The Significance of Austin's New Medical School

     On Sunday, September 20, 2015, The Austin American Statesman posted an article titled "How Austin’s new medical school is spending $35 million from taxpayers"
regarding the University of Texas Dell Medical school and how it is funded. 
    The article states that in 2012, Central Health won voter approval to increase property taxes to help support The University of Texas Dell Medical School. Travis County voters agreed to provide the school $35 million a year in property taxes in order to support it and other health care projects. The school has already spent nearly $6 million of its first $35 million payment on recruiting and hiring faculty. Endowment proceeds are also used to fund construction and other medical school projects. Although the second payment was made just last month, increasing the total fund to $70 million, the school projects to spend what is left over after its opening by year five. This means the school will need additional support but it is not going to continually rely on property tax money as source of permanent support, so the voters do not have to spend anymore. The school will instead look to the state for additional support. 
     Although, on the surface, it may sound unsettling to some tax payers, this is a positive change for the city of Austin because it supports many projects that are not only ambitious in improving the efficiency of health care, but in reaching out to patients most in need. Central Health will be a vital component of the medical school, giving students and residents work in its "CommUnityCare" clinics to treat low-income patients. Through a partnership with the Austin school district, the school will reach out in educating and exposing underprivileged children to health care professions. The medical school itself will produce excellent health care professionals through its selective admittance. Overall, the Travis County voters are paying for something that is very innovative in changing the way the health care systems works in not only Austin, but in the state as a whole. The state will face significant positive change in its health care system if it supports the medical school in its ambitions.