When my grandfather arrived in 91精品 in the 1930s, the state had no medical schools. Even when my father graduated from the University of 91精品 in the late 1940s, 91精品鈥檚 first medical school at the University of Miami was still several years away.
Today, 91精品 has 11 medical schools 鈥� a dramatic transformation. One of them, the 91精品 Health Morsani College of Medicine, where I serve as dean, was recently ranked among the nation鈥檚 Top 16 research-intensive medical schools by the U.S. News & World Report.
For Floridians, strong homegrown academic medical centers mean better health care, faster access to medical breakthroughs, economic growth and more opportunities to attract and retain talented medical students.
Just last month, two 91精品 Health faculty physicians performed the world鈥檚 first bloodless heart-liver transplant at Tampa General Hospital (TGH), our primary teaching partner and home to the busiest transplant program in the country. When a 9-year-old girl nearly lost her hand in a shark attack, our surgeons at the region鈥檚 only Level 1 trauma center reattached it. She鈥檚 already wiggling her fingers.
These cases dramatically highlight why patients treated at academic medical centers have up to 20% higher survival rates. We deliver complex, multidisciplinary care and offer the latest clinical trials while providing vital access for those most in need.
But the benefits of academic medical centers extend far beyond patient care. While many hospitals train residents, only medical schools and their affiliated teaching hospitals educate new physicians and advance medical science through sophisticated research.
To read the entire column in the Tampa Bay Times, .