OSU Medical Center

[LandArchPoke]

Some good news, more renovations have begun... this time to the ER facilities.
http://www.osumc.net/2011/06/osu-medical-centers-er-renovation-begins/




This brings up the though (I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking) about the lack of health care in Tulsa. I have seen countless people involved with city issues talk about this as well on the news. Eventhough the hospital is undergoing a series of renovations totaling something like $40 million I think, isn't enough for help with healthcare issues in Tulsa and the whole region of Northeast Oklahoma.

From what I was looking at Tulsa is one of the largest cities in the United States to not have a Level I Trauma Center (which you hear a lot on the news that people are then life flighted to OKC for care at OU Medical Center).

Here's a link to the info:
http://www.facs.org/trauma/verified.html

Heck, even Wichita, Lubbock, and Burlington, Vermont have a Level I Trauma Center. The only region similar in size that doesn't have this level of service is Omaha.

There are two major holes in Oklahoma that seems to keep new employers away for locating in the state, and that's a lack of an educated workforce (the biggest reason, there was something published about this a while back) and the lack of Healthcare. I think the city and region as a whole needs to focus on these two priorities. While the failed River Tax from a couple years back may have provided economic benefit in the construction of retail and some housing it really wouldn't have done much for the region in real economic and personal value. Why does our city not look into taking the money from the Vision 2025 Boeing section and taking it back to a vote to fund an expansion of OSU Medical Center and building a biomedical research park similar to what OU Medical Center has in OKC? I think something like this would create an endless amount of positive energy. We would have more students in Tulsa, more research, more healthcare research and these would be high income jobs. The Medical Research Park could be used by University of Tulsa and OU-Tulsa.

This is just my opinion and I'd like to see what people thoughts are and whether this should be the top priority or do people think that River development is more important or where should the city focus? If in an ideal world, somehow this got put up to a vote would the state then in turn have to match this investment? Tulsa also has lots of deep pockets to bring in private donations that would be matched by the state. So say an investment of $300 million from the old Boeing section of Vision 2025 (the later failed River Tax) could be turned into $600 Million plus in new construction of medical facilities and research. Also, who's to say we couldn't incorporate this into River development? OSU has a couple facilities on the south/west side of the river, why not turn this area into the medical research park? This would in turn make this area very attractive to development with a major source of employment and it would also be removing some of the blight in this area that I would imagine has scared off some developers with the price that the city is trying to sell those parcels of land for.

[ZYX]

I like your idea. It would definitely bring in some high paying jobs, although I don't think it is worth a nine hundred million dollar pricetag. Maybe start off with two hundred million and go from there. In my opinion, this should definitely be put in front of river development. Development would happen around this. A medical park sounds like a fantastic idea to me and I would love to see it implemented.

[LandArchPoke]

I like your idea. It would definitely bring in some high paying jobs, although I don't think it is worth a nine hundred million dollar pricetag. Maybe start off with two hundred million and go from there. In my opinion, this should definitely be put in front of river development. Development would happen around this. A medical park sounds like a fantastic idea to me and I would love to see it implemented.

The $900 Million price tag would come from:

Old Vision 2025 Prop I which was $350 Million

That in turn should be matched by the state so add another $350 Million

And say you have private donors to add on to get naming rights and so on, so say another $100-200 Million

That in turn gets matched by the state again.

So you could raise $700-900 Million within a couple of years depending on how long it would take the state to kick back the matching funds.

[dsjeffries]

The $900 Million price tag would come from:

Old Vision 2025 Prop I which was $350 Million

That in turn should be matched by the state so add another $350 Million

And say you have private donors to add on to get naming rights and so on, so say another $100-200 Million

That in turn gets matched by the state again.

So you could raise $700-900 Million within a couple of years depending on how long it would take the state to kick back the matching funds.

