Tower Health, Drexel to develop campus
Medical school branch will be in West Reading
WEST READING » Tower Health and Drexel University have announced plans to develop a Berks County branch medical school campus of Drexel University College of Medicine.
The agreement was outlined during a press conference Monday morning.
The branch campus will bring undergraduate and graduate clinical education and research to West Reading according to a statement.
It will be located near the Reading Hospital campus, and is expected to be operational for the 2020-2021 school year, after receiving the appropriate accreditation.
According to Tower Health’s President and Chief Executive Officer Clint Matthews, the affiliation leverages the reputation of Drexel and Tower Health’s clinical quality of care, “as a provider and payer.”
“This innovative collaboration also addresses the challenge of an increased demand for highly trained physicians, and will provide a positive economic impact to the Berks County region,” he said in a press release.
Tower Health is currently evaluating potential sites, and has not made a final determination on where to locate the branch campus.
Information is not yet available on the number of students that will study at the branch campus, according to a Tower Health spokeswoman.
“We are so pleased to share with Tower Health in this effort to expand opportunities for medical training in our region, which will benefit practitioners and patients alike,” said John Fry, Drexel president, in a statement.
The branch campus of Drexel University College of Medicine is also expected to result in increased jobs for physicians, ed-
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