Med School Group Outlines Objectives

GRAND RAPIDS — A stakeholder group charged with exploring proposed development of a medical school here just released a statement outlining its mission and objectives.

The statement shows consensus among major health care, research, educational and economic development entities in West Michigan on a strategy to build a stronger biomedical and life sciences environment in the region.

The development team includes Grand Action, Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University, The Right Place Inc., Saint Mary’s Health Care, Spectrum Health and the Van Andel Research Institute.

The group formed last fall following a Deloitte Consulting report on the potential economic impact of expanding MSU’s College of Human Medicine to West Michigan

The group set forth its “commitments” as follows:

  • Creating a financially self-sustaining state-of-the-art, four-year accredited medical school in West Michigan that is nationally emulated for its innovative research.
  • Focusing the West Michigan effort initially and primarily on medical programs in research and complementary sub-specialty clinical practices with broader attention to programs that help improve the health of the West Michigan community.
  • Undertaking a process of deliberate and measured development and growth so that the stakeholders and other affected institutions may appropriately plan for and manage the phases of development and fully realize the potential benefits of the medical school.
  • Actively, both individually and collectively, engaging in the process and providing the needed expertise, perspective, entity representation and resources to achieve the stated commitment.

“This statement marks a significant step forward in further defining the development team’s roles and responsibilities,” said Steve Heacock, chief administrative officer of the VAI. He said the development team intends to keep the community abreast of its progress.