That would be nice, but the State of Oklahoma wouldn't match anything in Tulsa. Even when they promise funds, those somehow, magically, never materialize. Take the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park as an example. City of Tulsa said it'd contribute a million bucks, the state said it'd contribute a million or two, and the rest would be raised by private donations. City of Tulsa ended up footing the State's portion of it.

Or, to use OSU Medical Center as an example, when it was in danger of closing, the State did nothing until George Kaiser and City of Tulsa ponied up millions to keep it operating. The State contributed about 1/5th of the cost of keeping it open.

Tulsa World editorial on the imminent closing of OSU Med Center in 2008
Another TW article from 2009 on the 11th-hour deal to save it

[SXSW]

OSU needs to step up and better fund its medical/health sciences center in Tulsa.  Especially with OU working to establish a 4 year medical school in Tulsa with a focus on community medicine.  I have heard they are looking at joint venturing with a local hospital, likely Hillcrest.  That would eventually lead to a lot of growth there as OU has shown its commitment to funding its health programs in both OKC and Tulsa.

Having an expanded OSU Medical Center downtown and an OU/Hillcrest Medical Center in midtown would be great for the city.  A streetcar linking the two down 11th (and continuing to TU) would be awesome.

[ZYX]

OSU needs to step up and better fund its medical/health sciences center in Tulsa.  Especially with OU working to establish a 4 year medical school in Tulsa with a focus on community medicine.  I have heard they are looking at joint venturing with a local hospital, likely Hillcrest.  That would eventually lead to a lot of growth there as OU has shown its commitment to funding its health programs in both OKC and Tulsa.

Having an expanded OSU Medical Center downtown and an OU/Hillcrest Medical Center in midtown would be great for the city.  A streetcar linking the two down 11th (and continuing to TU) would be awesome.

I think OU/Hillcrest is our best bet for any major medical growth within the next 10 years. I agree that OSU needs to increase their funding for their medical school in Tulsa, espescially if they want to compete with OU. Renovating what they have is a good step in the right direction, and they do have that fairly new building off Highway 75. Hopefully we will see both universities increase their medical presence here. It would help create hundreds of jobs and hopefully attract more medical research companies.

[Red Arrow]

I agree that OSU needs to increase their funding for their medical school in Tulsa, espescially if they want to compete with OU.

That would be nice for Tulsa.  What can Tulsa do to make them want to do it?  I am not trying to be a smarta$$.  We need to give them a reason to do it.

[SXSW]

I think OU/Hillcrest is our best bet for any major medical growth within the next 10 years. I agree that OSU needs to increase their funding for their medical school in Tulsa, espescially if they want to compete with OU. Renovating what they have is a good step in the right direction, and they do have that fairly new building off Highway 75. Hopefully we will see both universities increase their medical presence here. It would help create hundreds of jobs and hopefully attract more medical research companies.

I think OU will force OSU to step up its funding.  The DO program at OSU is well-respected and one of the older programs nationwide.  If they could just improve and expand their facilities they could be a top program nationally.  One area they majorly lack in, and this applies to OSU as a whole, is research.  I've said it before that OSU should invest in more research facilities in Tulsa.  Those are the types of jobs that universities (especially ones with benefactors like T Boone Pickens) can create and Tulsa would naturally be the place to concentrate such facilities.

I have heard that the OSU Medical renovations that are currently underway are just the tip of the iceburg and that the entire hospital will be renovated over the next 5 years.  Hopefully after that they start building new buildings, especially along Houston or purchase the state office building across 7th.

I also heard that St. Francis will begin work later this year on a $150 million 8 story expansion north of their new parking garage along Yale.  That is a major investment right there and that is what OSU Medical needs...

[ZYX]

I also heard that St. Francis will begin work later this year on a $150 million 8 story expansion north of their new parking garage along Yale.  That is a major investment right there and that is what OSU Medical needs...

I don't think the Pink Palace will ever stop growing...that is exciting news to hear.

