Shasta County supervisors are weighing a request from Simpson University for $10 million in public funding to help launch a proposed medical school in Redding, part of a broader plan the university estimates could cost up to $150 million.
The private Christian university says it would train physicians locally to address persistent shortages throughout far Northern California. But some county officials questioned the lack of a detailed public plan as they consider whether to commit funds that could otherwise go toward priorities such as jail overcrowding.
University President Norman Hall told the board Tuesday that a community group last year recommended Simpson over public university options, including the University of California Davis.
“Simpson is a four-year college that already has pre-med, pre-vet, pre-dental," Hall said. "The students who would graduate from our program, for example, would be guaranteed (admission) if they meet certain standards.”
Hall said the university aims open the medical school by 2030, with graduating classes of 150 to 200 students. He said most of those students would complete residencies in the North State.
Simpson University Trustee Joshua Barker
said a recent visit to a medical school in Pikeville, Kentucky, showed how a similar model could work in a rural region.
"What I witnessed in Pikeville was not just a success story, it was a blueprint," he said. "A blueprint that could serve Shasta County and also serve every rural community within 150 miles of us."
The university would be partnering with Salud Education, a developer and operator of medical schools. Hall said Salud could contribute up to $50 million. The total project cost could reach $150 million if the university builds a new facility, or about $100 million if it leases space.
Accreditation requirements would likely require the university to place $50 million in escrow to protect students in case of a closure, Hall said. An additional $50 million would be raised by the university, which could also include state and federal grants for rural health care.
Supervisor Mike Plummer said the board needs more information before committing public funds.
“You want this to come from the board," he said. "We don't have it. We'll be taking it from another strategic priority. Maybe that's the right decision. I'm not saying it's not, but we, as a representation of the community and the public, deserve a public document that shows the plan for this.”
The proposed $10 million investment would likely come from county reserves previously set aside to address jail overcrowding.
Supervisor Kevin Crye, who has long supported the idea, said he raised the proposal ahead of upcoming budget discussions to give the board time to evaluate it.
"If we don't think big many of you, just like me, are going to continue to drive down to UCSF for a cardiologist, an oncologist, a rheumatologist," Crye said. "And it's just going to keep going on and on."
