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The University of Houston’s (UH) new medical school officially opened its doors late last month, Houston-based media outlets reported.
Houston NBC affiliate KPRC reported that the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine opened on Wednesday, just three months after the university welcomed its third class of students.
“This new facility is an essential part of our mission to improve the overall health and health care of the population of Greater Houston, Texas and beyond,” UH said in a tweet.
According to KPRC, the latest batch of medical students seek to fulfill the College of Medicine’s mission of providing quality, accessible health care to members of underserved communities.
The station reported that the $80 million facility consists of ultramodern classrooms, collaborative meeting spaces and cutting-edge anatomy and simulation laboratories.
“This beautiful new building is where our students will receive top-level medical training, and where our faculty and researchers will develop transformational approaches to patient care and improving health,” Dr. Stephen Spann, the inaugural dean of the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, said, KPRC reported. “It is a welcoming space for community-oriented educational events and partnerships.”
Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported that UH celebrated the opening with a ribbon cutting.
According to KHOU, 480 students are enrolled in the medical program.
“We realized that if you bring students from communities and keep their passion alive, the chances are they’ll go back and serve their communities where the need is the most," UH President Dr. Renu Khator said, the station reported.
Houston Daily reported in May that Fertitta gifted $50 million for the College of Medicine.
The 65-year-old Fertitta, who owns Landry's, Inc. and the Houston Rockets, serves as the chairman of the UH Board of Regents.
“We should all get the same medical care," Fertitta said, according to KHOU. "I don’t care who you are, where you’re from, how much money you make. Everybody should be treated the same when it comes to medicine."