Jeffrey Horstmyer, M.D.

During the presentation, the president will give evidence of the University's readiness to open a school of medicine, address issues related to financial and community backing for the program, and unveil projections for the economic impact of a new medical program in South Florida. Health care community leaders will be in attendance at this meeting to express their support for an FIU School of Medicine.

FIU has developed relationships with Baptist Health, Mercy Hospital, Miami Children's Hospital and Mount Sinai to educate future doctors and increase capacity and quality of care in South Florida, where we face specific demographic challenges.

As a practicing physician in Miami-Dade County, I witness these challenges on a daily basis. The need is real and overwhelming. As we race through this busy holiday season, let us all stop for a moment and appreciate what we have that so many others in our community do not. A roof over our heads and a warm bed to sleep in at night. A computer (if you're reading this, I assume you own a computer or, at the very least, have access to one). Enough food to eat. And the resources to access some of the best physicians and facilities this country has to offer.

But many of our fellow residents do not. More than 1.2 million South Florida residents (Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties) qualify as "medically underserved". An FIU School of Medicine would go a long way toward ameliorating this local crisis in health care.

I plan on attending President Maidique's January presentation to the BOG in support of FIU's efforts, and my fervent hope is that this university will be successful in its quest to create a school of medicine. Such a move would positively impact millions of lives in coming generations and carry forth the noble tradition of your university of responding to community needs.