Nov. 27--The creation of a joint medical education program between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Tulsa is on the agenda for Tuesday's OU Board of Regents meeting.
According to the agenda, the four-year program, to be anchored in Tulsa, would be "developed around the concept of a school of community medicine with an emphasis on helping those most in need of medical care."
The University of Oklahoma-Tulsa now offers the School of Community Medicine -- the nation's first -- within OU's College of Medicine.
The George Kaiser Family Foundation donated $50 million to OU-Tulsa in 2008 to endow the School of Community Medicine, aimed at improving the dire health status of underserved Oklahomans by producing doctors dedicated to that purpose.
"This is a declaration of our explicit commitment to the health of our community," OU-Tulsa President Dr. Gerald Clancy said when the donation -- the largest cash donation in OU's history -- was announced last year.
David Hamby, TU's director of university relations, said no additional details about the OU-TU joint effort will be released until an announcement is made on the TU campus Tuesday.
Clancy, OU President David Boren and TU President Steadman Upham will attend the announcement, Hamby said.
The regents are scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday on OU's Norman campus.
According to the agenda, Oklahoma ranks among the lowest states in physicians per capita, and a shortage of doctors is
expected in the next decade. The two universities have partnered in the past to offer physician assistant training and other education and research initiatives, the agenda states.
Sara Plummer 581-8465 sara.plummer@tulsaworld.com
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