ASU to launch medical school, part of a $30 million health initiative

Arizona State University will open a medical school for the first time in the school’s history.

State of play: ASU's new School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering is part of a $30 million investment by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) announced Thursday.

Why it matters: Nearly 3 million Arizonans live in areas with limited access to primary care physicians, and 1 in 3 Arizona hospitals is facing a critical staffing shortage.

• Meanwhile, almost 30% of Arizonans are without a primary care provider.

Zoom in: The new school will integrate clinical medicine, biomedical science and engineering, in the model of Texas A&M and the University of Illinois, ASU said in a news release.

• Details about where the school will be and when it will open are set to be announced in the coming months.

Of note: There are a few medical schools in Phoenix currently, including Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and University of Arizona Phoenix College of Medicine.

Zoom out: ABOR's "AZ Healthy Tomorrow" plan will also provide funding for:

• An expanded partnership between ASU and the Mayo Clinic.
• Increased capacity at the UofA College of Medicine, which will produce more graduates each year.

The bottom line: "There is not a moment to waste as Arizona must train and deploy the health care professionals our fast-growing population requires," Fred DuVal, ABOR chair elect, said in a statement.