Plans for a New Medical School in St. Cloud

>> ERIC: RIGHT NOW IN MINNESOTA, IF YOU ARE TRAINING TO BE A PHYSICIAN, YOU CAN DO THAT IN THE TWIN CITIES, ROCHESTER OR DULUTH.

BUT SOON THERE MAY BE AN OPTION IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

THERE'S A MOVEMENT TO CREATE A NEW MEDICAL SCHOOL IN ST.

CLOUD.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT, DR. JAKUB TOLAR, HEAD OF THE U OF M MEDICAL SCHOOL.

ALSO JOINING US, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CENTRACARE, DR. KEN HOLMEN.

Dr., WHAT PROBLEM WOULD THIS SOLVE FOR MEDICAL WORKFORCE THIS CENTRAL MINNESOTA?

>> I THINK PEOPLE HAVE READ IN MANY SOURCES A CHALLENGE WITH HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE, RIGHT, PHYSICIANS, NURSES?

AND WE HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING VERY SIMPLE.

IF WE TRAIN FOLKS, THEY'LL STAY WITH US.

PHYSICIANS, NURSES AND SO WHILE THIS IS ABOUT A MEDICAL SCHOOL, IT'S ABOUT ALL OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS THAT WE NEED.

WE NEED PHYSICIANS, NURSES.

ONE-THIRD OF THE RURAL PHYSICIANS IN MINNESOTA WILL RETIRE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS SO REMARKABLE SHORTAGE OF PHYSICIANS AND I GIVE YOU A REALLY INTERESTING FACT.

I'M A PROUD GRADUATE OF THE U OF M MEDICAL SCHOOL.

KATHY KNOWS THAT.

I WENT THERE FROM '74 TO '78.

IN 1974, THE POPULATION OF MINNESOTA WAS 3 MILLION.

AND THERE WERE 300 MEDICAL STUDENTS AT DULUTH, ROCHESTER, THE TWIN CITIES.

SO 3 MILLION, 300 STUDENTS.

TODAY, THERE'S 5.1 MILLION MINNESOTANS, SAME NUMBER OF MEDICAL STUDENTS.

SO THIS IS A FIRST NEW MEDICAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY IN OVER 52 YEARS IN MINNESOTA.

>> Eric: WHAT'S IN IT FOR THE "U"?

>> OH, THIS IS A PHENOMENAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE UNIVERSITY, SO THE MEDICAL SCHOOL, THIS PUBLIC MEDICAL SCHOOL THAT IS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA IS NUMBER 8 IN THE PUBLIC MEDICAL SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL PHENOMENAL.

AND IT WOULD BE TRAINED, 70%, 803% OF THE PHYSICIANS THAT TRAIN HERE.

SO WE WANT TO GROW.

WE HAVE 220 STUDENTS EVERY YEAR, WE HAVE TWO MEDICAL CAMPUSES AND ONE MEDICAL SCHOOL, ONE IN TWIN CITIES, ONE IN DULUTH AND THE THIRD MEDICAL CAMPUS WOULD BE IN St.

CLOUD NOW, SO WHAT IS KNIT FOR US?

WE SERVE THE STATE.

WE ARE HERE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS FOR MINNESOTANS.

AND IN THE PROBLEM IS, AS KEN SAYS, THAT OF ONE-THIRD OF THE PHYSICIANS IN THE RURAL GREATER MINNESOTA WILL RETIRE BY 2027, WE ARE THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THIS BECAUSE WE TRAIN THEM.

AND IF, YOU KNOW, YOU REMEMBER ONE THING, YOU KNOW, FROM ALL OF THIS, IF YOU WANT RURAL PHYSICIANS, YOU HAVE TO TRAIN THEM IN GREATER MINNESOTA.

IDEAS YOU KNOW, THERE IS A MOVE AS YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD TO CUT TUITION COSTS AND TO PRODUCE PHYSICIANS FASTER, SOME SCHOOLS ARE GOING A THREE-YEAR ACCELERATED PROGRAM.

WOULD THIS SCHOOL LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT OR BE MORE TRADITIONAL?

>> I WOULD TAKE UP -- >> OH, NO, IT WILL NOT BE THE ACCELERATED PROGRAM.

