. Competition is what drives economic growth, technological advances and academic progress. The plan allows Louisiana to compete with UAB, whereas Vitter’s plan wouldn’t allow us to be part of that field. A 424-bed medical center would lead to more breakthroughs in drugs and surgical techniques and more quality services and care. It would also earn business from more privately insured patients who might otherwise seek medical attention elsewhere.
Right now, patients needing highly specialized care must go out of state, supporting the economies of other states by paying for lodging, meals and travel expenses, in addition to physicians.
For those of us at LSU in Baton Rouge pursuing careers in the medical field, the 424-bed plan can secure our future training and employment. Moreover, we would have easy access to state-of-the-art medical technology and more talented faculty.
If you still need persuading, consider U.S. News’ ranking of medical schools based on research and primary care. LSU’s medical school didn’t rank in a single one of the categories in 2011. For many of us at LSU who want to go to medical school, we will most likely attend LSU’s. With Vitter’s plan, LSU’s medical school will likely hold its current ranking, while LSU’s plan would provide the resources necessary for excellence.
With the economy suffering, it’s difficult to persuade politicians to appropriate money to new projects. However, given the economic benefits LSU’s plan would bring to Louisiana, it is one investment worth making.
Austin Casey is a 19-year-old medical physics junior from Mandeville. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_Austincasey.
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Contact Austin Casey at [email protected]