Just recently, Proposition one
passed. This proposition will allow Austin
to have a medical school and a teaching hospital, and also is focused on improving
heath care in Travis County. Powers, the University of Texas at Austin
president, points out in his article that almost every major city in Texas has
a medical school and that it has diversified and energized the city’s
economy. I am from Houston, a city with
a large medical center, and I believe that it greatly benefits Houston’s
economy. Not only does the hospital
benefit financially, but surrounding businesses such as restaurants and hotels
will also benefit from the influx of costumers. Also, the hospital and school
will need many personnel to staff the hospital, thus attracting more employees to
Austin. In addition, I think that
individuals have a right to adequate healthcare and Proposition one is a means
of ensuring that insured and uninsured individuals receive the healthcare they
need and deserve.
Although Travis County residents must
also pay more taxes to support the new school, Powers says that UT Austin has
committed to give over 290 million dollars to fund the school. Thus debunking
the myth that taxpayers are the only ones funding the new development. In addition, Seton family of hospitals has committed
to give over 250 million dollars to fund the teaching hospital that will go
along with the medical school. I think that the community should be better
informed about the fact that UT and Seton are both giving money and are not
just relying on the public to pay. I also believe that the community should be
informed about the various benefits, besides medical ones, they will enjoy
because Proposition one passed. For
example, as I stated earlier, the creation of a medical center will positively
impact the economy, a big issue in all of America today. So, the positive effect this development will
have on Austin’s economy can lessen the financial burden that the tax increase
imposes on Travis county taxpayers.
The article also points out another
myth, that UT Austin is “rich” and should be able to use its own money to build
the school because of the large endowment it receives. I agree with Power’s
when he points out that the “endowment in question goes to 13 schools within the University
of Texas System as well as the UT System administration.” Thus, the wealth is spread out quite thinly
in order to fund all of these schools, leaving little extra left over.
Lastly, Powers points out that Proposition one will not
only benefit UT-Austin, but also the whole central Texas region. I also agree that it will positively impact
the entire region by increasing access to healthcare for all people, insured or
uninsured. He also notes that it will “expand
the health care workforce.” I think this is very important not only because new
jobs will be created, but also because I am on the educational path to becoming
a nurse. It’s important for there to be an increase in demand for nurses
because, contrary to popular belief, it’s actually difficult for nurses
to find jobs. Also, a well qualified staff for the medical school will attract well qualified medical students who will most likely stay in Texas after they graduate, thus making Texas have better doctors.
I really enjoyed Power’s closing
statement to his article, “A
medical school will expand the health care infrastructure for Central Texas,
resulting in healthier students in our classrooms and a healthier, more
productive work force for our community.” I believe this to be true and am very
excited that Proposition one passed because of the economic and humanitarian
benefits it will bring to Austin.
I read an entry from my classmate’s blog, Don't Mess With Texas, It's the Law and her entry is about how Proposition one will be passed which means a Medical School will be built in Austin. Her entry can be found here. During my high school years, I have always wanted to be a doctor and seeing as how college is very expensive, I wanted to stay here in Austin since it will save me a lot more money but the problem was that there were no medical schools here in Austin which meant that I would have to transfer soon. This was just the thought I used to have but I no longer have anymore because I no longer want to be a doctor. However, I still want to be in some kind of field relating to the natural sciences.
ReplyDeleteI think that the proposition one is a great idea because it will influence people to pursue their medical career since it can be a better access for us Austinites. My classmate mentions that there’s a medical school in Houston and it benefits that city’s economy. I think that’s great and Austin should do the same since this country’s economy is in need of help anyways. I also agree with my classmate that this state will also benefit from it by getting more healthcare workers. Being in the healthcare field is one of the most important careers because it will always be needed since there are people who will need to be taken care of daily. I also think that it’s great that this proposition also wants to help improve healthcare here in Texas since this state has one of the poorest healthcare systems in the nation. Along with my classmate, I am excited to hear that this proposition will bring great things to this state.