Red Arrow: I think OU growing in Tulsa is an incentive for OSU to expand here also. Both universities are always in competition and I don't think one will let the other get too far ahead.

[LandArchPoke]

That would be nice for Tulsa.  What can Tulsa do to make them want to do it?  I am not trying to be a smarta$$.  We need to give them a reason to do it.

My idea is to get the old Prop I from Vision 2025 that was never used to fund a medical research park and you could give some of the money as well to the expansion of the actual hospital (OSU Med) and I know TU/OU were trying to do some sort of joint venture.

That would be nice, but the State of Oklahoma wouldn't match anything in Tulsa. Even when they promise funds, those somehow, magically, never materialize. Take the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park as an example. City of Tulsa said it'd contribute a million bucks, the state said it'd contribute a million or two, and the rest would be raised by private donations. City of Tulsa ended up footing the State's portion of it.

Or, to use OSU Medical Center as an example, when it was in danger of closing, the State did nothing until George Kaiser and City of Tulsa ponied up millions to keep it operating. The State contributed about 1/5th of the cost of keeping it open.

Tulsa World editorial on the imminent closing of OSU Med Center in 2008
Another TW article from 2009 on the 11th-hour deal to save it

While this is true I think there is more restriction put on them depending on how the money is "donated" that the state has to match funds within a certain amount of time. With the Branding Success campaign OSU is undergoing right now I know the state is having a very hard time keeping up because they have raised somewhere around $750 million in a years' time.

Even if it say took the state 10 years to give us the extra matching money we could still have a $500 million research park and medical school expansion construction underway just from funds in Tulsa with a combo of private donors and Vision money.

Granted I'm sure it would not be easy to get the leadership in Tulsa to put anything like this on the ballot even though I think this would be an over whelming supported issue county wide, as improved health care and jobs helps everyone.

[rdj]

Look for OU to purchase a TPS site that has been deemed surplus as a result of Project Schoolhouse.  Possibly one that gives them synergy with the partners LandArch has mentioned?

Eleventh St could become the new Utica in terms of being a health care corridor.

[ZYX]

Look for OU to purchase a TPS site that has been deemed surplus as a result of Project Schoolhouse.  Possibly one that gives them synergy with the partners LandArch has mentioned?

Eleventh St could become the new Utica in terms of being a health care corridor.

I would love for 11th st to become another medical corridor. It could help breathe some life into the area and help connect downtown to TU. If the buildings were built up to the street like they are on Utica, and with cool modern designs, it could become a really interesting and attractive district.

[SXSW]

I would love for 11th st to become another medical corridor. It could help breathe some life into the area and help connect downtown to TU. If the buildings were built up to the street like they are on Utica, and with cool modern designs, it could become a really interesting and attractive district.

I see a bright future for 11th.  All it needs is a large-scale streetscape improvement project (new surface, new sidewalks, street trees, pavers, etc.) and a streetcar line.  If there is any street where this needs to be done it is this one, even more so than 6th, the downtown streets, 15th, and others we constantly discuss.

[Townsend]

OSU Medical Center asks state for $13 million increase in appropriations

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20130328_16_A1_CUTLIN304455

Tulsa's OSU Medical Center is seeking an $18.25 million state appropriation as the future of the city's only public hospital could be on the line, OSU-Tulsa President Howard Barnett said Wednesday. The downtown Tulsa hospital treats 45,000 emergency room patients a year and trains doctors for the entire state. But without sufficient public funding, closing or a sharp reduction in services is a possibility, Barnett said. Giving the hospital less than the amount needed could lead to "death by a thousand cuts" as the facility reduces areas of service, the number of people treated and the number of doctors trained to avoid running out of cash, he said.

[Teatownclown]

OSU Medical Center asks state for $13 million increase in appropriations

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20130328_16_A1_CUTLIN304455

This will continue...we will see all hospitals crying for help.

Our Governess is an idiot.