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Ribbon cutting ceremony held for Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine

Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine is open to students after a decade wait.| Atirikta Kumar/The Cougar

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine recognized the University’s journey to build the new facility, as well as the importance of a new medical school in Houston and its role in the community.

“What was missing in Houston was a medical school that pays attention to health equity, that pays attention to primary care medicine, that pays attention to value-based medicine,” said UH president and chancellor Renu Khator. “That pays attention to serving the communities that are under-resourced and underserved.” 

Khator thanked Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and state legislators for their support in getting the bills to fund the school passed through legislation. 

Noting that without passion any mission wouldn’t work, Khator thanked College of Medicine Dean Dr. Stephen Spann, for his dedication to the school. 

UH Board of Regents chairmen and a significant donor for the medical center, Tilman Fertitta, noted the shortage of primary care physicians and the need for health equity in our medical system. 

“There is one thing I do believe we should have in the United States of America,” Fertitta said. “Everyone should have equal healthcare. When it comes to getting sick, we should always all be treated the same.” 

Although the new building recently welcomed students in, the first batch of medical students, are in their third year now and will soon be graduating. 

“(We are) able to kind of see the buildings and start from the ground up,” said third-year medical student, Breanna Chachere. “And so we always knew we would come into this building and so being able to kind of finally get to this point where we’re here and we get to call this place home, it brings everything full circle and really makes this whole process of medical school feel surreal.”

The celebration came to an end with the official ribbon being cut by Khator, Fertitta and his family. 

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