A group of city officials and civic activists that wants the University of Massachusetts Medical School to expand here, especially downtown, may have to wait for a response.
For now, medical school officials are keeping mum about whether they have any intention of establishing a downtown outpost apart from the school’s main hub in the city, perched on the Shrewsbury border near Lake Quinsigamond.
“We have a long history of community involvement in Worcester and the other communities where we have a presence,” said Mark L. Shelton, a spokesman for the school. “We are going to continue to be involved in the
communities where we have a presence.”
Mr. Shelton noted that the school runs a wide range of community programs, including efforts to reduce infant mortality in Worcester, conduct newborn screening, provide foster child health care and oral health care for the poor, increase urban anti-gun violence awareness, and provide home health care for children with serious medical problems.
Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes last week announced the creation of the seven-member panel, which she wants to start discussions with the school about getting the institution involved financially, and perhaps physically, with downtown.
Serving on the informal committee are some local power players, including several with close ties to the medical school and its associated hospital system, UMass Memorial Medical Health Care.
The other members are Michael P. Angelini, a director of the UMass Memorial Foundation; John H. Budd, a trustee of UMass Memorial Health Care; Agnes E. Kull, a board member and treasurer of the foundation and a member of the chancellor search committee; District 2 City Councilor Philip P. Palmieri, chairman of the council’s Economic Development Committee; and state Rep. Vincent A. Pedone, D-Worcester, who has advocated for the school in the state Legislature.
Mr. Pedone said that while the committee has not yet met, he envisions starting talks with Dr. Michael F. Collins, the school’s interim chancellor, who was selected Aug. 14 by the search committee to be the permanent head of the school and is expected to be confirmed by the UMass trustees later this month.
“The main focus of this committee will be to open stronger lines of communication between leaders in the city and leaders at the medical school,” Mr. Pedone said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean a downtown presence, but it does mean discussions about expansion and when expansion does take place, we look at Worcester first.”
The medical school, with more than 6,000 employees, has been growing dramatically in recent years. It now has facilities in 29 communities, including Shrewsbury, Auburn, Boston and even Providence, Mr. Shelton said.
And the school is in the midst of a major growth spurt. A $100 million clinical research building is almost complete and is expected to open next year, and a $449 million biomedical research building, a key part of the state’s $1 billion life sciences initiative, is in the planning stages.
“We have made a huge investment in infrastructure in the city of Worcester,” Mr. Shelton said.
Mr. Shelton, would not say, however, if the school envisions moving or building any facilities downtown, or whether Dr. Collins would consider proposals to bring the medical school downtown.
For now, medical school officials are keeping mum about whether they have any intention of establishing a downtown outpost apart from the school’s main hub in the city, perched on the Shrewsbury border near Lake Quinsigamond.
“We have a long history of community involvement in Worcester and the other communities where we have a presence,” said Mark L. Shelton, a spokesman for the school. “We are going to continue to be involved in the
communities where we have a presence.”
Mr. Shelton noted that the school runs a wide range of community programs, including efforts to reduce infant mortality in Worcester, conduct newborn screening, provide foster child health care and oral health care for the poor, increase urban anti-gun violence awareness, and provide home health care for children with serious medical problems.
Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes last week announced the creation of the seven-member panel, which she wants to start discussions with the school about getting the institution involved financially, and perhaps physically, with downtown.
Serving on the informal committee are some local power players, including several with close ties to the medical school and its associated hospital system, UMass Memorial Medical Health Care.
The other members are Michael P. Angelini, a director of the UMass Memorial Foundation; John H. Budd, a trustee of UMass Memorial Health Care; Agnes E. Kull, a board member and treasurer of the foundation and a member of the chancellor search committee; District 2 City Councilor Philip P. Palmieri, chairman of the council’s Economic Development Committee; and state Rep. Vincent A. Pedone, D-Worcester, who has advocated for the school in the state Legislature.
Mr. Pedone said that while the committee has not yet met, he envisions starting talks with Dr. Michael F. Collins, the school’s interim chancellor, who was selected Aug. 14 by the search committee to be the permanent head of the school and is expected to be confirmed by the UMass trustees later this month.
“The main focus of this committee will be to open stronger lines of communication between leaders in the city and leaders at the medical school,” Mr. Pedone said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean a downtown presence, but it does mean discussions about expansion and when expansion does take place, we look at Worcester first.”
The medical school, with more than 6,000 employees, has been growing dramatically in recent years. It now has facilities in 29 communities, including Shrewsbury, Auburn, Boston and even Providence, Mr. Shelton said.
And the school is in the midst of a major growth spurt. A $100 million clinical research building is almost complete and is expected to open next year, and a $449 million biomedical research building, a key part of the state’s $1 billion life sciences initiative, is in the planning stages.
“We have made a huge investment in infrastructure in the city of Worcester,” Mr. Shelton said.
Mr. Shelton, would not say, however, if the school envisions moving or building any facilities downtown, or whether Dr. Collins would consider proposals to bring the medical school downtown.
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