Aspirus St. Luke’s Supports City Council Resolution for Duluth Academic Health Sciences Center
Aspirus St. Luke’s is proud to stand behind a new resolution being introduced by Duluth City Councilor Arik Forsman to build an academic health sciences center in the Medical District.
The University of Minnesota has publicly supported building a new medical school that includes the College of Pharmacy in downtown Duluth and is seeking funding from the legislature to achieve this goal. In September, the University announced plans to expand the medical school program in Duluth from a two-year to a four-year program, making the need for a new academic center greater.
“Aspirus St. Luke’s has long been a supporter of higher education in our community,” Aspirus Minnesota Region President Dr. Nick Van Deelen said. “For decades, we have partnered with the University of Minnesota to provide a bright future for students and the patients they serve. Investing in our students, especially those who are historically underrepresented in the health care field, is a crucial part of our mission. We’re proud to provide medical training, support their education and mentor them.”
That is why Aspirus St. Luke’s is offering a great centralized location for the new academic health sciences center to be built. Located between the south side of 1st Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues East, this site meets educational needs while offering the benefits of additional parking, as well as housing and retail opportunities. Plus, the central location benefits both health systems by giving students and staff a prime opportunity to collaborate within walking distance of each other.
Aspirus St. Luke’s partnership with the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) runs deep. The organization invests over $2 million in funding annually to Duluth Family Medicine Residency, educates and trains medical students and residents in family medicine, internal medicine and many other specialties through clerkships, and partners with medical students through Whiteside Institute for Clinical Research on invaluable projects like a national study on COVID-19. On average, the system provides clinical training for nearly 80 medical students and residents annually.
Similarly, Aspirus St. Luke’s works closely with the College of Pharmacy at UMD, providing internships and job opportunities for students and joint positions for faculty. An accredited Pharmacy Residency is also supported at Aspirus St. Luke’s which prepares nearly a dozen pharmacy interns for the complex work involved in oncology and other hospital-based environments.
The Duluth City Council will hear the resolution during their meeting on Tuesday, October 15. If approved, the city clerk will notify the Dean at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus, as well as local and state legislators.