New partnership will elevate Memphis’ health
Since 1829, Regional One Health has served our community. Regional One Health ensures everyone can receive excellent care in their time of need, regardless of ability to pay. Today, we are renowned for our world-class trauma center, high-risk obstetrics program, NICU, burn center, and a long (and growing) list of specialized services.
We are now embarking on a transformational journey to become a nationally renowned academic medical center in partnership with University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). This will position us to serve our community’s healthcare needs for generations. Regional One Health will give all patients the chance to reap the rewards of an academic medical center, including the best expertise and treatment options, lower costs, and improved access to care.
This journey will entail leveraging the research and academic expertise of UTHSC and the patient care resources of Regional One Health and UTHSC clinical faculty. Thanks to our robust partnership with UTHSC and financial support from Shelby County, we have already laid a solid foundation.
Why does Memphis need an academic medical center?
Currently, Shelby County’s mortality rate is one of the highest in the country and significantly higher than the national average. This is due in part to the prevalence of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. These are conditions that touch almost everyone’s life, whether through a personal diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one. They are also conditions that can often be successfully treated with access to the
right medical expertise.
However, in Shelby County and surrounding counties, patient outcomes have gotten worse rather than better over the past two years. Too many of our neighbors are forced to leave town for complex care. If we want to see this trajectory change, we have to do something different. The status quo will get us status quo results. By delivering on the promise of a modern academic medical center, we can meet our community’s medical needs right here in Memphis.
An academic medical center is a community’s cornerstone for a more effective health care environment benefiting all patients, no matter where they receive their care.
By raising the bar, we can elevate the level of care
When I practiced surgery in Nashville and faced a difficult case, it was reassuring to me, as well as my patients and their families, to be able to refer them to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. As the only academic medical center in Nashville, they were prepared to take on the most complex medical and surgical cases. The presence of Vanderbilt helped raise the bar for health care delivery across the community, helping all local health systems grow and thrive.
Academic medical centers bring cutting-edge treatment, technology and expertise to the communities they serve. These benefits spread to the entire healthcare ecosystem, making it easier for patients to access the care they need at an affordable cost close to where they live.
At Regional One Health, this journey is about so much more than the proposed new hospital. An academic medical center is both a philosophy and a place where care is delivered. It is a place where the same physicians who help develop better treatment options also deliver direct care to patients. Where the combination of an academic environment and state-ofthe-art facility attracts leading clinicians and researchers. Where the students who train within its walls become the providers who will care for our children and grandchildren.
By raising the bar to compete with academic medical centers across the country, we can elevate the level of care across the entire healthcare community. Imagine a Memphis where adults come to our city for the latest clinical trials, just as children come to St. Jude. Imagine a Memphis that is known for attracting the top doctors in the country because they want to be a part of building a premier academic medical center for our region.
A new operating pathway to move health care in Memphis forward
Advancing medical care in our community is not the only advantage of this journey. The planning, construction and furnishing of a $1 billion to $1.4 billion facility in the center of the downtown medical district is an enormous economic driver for Memphis and Shelby County.
A recent economic impact study by the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce predicts some 3,600 construction jobs over the eight to 10 years of building. An additional 2,300 jobs will be produced in the secondary markets supporting this endeavor. They also project approximately $600 million in labor income as well as lifting the Gross Regional Product of Memphis/shelby County by approximately $766 million.
I encourage you to recognize how this journey will elevate our entire community. Consider the overwhelming positive economic impact for minority, small and women-owned businesses. Envision a healthcare community that enables you and your loved ones to receive lifesaving, life-changing care locally rather than having to travel far from the comfort of home.
The journey we are on is a marathon, not a sprint. There will come a time when we will be asking for the support of our community as we move forward. But for now, I want to assure you that we are focused on making our vision of bringing an academic medical center to Memphis a reality and transforming Memphis and the Midsouth into a healthier, more vibrant place to live and work.
Reginald Coopwood, M.D., is president and CEO of Regional One Health.