Their standing in the knowledge economy
This plan enables USF as a public research university to do what it does best: foster diverse talents; harness education as a vehicle for empowerment; improve the health and well-being of our community; and create opportunities for those even beyond our campus boundaries. The result will be a healthier, more prosperous and more vibrant community that will thrive for many generations to come.
Many people have said this is the biggest opportunity for USF in a generation, and I have to agree, as we see cities all across the United States take bold steps to improve their standing in the knowledge economy.
Let me tell you why.
The move places USF’s Morsani College of Medicine near our university’s major teaching affiliate hospital, Tampa General Hospital, and just a short walk from the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation. The USF Heart Institute also would be close to TGH, which has one of the busiest cardiac transplant, surgery and treatment programs in the nation. USF’s ability to recruit world-class medical faculty and top students will be enhanced with this location. Learning, collaboration and innovation across health disciplines will benefit from the close proximity of facilities, which translates into more effective and more efficient health care.
The wider benefits to the community and Florida, though, come in the economic impact of creating a powerful center for medical research and learning. Tampa is not alone in recognizing the spark that medical education and research can provide to an economy in transition. Cities such as Philadelphia, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Phoenix have been building and expanding these “med-ed” districts with an eye on demographic trends that clearly place cities at the center of future economic growth.