Skip to content

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – It could be dirt money that turned into construction of a new UT Tyler medical school building this week.

From attracting newcomers to adding a core element to the area’s growing biomedical industry to dire consequences, leaders are calling the new UT Tyler School of Medicine an economic game changer for East Texas.

“When you talk about job growth in the economy, the fundamentals are already here,” said Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents. “We have three great hospital systems: UT Health East Texas, CHRISTUS Mother Frances, and Baylor Spine and Joint. This is already very attractive for individuals who want to work here and live here in the medical industry.

Description of the UT Tyler Medical Education Building.  The site is located on the south...
Description of the UT Tyler Medical Education Building. The site is located south of the UT Health East Texas campus in the Tyler Medical District.(honor)

As Eltife Medical School grows, so will the economy.

“It’s going to be continued growth in our economy, which is great when you have the ups and downs of the oil and gas industry and other things that have impacted the Texas economy over the years,” he said. “The medical industry in our area will continue to grow and become the backbone of our economy.”

While the inaugural class consisted of only 40 students, over the years that number would number in the hundreds. With more students comes more staff, Eltife said.

“It’s going to be slow and gradual, which is really good,” he said. “It’s good for the city and the county to keep the infrastructure going.”

Texas economist and Lindale native Dr. Ray Perryman expects the medical school to add about 10,000 jobs to the East Texas region over the next decade.

“Obviously you have a lot of people and a lot of spending, and that’s going to be drawn into all kinds of businesses and all kinds of jobs,” Perryman said.

The new jobs will be in addition to retirees and new businesses seeking quality health care because of the new medical school.

“The more likely you are to find a good, well-trained doctor to take care of you when you need them or another health care professional. So, in terms of your economic activity and your quality of life, I think something of this nature is going to be transformative for our region again,” Perryman said.

While the new medical school building won’t be ready until the spring of 2025, the school will break ground this fall with the first classroom on the UT Health Science Center campus in Tyler.

[ad_2]

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *