Chancellor Cigarroa, Chairman Powell and President Powers on the UT Austin Medical School

Statement from Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D.:

“I am thrilled that the University of Texas will soon be home to a medical school. Senator Kirk Watson and so many wonderful individuals have worked tirelessly to make this a reality and we cannot thank them enough for their dedication to the University of Texas System and to the people of Central Texas. A UT Austin medical school will fulfill a societal need to educate a new generation of physicians and health care professionals. It will conduct biomedical research with unlimited potential to improve countless lives, and it, along with its teaching hospital, will serve Austin and Travis County well, both as a quality-of-life asset and as an economic development boon.” 

Statement from Chairman Gene Powell: 

"This is a win-win for both the University of Texas System and residents of Central Texas. A school of medicine at UT Austin will not only benefit the university and its students, but also the residents of Austin and surrounding communities and all Texans. This is a perfect example of how a public/private partnership can work for the benefit of society. Not only will more doctors be educated and stay in Texas – addressing a pressing shortage – but through collaborations between a university system, a hospital system and a health district, all residents of Central Texas will have greater access to quality healthcare. I also want to sincerely thank Senator Kirk Watson and his team for the tireless work they did to educate the citizens of Central Texas and to get Proposition One passed. Without Senator Watson’s efforts we would not be celebrating this significant event this evening."

Statement from UT Austin President Bill Powers: 

"This is a historic night for Austinites, the UT community and world-changing medical research. I’m thrilled and grateful that Central Health residents voted to invest in health care and to help us move ahead with a UT Austin medical school.

"I can’t offer enough praise for Sen. Kirk Watson, a true friend of UT who has dedicated himself to improving health care in Central Texas. I also want to thank the UT System Board of Regents for committing the resources that are crucial to a new medical school.

"Now that the vote is over, the hard work of building a medical school begins.  Provost Steve Leslie and I will appoint a committee of faculty members and health care officials to help recruit an inaugural dean, choose a location for the school and finalize details with Central Health, Seton and other partners. We hope to have a new medical school building and teaching hospital in place for our first class of 50 students in 2015."