The University of Central Florida is actively seeking a partner to build an academic teaching hospital in Medical City.
UCF released a statement that it’s actively looking for a partner to build a teaching hospital next to the UCF College of Medicine in Lake Nona. The proposal would be open to local, state and national health care institutions.
“We have talked for years about when would be the right time to build a university-based teaching hospital. That time is now,” said UCF President John Hitt in a statement. “A UCF teaching hospital is needed to fulfill our commitment to Central Florida – and to all of the citizens of this state – to build a healthier community, train more doctors and power economic growth through research.”
In an op-ed published on the UCF website, College of Medicine Dean Dr. Deborah German said the hospital would be small, 100 beds, and wouldn’t open for five to ten years.
“Located next door to the UCF medical school, this facility will be the focal point for the College of Medicine’s three areas of focus — education, research and patient care,” German wrote. “It will allow us to take research from the laboratory to the patient bedside while teaching future doctors in a hospital setting."
UCF said it will not seek state money for the project. The project comes as Medical City at Lake Nona is in flux; while the Orlando VA hospital is slowly activating, the fate of a proposal for the University of Florida to take over Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in Orlando still waits approval.
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Health reporting on WMFE is supported in part by Florida Hospital and the Winter Park Health Foundation.
