The Arkansas State University System said Tuesday that a study it commissioned found that an osteopathic medical school at its Jonesboro campus would help meet a demand for primary-care physicians in the Delta and inject $70 million into the region.

In a news release, ASU Jonesboro Chancellor Tim Hudson said the university is moving ahead with plans to found an osteopathic school. He expects a proposal about how to do so will go before ASUs Board of Trustees on Feb. 28.

The Delta Regional Authority, which supports ASU's plans for an osteopathic school, helped fund the study conducted by Tripp Umbach, a consulting firm based in Pittsburgh.

"The addition of a new medical school would be a much needed investment into the health, welfare, and economy of northeast Arkansas and the greater Delta region," Chris Masingill, federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority, said in a news release. "We have a dire need for more physicians in the Delta region, as currently 230 of counties and parishes in the Delta are considered to be health professional shortage areas."

Enough Training?

Dan Rahn, the chancellor of the state's only medical school, theUniversityofArkansasfor Medical Sciences, on Tuesday agreed that there's a physician shortage inArkansas"with large areas of the state being underserved." But he said he's not sure how establishing a new medical school would address the problem.

Rahn told Arkansas Business that the focus should be on adding more residency slots, not opening another medical school.

"Because otherwise we run the risk of educating new graduates within the state ofArkansaswho aren't actually going to contribute to solving the problems inArkansas," of the physician shortage, he said.

In order to become a licensed doctor, a medical student has to go through a residency program. In 2013, there were 528 graduates nationwide who didn't find a residency program to become a medical doctor, which was double the amount from 2012, Rahn said.

The Tripp Umbach study listed a need to expand graduate medical education and residency training among its findings. It said, "Arkansas State must work with state universities, hospitals, health centers, government entities and businesses to add residency positions statewide."

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ASU Says Study Confirms Need for Osteopathic School