'We are going to have more doctors in the Houston area': UH unveils new College of Medicine building

On Nov. 3, the University of Houston revealed its new College of Medicine building.

In 2019, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 826 into law which established the University of Houston College of Medicine, according to a news release. Abbott was in attendance for the unveiling.

"Just two years ago, I signed a law to create the @UHouston College of Medicine. Today, we previewed their new state-of-the-art building," Abbott wrote in a Nov. 3 Twitter post. "The college is already having a tremendous impact on creating a healthier, safer future for the Houston community and the entire state."

According to Houston Public Media, Abbott said the facility would address a shortage of health care professionals in Texas. Abbott said that COVID-19 highlighted the need for more healthcare professionals in Texas, which necessitated the creation of the college.

In 2020, a report from the United Health Foundation found that the number of primary care doctors in Texas is 29% below the national average, with the state ranking 45th out of 50 states.

"We need more doctors in the Houston area, and because of this program, we are going to have more doctors in the Houston area," Abbott said, according to Houston Public Media.

Development of the new building cost $80 million and is scheduled to be complete by July 2022 in time to welcome the college's third class of medical students.

"This new facility, combined with outstanding faculty and community partners, will ensure that doctors who graduate from the University of Houston have the skills they need to succeed," Abbott said at the event. "More than that, the University of Houston College of Medicine will play a pivotal role in creating a healthier and safer future for the entire state of Texas."

Construction of the new building began in 2020, but a formal groundbreaking ceremony was unable to be held at the time because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The college is Houston's first new medical school in almost 50 years and will be the 13th medical school in Texas.