BOISE - State lawmakers are not favoring one particular campus over the other, but they are confident Idaho's three major universities have the resources needed to eventually sustain a medical program.

Presidents from Idaho's three major universities each presented an inventory report to the joint interim legislative committee on medical education Monday, highlighting their institutions' infrastructure, resources, programs and faculty.

The objective was to give state lawmakers an idea of the resources Idaho State University, Boise State University and the University of Idaho in Moscow could offer toward the probable establishment of a medical program in the Gem State.

Sen. Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs, the committee's co-chairman, said each university seems to have a valuable number of resources, but added his fellow lawmakers would have to consider the potential of existing medical programs and further define the health-care problems facing Idaho.

"Each and every one of our universities have resources that they can contribute, but we have to come to an agreement to outline what we have," he said.

ISU President Arthur Vailas noted his university's hospital affiliations, the existing medical residency program and the number of clinical faculty. ISU runs various residency programs, has 176 clinical faculty and affiliation agreements with 150 hospitals in the state.

Additionally, Vailas said ISU has reserved 20,600 square feet of space for medical education.

A committee member asked Vailas if ISU would have to build another building on the reserved space.

"No, no," Vailas responded, explaining that the available space is ready to accommodate classes for medical education.

While touting ISU's resources, which include a number of health science degree programs, Vailas said a medical program is possible because the state has the needed infrastructure.

He cited ISU's School of Nursing and College of Pharmacy as examples, which he said should "synergize" to propel a larger medical program.

"You want to make sure that you have an integrated system," Vailas said.

The University of Idaho, which supports expanding an existing regional medical program, touted its 132,000 square feet of space and $11 million received in research grants.

U of I also serves as the venue for first-year state medical students participating in the Wyoming, Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho Medical Education Program. The U of I president said his university has received more research funding than 14 other state universities housing medical programs.

"I thought it was very enlightening and very beneficial to the committee members," said Susie Pouliot, the Idaho Medical Association's chief executive officer.

The IMA serves partly as a lobbying group on medical issues in the Gem State and is made up largely of health professionals. The organization recently passed resolutions supporting improving medical education in Idaho by means of creating a separate graduate program and expanding WWAMI.

Despite some of the contrasting views on the future of medical education in Idaho, Pouliot said her organization is mostly supporting open discussions on the issue.

Pouliot said the best move to make following the recent meeting is to continue considering the expansion of existing systems, which include WWAMI and the residency programs.

The committee Monday reflected IMA's stance, and members decided to bring in WWAMI representatives, as well as officials from the state's medical residency programs at the November meeting.

Idaho has med school resources Idaho has med school resources Idaho has med school resources Idaho has med school resources Text Idaho State Journal ->