MEDICAL SCHOOL IS AN IMPORTANT TRAINING CAMP, IT CHANGES PEOPLE, CHANGED ME, CHANGED KEN AND WHAT WE DO IS, THE FIRST TWO YEARS, WE EARN BORING THINGS.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT, CATHY?

BECAUSE BORING THINGS SAVE LIVES.

CHEMISTRY, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND THEN WE PUTS THEM IN THE INTERNSHIP AND YOU HAVE TO SPEND THE TIME WITH THE PATIENTS, WITH THE CLINICAL TEAMS, YOU HAVE TO LEARN THE TRADE FROM SOMEBODY WHO MASTERED IT AND THAT'S WHAT THE CLERKSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH CENTRA CARE AND ELSEWHERE, WITH OTHER HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS, IN THE -- ARE SO IMPORTANT.

SO I WOULD NOT CUT DOWN THE TIME THAT THE MEDICAL SCHOOL RUNS.

>> Eric: HAVE OU LEARNED ANYTHING FROM THE FAIRVIEW-U OF M-SANFORD MERGER THAT MIGHT AFFECT YOUR DEALINGS HERE?

>> THAT -- YEAH, CERTAINLY AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR FOLKS BUT FOR OUR RELATIONSHIP IN TRAINING, IT IS NOT AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.

>> IT'S TOTALLY INDEPENDENT.

HE AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS YEARS AGO, IT WAS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO DO IT.

IT JUST TOOK THE WILLINGNESS OF CENTRA CARE TO PUT THE TRAINING IN THE POSITION THAT I CAN RESPOND.

>> Eric: IF I'M THE DEAN OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL-OIL.

>> ARE YOU?

>> Eric: I'M NOT.

BUILT IF I WAS -- >> Cathy: HE SHOULD NOT BE.

[ Laughter ] MY WIFE WOULD LIKE THAT.

>> OH, OKAY.

>> Eric: IN ROCHESTER AND DULUTH, ARE YOU GOING TO BE PIRATING STUDENTS FROM THOSE TWO MEDICAL SCHOOLS TO COME TO THE St.

CLOUD -- >> ABSOLUTELY NOT.

THIS IS ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, THERE THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT THAT WE ARE NOT DISTRIBUTING THE STUDENTS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, WE ARE ADDING ABOUT 20 TO 24 STUDENTS A YEAR STARTING IN THE FALL OF 25.

>> Eric: AGING PATIENTS, GREATER MINNESOTA IS AN OLDER DEMOGRAPHIC.

I WONDER GERIATRIC CARE, SPECIALISTS ACROSS THE BOARD, WHAT WOULD YOU FOCUS ON?

>> SO, THIS CERTAINLY IS ABOUT A MEDICAL SCHOOL WHICH IS THE FIRST FOUR YEARS AFTER COLLEGE, FOUR YEARS OF MEDICAL SCHOOL.

ALSO ADDING RESIDENCY PROGRAMS AND THOSE KEY PRIMARY CARE AREAS, FAMILY PRACTICE, GENERAL SURGERY, O.B., PEDIATRICS.

BUT I THINK YOU'RE GETTING AT SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT JAKUB AND I AGREE 100% ON.

THE PRIMARY WHY IS OF COURSE CREATING OFFICIALS FOR THE 21st CENTURY.

THE SECOND WHY IS ABOUT THE PATIENTS WE SERVE.

IT IS WELL-KNOWN THAT RURAL MINNESOTANS DO NOT HAVE THE HEALTH CARE OUTCOMES THEY SHOULD.

SO THE SECOND WHY IS RELATED TO THE PEOPLE WE SERVE.

HOW DO WE IMPROVE HEALTH CARE OUTCOMES IN RURAL MINNESOTA?

THAT IS PART OF OUR RESEARCH COLLABORATION, AS WELL.

IT'S NOT ABOUT TEACHINGS ONLY, IT'S ABOUT RESEARCH AND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS.

AND THE THIRD REASON WHY IS AGAIN ABOUT THE PEOPLE WE SERVE IN A BROAD SENSE, HEALTH CARE, AS YOU KNOW, IS A MAJOR ECONOMIC DRIVER.

IT IS A SOURCE OF COMMUNITY PRIDE.

