SPOKANE — The Washington State University board of regents has approved the administration’s efforts to start a new medical school in Spokane.
The board voted Friday to authorize WSU President Elson S. Floyd to pursue the controversial effort. The action came a day after a consulting firm said WSU is “well-positioned” to start a medical school.
The project is opposed by the University of Washington, which operates the state’s only public medical school.
The consultant’s report found that Washington suffers from a shortage of doctors, especially outside the Seattle metropolitan area, and that shortage is likely to grow. The report also found that WSU’s Spokane campus already contains much of the infrastructure needed for a medical school.
