Arizona State University to create a medical school in response to doctors, nurses shortage

TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State University will establish its own medical school amid an ongoing shortage of health care workers across the state.

University President Michael Crow and the Arizona Board of Regents announced the plans for school, to be called ASU Health, at a meeting Thursday morning in Tempe.

"One of our problems relative to outcomes is bringing the public along with us," Crow said. "ASU Health is a learning health ecosystem designed to accelerate and grow our health related efforts in response to Arizona's current and future health care needs."

The school will be in Maricopa County.

The planned school is part of a wider initiative, AZ Healthy Tomorrow, that involves the state's other major public universities, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.

The board has earmarked $30 million toward the initiative.

The initiative's goals include getting Arizona to reach the national average of doctors and nurses per capita and improving health care access for all residents.

ASU officials say the medical school will be funded with private investors, philanthropy, public investment and ASU's own revenue.