A planned $311 million investment in a new College of Medicine building at UT Health Sciences is expected to expand medical education and help address physician shortages across Tennessee.
On this week's "Behind the Headlines," UT Health Sciences Chancellor Dr. Peter Buckley and College of Medicine Executive Dean Dr. Michael Hocker joined host Eric Barnes and Daily Memphian reporter Bill Dries to discuss an important project and the future of health care education in Memphis.
Buckley described the state's funding as its largest single capital investment in higher education, highlighting its importance beyond just the new facility.
"It's an endorsement of Memphis as a strong healthcare ecosystem," Buckley said.
The new building, spanning about 300,000 square feet, will be on the former site of Baptist Memorial Hospital near Madison Avenue and Dudley Street, with construction targeted for completion in 2029 and an official opening set for January 2030.
For Hocker, the project presents a chance to tackle ongoing space limitations. The medical school has typically admitted around 175 students per class, despite receiving between 3,000 and 4,000 applications. The new facility will enable the school to increase its medical class size by approximately 45% and to double the capacity of its physician assistant program.
The expansion comes as Tennessee anticipates a shortage "somewhere between 3,500 physicians up to maybe even 6,000" by 2035, according to Hocker.
"This building is important, not just to Memphis, but to Tennessee as we build the workforce of the future," he said.
In addition to discussing enrollment expansion, guests also talked about UT Health Sciences' partnerships with hospitals and medical facilities throughout Memphis and across Tennessee. Hocker said that the university's primary mission is to educate and train healthcare professionals rather than operate hospitals, making these relationships essential to its purpose.
The discussion also focused on disparities in rural health care, where physicians are in short supply. Buckley and Hocker discussed efforts to expand medical training opportunities in underserved communities, including new residency programs in rural areas and initiatives to improve access to care.
Looking ahead, both leaders discussed the importance of continued investment in Memphis' Medical District. Buckley pointed to new residential developments as a chance to strengthen the surrounding community, while Hocker emphasized the need for modern facilities, improved safety, and a livelier environment to attract students and faculty.
"We don't want to be a commuter campus where our faculty and students, you know, commute in, do their work and then go out," Hocker said. "We want our students and faculty to live down there. We want them to be part of it."