Jeffrey Schell, project director for Michigan Healthpark Development, said a proposal was officially sent Monday to University President Michael Rao. The proposal offers CMU two options to access land in downtown Saginaw for the purpose of a medical school campus.

"We have approximately 60 acres of land, and we will give (CMU) the land that they need at no cost," he said. "Any other needs that they have, we will work with them to establish a partnership that will work for both of us. We have no intention in making any money off of Central Michigan University."

The land, which Michigan Healthpark Development purchased in late August, could either be owned by CMU for free or leased to the university for the cost of construction if medical research facilities were built prior to an agreement.

Schell said their preference would be to physically give CMU the land, as the university could play a better structural role in developing its vision, but regardless, he hopes it brings the "best valuable opportunity" to the site.

"Essentially what we're saying to CMU is we'll do anything at cost for CMU," he said. "The reason CMU's medical school would need to be in Saginaw is because of the hospital capacity."

The site sits just off the west bank of the Saginaw River in between two hospitals, St. Mary's of Michigan and Covenant Medical Center, both of which Schell said are just five minutes away.

He said the proposal sent to Rao was the same as what had already been sent to Synergy Medical Alliance, the educational affiliation between St. Mary's, Covenant and potentially CMU.

"For some time, Central Michigan University has been speaking with a number of potential partners in the region," said Mark Lester, St. Mary's chief medical officer. "The matter is, St. Mary's, Covenant Medical Center and Synergy Medical Alliance are working together in CMU's (interest)."

Synergy has worked similar partnerships for decades and is also involved with Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine.

Lester said the level of academia brought by this type of project would both serve the region's physician shortage and be of advantage for downtown Saginaw.

"I think for our region it offers progressive involvement in an academic medical environment," he said. "We believe we have the capability to respond and how we would respond. What would be required will depend on the outcome of our conversations."

Saginaw radiologist Sam Kottamasu, chair of CMU's Board of Trustees' AdHoc Medical School committee, said partnerships with both hospitals will be beneficial because each has a unique set of programs and opportunities to offer students.

Covenant Medical Center has pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology programs, he said, whereas St. Mary's Hospital does not.

"For the number of students that need to be included (in a medical school program), it's almost never one hospital for affiliations," he said.

Both hospitals have submitted affiliation proposals, Kottamasu said, and meetings are ongoing between the two facilities and CMU.

"There has been significant progress towards our affiliation agreements for hospitals in Saginaw. They are both actively working to move forward," he said.

Kottamasu did not expect affiliations would be discussed extensively at a Dec. 4 Board of Trustees meeting, but said the proposals would be presented to board members.

The timeline to have affiliations in place is likely early spring, he said.

Another item in consideration for the medical school is accreditation by the Liaison Committee Medical Education.

Kottamasu said the process has not advanced significantly and a dean must be in place for the medical school before accreditation can be finalized.

Rao said in a Nov. 24 interview with Central Michigan Life that the next move with accreditation will be an announcement to LCME of CMU's intentions to continue with the medical school.

The announcement comes with a $25,000 fee to the university, he said.

Following the announcement, Rao said, CMU will submit a database of information to LCME, summarizing a student's experience at CMU's proposed medical school and the outcomes each will achieve.

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