Record $80 Million Gift from ETMC Foundation for Proposed New Medical School in Tyler

TYLER — Less than a week after The University of Texas Sysem’s announced plans to build a medical school in East Texas, UTHSC at Tyler received an unprecedented commitment from the East Texas Medical Center Foundation. The ETMC Foundation announced Wednesday their intentions to help fund the project to the tune of $80 million. Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun told KTBB, “the gift is monumental. A gift of this magnitude to launch a new medical school in East Texas, public or private school, is unprecedented. It’s certainly the largest that we can identify.” Elam Swann, chairman of the East Texas Medical Center Foundation said, “The Foundation board is is honored to make this essential investment in our community.”

The Tyler businessman continued,”at the core of a region’s vitality is its commitment to a healthy society. We have a desire and a responsibility to participate in that effort and we hope our gift will inspire other individuals and organizations to participate.” If approved the medical school would be the seventh in the UT system. The economic impact of a medical school is projected to be significant. The Perryman Group, a Texas economic research and analysis firm with ties to the region for more than 40 years, credited existing UT facilities in Tyler with providing an annual economic impact of $1.7 billion, including $80.1 million in tax receipts and the creation of 21,529 jobs. Click the link from our news partner KETK, to see the announcement from the press conference.