The prognosis for Missouri Southern State University's planned medical school could depend on the financial health of the Joplin region.
That's the message MSSU President Bruce Speck is sending now that the university has decided to rely solely on private funds for the $10 million needed to construct a building to house an osteopathic medical school program.
"When you look at this as a campaign, we're now in what's called the silent phase,'" he said. "We are talking with some different people, the steering committee is meeting regularly, and we're beginning to discuss the opportunities we have here."
Speck said the committee is waiting on the results of studies aimed at estimating the economic impact a medical school would have on the region, and a feasibility study to determine if the community can support the fundraising campaign.
"I think the feasibility study will demonstrate that we clearly have that capacity here (to raise the $10 million)," Speck said.
The university has entered a partnership with Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences — a private institution — to bring an osteopathic medical degree program to Joplin.
Speck and some members of the steering committee who were interviewed said they are optimistic that the financing can be raised.
"I'll put it this way: If I didn't think it was a doable project, I wouldn't be spending my time on it," said committee member Bill Gipson.
Gipson, the president and CEO of Empire District Electric Co. in Joplin, said the committee hopes to have an attractive package of information and schematics for the new building in hand before it approaches prospective donors.
"We need to get to a point where we can pull all these things together so we can go out to a potential contributor and present to them its size, its cost," he said. "We all know it's going to have a tremendous economic impact for our community and our region. But we need to tie it all down so we can make our case."
Speck referred questions about the studies to Rob O'Brian, president of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the steering committee.
O'Brian said an economic impact survey is under way and is being conducted by National Community Development Services of Atlanta. The company completed a similar series of studies for the Regional Prosperity Initiative launched by the chamber earlier this year.
"The public interest would indicate there would be a high level of financial support," O'Brian said. "But that's why you do a feasibility study, to see if the support is there or if you need to re-tailor the goals of your project."
O'Brian said the economic impact study should be completed by the end of December, and the feasibility study is expected to begin after the holiday season. He said the Joseph Newman Business and Technology Innovation Center provided $30,000 to commission the studies.
The universities hope to launch an inaugural class in the fall of 2012, with 150 students per class and a full enrollment pegged at 600. The joint venture would mark the first public-private partnership in medical education in the state of Missouri, officials say.
