President John C. Baldwin, M.D., speaks at the 33rd annual Lubbock Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Installation Luncheon
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center President John C. Baldwin, M.D., was the keynote speaker at the 33rd annual Lubbock Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Installation Luncheon. Baldwin addressed numerous issues affecting access to health care in rural and border populations, including ongoing work by TTUHSC to establish a four year medical school in El Paso and efforts to launch a TTUHSC Community Medical School designed to foster greater educational opportunities for the local community.
Addressing the growing disparity in the number of Hispanic physicians in our nation, Baldwin indicated that TTUHSC–El Paso is better positioned than any other institution in the nation to attract gifted Hispanic students to the various health care professions. “As we attract these individuals, we know through experience that they are more likely than their counterparts to serve underprivileged, rural communities,” Baldwin said. “Thus, by training health care professionals from the community in the community, we can improve health care to the community.”
Baldwin went on to address his desire to see greater collaboration between TTUHSC and the local community. To achieve this, Baldwin envisions the establishment of a TTUHSC Community Medical School. “With this initiative, our goal is to bring TTUHSC faculty and students in closer contact to the community, facilitating a dialogue of understanding and education,” Baldwin said. “This Community Medical School will provide a mini-medical school experience to the lay person, with a series of lectures, discussions and classes designed to provide individuals with up-to-date information on advancements in health care and the medical sciences.”
