Two panels approve WSU med school bills

OLYMPIA — Bills that would allow Washington State University to start a medical school in Spokane cleared committees in both houses of the Legislature today with a unanimous vote in the Senate and a 12-1 vote in the House. Before passing the bill, the Senate Higher Education Committee rejected on a party line vote a provision that called for the University of Washington to receive money for it says it is owed for medical school operations in Spokane that was channeled through WSU. Republicans said the bill was about giving WSU the authority to offer medical education as one of its majors, and funding questions should be decided by the budget committee. “Ways and Means is the proper venue for those discussions to be held,” Sen. Mike Baumgartner, R-Spokane, said. “I do believe it will be worked out.” The House committee rejected a proposal that would have delayed the authorization for a year while a study was conducted on the need for expanded medical services and the best way to fill it. Another amendment that would have required WSU to prove it would teach students standard practices on reproductive health and end-of-life issues was withdrawn. The bills authorize the WSU Board of Regents to offer medical education at the Spokane campus, but doesn’t set aside money to do that. Rep. Gerry Pollett, D-Seattle, tried to change the bill to authorize only a one-year study of the best way to meet the state’s growing need for more doctors and other health care professionals. Some experts say the state needs more residency programs, which medical students take after completing four years of medical school. “It is sensible to say let’s study and report back,” Pollett said. But Rep. Larry Haler, R-Richland, shot back: “We don’t need a study to determine care in Eastern Washington is at a critical state.” States with smaller populations have more medical schools than Washington, he said, and “this is just the beginning.” Pollett’s amendment failed on a voice vote, and he withdrew a second proposed amendment that would have required that any state university’s medical students would be trained in “medically based, accurate and appropriate information” regardless of the policies of its partners. The amendment was aimed at making sure policies at potential partners like Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, which is a Catholic institution, don’t keep students from learning medical practices connected to reproductive health, abortion and end-of-life treatments. Pollett said he had been assured by WSU officials, through the bill’s sponsor Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, such training would be offered. Riccelli said he was pleased with the outcome, and the revisions approved by the committees don’t hurt WSU’s chances of starting a medical school. “Our intention was to get rid of the (restrictions) first,” he said, then discuss how much money the state should set aside for each university’s medical programs.