`Request for Information’ seeks clinical affiliations for Phoenix Biomedical Campus

[Source: Al Bravo, University of Arizona] - The Arizona Board of Regents and The University of Arizona today announced a “Request for Information” process to pursue clinical affiliations for The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University. The Request for Information seeks responses from health care entities who wish to propose concepts and approaches for building a clinical presence on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. “We are building a world-class academic health campus and we are seeking affiliates who share this vision,” said Fred Boice, president of the Arizona Board of Regents. “Our goal remains the same – to make this a world-class medical school with top-notch patient care and superior research.”

The University of Arizona, supported by the state and the City of Phoenix, has made a long-term commitment to medical education and biomedical research in downtown Phoenix. This year, the first class of 24 students was admitted to the Phoenix medical school campus, and class size will eventually grow to 150. A new research building, jointly housing faculty and researchers from The University of Arizona and Arizona State University, opened recently on the downtown campus, and additional facilities for the site are in the planning phase.

The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University already has established itself as a powerful and important partner in meeting the region's growing demand for new doctors and improved medical care. Part of the plan for the Phoenix campus includes the eventual construction of an academic medical center. Negotiations began last year with Banner Health, a well-established non-profit health care provider, to partner on the medical center construction and operation. Both sides were determined to develop a plan that would make the medical center an affordable and effective reality within the next five years. However, the complexities of recruiting and funding a medical faculty, coupled with the current fiscal challenges facing the state, have made it necessary for the University to consider new organizational models, approaches to growth, and financing solutions that are responsive to the realities of 21st century academic medicine.

“Over the coming decade, we have every expectation that clinical facilities will be built on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus,” said UA President Robert N. Shelton. “We will continue to work with the City of Phoenix, the Governor and Legislature to develop funding options as we explore other possible partnerships and operational models. Suspending discussions with Banner over the medical center facility is not an ending, but the beginning of a new process that we are confident will grow into a vital resource for Maricopa County and the State of Arizona.”

The Request for Information seeks affiliates interested in long-term investment in a campus that will have ambulatory and inpatient facilities, cutting-edge patient care, advanced biomedical research, and superb education offered by academic faculty.