Shelby County’s Health: New Partnership Aims to Improve Outcomes and Economy

Academic medical center and new partnership to benefit Shelby County residents

Memphis, Tennessee is ramping up for a new revolution in its healthcare sector. A new academic medical center, set up in collaboration with University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and Regional One Health is expected to address poor health outcomes in the region, invest in healthcare jobs, and stimulate the local economy.

Regional One Health is renowned for its excellence in specialized services, which includes a world-class trauma center, high-risk obstetrics program, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and a burn center. Now, the institution is ready to be transformed into a nationally recognized academic medical center.

The road to transformation

Regional One Health aims to offer its patients with the benefits of an academic medical center, such as the finest expertise and treatment options, reduced costs, and improved access to care. This implies an amalgamation of the research capabilities and academic know-how of UTHSC, the patient care resources of Regional One Health, and UTHSC’s clinical faculty.

This robust partnership with UTHSC, coupled with financial backing from Shelby County, has already set the foundation strong.

Why does Memphis need an academic medical center?

Shelby County is grappling with a mortality rate that is considerably higher than the national average, primarily due to prevalent conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Despite being quite common, patient outcomes have worsened over the past couple of years, proving the necessity of an overhaul in the healthcare system.

Driven by the mission to provide modern academic medical facilities, Regional One Health hopes to serve the medical needs of the community right at their doorstep, thereby changing this concerning trajectory.

Elevating the healthcare standards

Academic medical centers are known for bringing cutting-edge treatments, technological advancement, and expert knowledge to the communities they are situated in. The ripple effects of their benefits reach across the entire healthcare ecosystem, making it considerably easier for patients to access necessary care conveniently and affordably.

This journey at Regional One Health is about creating a healthcare environment where improved treatment options are developed and delivered directly to patients. It’s about building an academic setting combined with state-of-the-art facilities to attract leading clinicians and researchers. The end goal is to elevate the level of care across the entire healthcare community and to set up Memphis as a hub for attracting top doctors from the country.

A new operating pathway: Moving healthcare in Memphis forward

The economic benefit is another substantial advantage in this journey. Constructing a $1 billion to $1.4 billion medical facility in the heart of the downtown medical district will stimulate the local economy, generating thousands of jobs over the years. Further, the project will likely boost the Gross Regional Product by approximately $766 million according to a recent economic impact study.

This endeavor ensures a positive economic impact on minority, small and women-owned businesses, and significant improvement in local healthcare that negates the need for travel to receive necessary care. So, while this daunting journey is more akin to a marathon rather than a sprint, the plan is to transform Memphis and the Mid-South into a healthier, vibrant place to live and work.