YOUR SCHOOLS AND YOUR HOSPITAL, IN SMALL RURAL AMERICA, THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

>> Cathy: SAY, THERE'S PROBABILITY A STEREOTYPE THAT YOU CAN MAKE MORE MONEY GOING TO THE BIG CITIES, RIGHT?

AS A PHYSICIAN?

IF YOU'RE A YOUNG PERSON WHO'S THINKING, I THINK MEDICINE MIGHT BE PRETTY COOL, WHAT'S THE PITCH?

>> SO, YOU ARE CORRECT, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT JAKUB DEALS WITH EVERY DAY AND WE DO WHEN WE TRY TO HIRE FOLKS IS THE AMOUNT OF DEBTS THAT FOLKS HAVE WHEN THEY COME OUT OF SCHOOL, FOUR YEARS OF COLLEGE, MEDICAL SCHOOL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SIGNIFICANT DEBT.

SO MANY TIMES, YOUNG ADULTS AND RIGHTLY SO ARE TRYING TO SAY, HOW DO I CARRY THAT FINANCIAL BURDEN?

SO THEY MAKE CAREER DECISIONS BASED ON THIS FINANCIAL BURDEN.

WE HAVE AGREED TO COLLABORATE TO SEE HOW WE AN MAKE THIS MORE COST EFFECTIVE, BY CREATING DIFFERENT KIND OF PROGRAMS, WE'RE MARRYING THIS WITH A PHILANTHROPIC CAMPAIGN IN MINNESOTA SO WE WANT TO MAKE THIS BE FOCUSED ON RURAL AMERICA BUT ALSO HAVE THOSE BARRIERS TO FOLKS STAYING IN RURAL MINNESOTA BE LESS.

>> Eric: DO YOU NEED STATE OR FEDERAL FINANCIAL HELP TO DO THIS?

>> WE ARE WORKING ON THAT AND, YOU KNOW, KEN WILL ANSWER THAT QUESTION BECAUSE HE CARRIES IT.

>> NE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT TO MAYBE MENTION IS THE UNIQUENESS OF THIS AND I'M GOING TO USE A KIND OF A DIFFERENT ANALOGY IN THAT THE PROGRAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-DULUTH AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-TWIN CITIES ARE ASSETS.

THE MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND DULUTH, THEY OWN THE BUILDINGS, RIGHT?

THEY HAVE THE STAFF ND THE -- ALL THAT.

THERE IS NOT A UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ENTERPRISE IN St.

CLOUD.

SO IF WE'RE GOING ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, WE NEED TO PARTNER.

HE NEEDS A WILLING PARTNER, I NEED A WILLING PARTNER.

WE ALL EED A WILLING PARTNER TO SAY, HOW CAN WE CREATE THIS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY IN St.

CLOUD, IN RURAL AMERICA?

>> Eric: BUT YOU'LL THEY WOULD SOME STATE DOLLARS, SOUNDS LIKE?

>> WE WILL, SO WE'LL BE GOING TO THE STATE FOR SOME LEGISLATIVE DOLLARS TO SUPPORTS THE WORK WE'RE GOING TO DO.

>> Cathy: TIME TABLE?

>> TIME TABLE, FALL OF '25, FIRST 24 STUDENTS AND TO YOUR POINT, CATHY, YES, PEOPLE NEED TO NEGOTIATE FINANCIAL, FAMILY THINGS, BUT MOST PEOPLE THAT I KNOW THAT ARE REALLY GOOD PHYSICIANS DON'T DO THIS FOR MONEY.

IF YOU DO THIS FOR MONEY, YOU MISSED THE BOAT, IN MY OPINION.

YOU -- MOST PEOPLE DO IT FOR THE SEARCH OF MEANING AND YOU KNOW, FROM BRUCE KRAMER RAPIDS FROM THERS, YOU KNOW THAT IS THE KIND OF PHYSICIAN THAT YOU WANT AND EVERYBODY WANTS, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO IS HONORED BY HAVING THE POSITION OF PRIVILEGE BEING IN SOMEBODY'S LIFE WHEN THEY'RE SUFFERING PAIN AND SO FORTH.

>> Eric: I'M GETTING THE HOOK.

THANKS, THOUGH.

THEY'RE TELLING