For Immediate Release Aug. 11, 2006
GALVESTON, Texas—The University of Texas System Board of Regents has approved $30.5 million from the Permanent University Fund (PUF) for the University of Texas Medical Branch to construct a new medical specialty center in north Galveston County between Dickinson and League City.
This funding is part of the unprecedented outlay of $2.56 billion by the Board of Regents to boost the UT System’s competitiveness in key scientific areas. This investment is the largest single financial commitment in UT System’s nearly 125-year history.
“We applaud the regents for this farsighted commitment to keeping Texas competitive in science and medicine,” said UTMB President John D. Stobo. “We also deeply appreciate the confidence in UTMB’s service mission and future growth that their continued support represents.”
The UTMB Specialty Care Center at Victory Lakes will expand the clinical, surgical and diagnostic services that UTMB offers on the mainland, providing affordable, high-quality care to the growing population in that area. It will also strengthen educational opportunities for the university’s medical, nursing and allied health students, as well as for clinical research. The 35-acre site is near the intersection of northbound Interstate 45 and FM 646. The facility is expected to open in December 2007.
“The Regents’ support of UTMB’s plans for the Victory Lakes facility is a strong affirmation for UTMB,” said Dr. Valerie Parisi, dean of UTMB’s School of Medicine and chief academic officer for the institution. “We greatly appreciate their support as we strive to educate the next generation of health care providers, perform state-of-the-art translational research, and provide excellent health care to the citizens of Texas.”
The Victory Lakes facility will complement existing primary care services in the area and provide a range of medical specialty services local physicians can access for their patients. It will also provide a base for the UTMB faculty group practice to enhance and strengthen its clinical service, research and education programs, and help sustain long-term growth for the academic medical center, according to Parisi.
The Board of Regents’ decision to include $57 million in tuition revenue bonds as part of their capital budget request to the Texas Legislature reflects the board’s continued support of UTMB’s Galveston National Laboratory. The $167 million facility—which, when completed in the summer of 2008, will be the only national laboratory in Texas—will enable scientists to study highly contagious and potentially deadly viruses and bacteria and, it is hoped, speed up development of treatments and cures.
The board also allocated an additional $20 million of PUF funds, now totaling $75 million, for the UT System’s STARS program, which supports the recruitment of senior faculty who have national prominence, or “star” status. UTMB’s recent recruitment of one of the nation’s foremost infectious-disease investigators, Dr. Miriam Alter, was supported by a $1.25 million STAR award from the UT System. Alter will lead the development of a new program on infectious-disease epidemiology.
The PUF is a public endowment contributing to the support of institutions of The University of Texas System. It was established in the Texas Constitution of 1876.