Today, Governor Jay Inslee toured the UW School of Medicine-Gonzaga University Regional Health Partnership’s (RHP) new center for medical education, health sciences, and innovation in Spokane. Developed through a public-private partnership with McKinstry, the 80,000 square-foot building aims to help Washington state address the growing shortage of primary care physicians, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
For the UW, the new facility houses the first 18 months of the UW School of Medicine in Spokane’s medical education program and the MEDEX Northwest physician assistant education program. The building has state-of-the-art classrooms, anatomy labs, research and innovation centers, and study spaces. The students receive training in basic science and clinical education, as well as training specific to rural and underserved communities. During his visit, Gov. Inslee stopped by a classroom to see the students learning and took the opportunity to connect with them.
The new medical education facility, along with the adjacent Spokane Inland Empire Railroad (SIERR) building, creates a novel health care innovation cluster for the health science and medical industry in Spokane. Together, the UW and Gonzaga strive to expand medical education, to encourage more health professionals to learn and work in Eastern Washington, and to improve the health and wellbeing of Washington state.
Thank you, Gov. Inslee, for speaking with our state’s future physicians. We appreciate your support of the UW!