Med school fundraising kicks off

By Alex Paul

Albany Democrat-Herald

Tuesday afternoon, Rauch presented Larry Mullins, president and CEO of Samaritan Health Services, with a ceremonial check for $350,000 to kick off fundraising for a 50,000-square-foot conference center that will be the anchor of the project.

The medical school building will encompass about 100,000 square feet. The first class of 50 students could be on campus as early as 2011, officials said.

Mullins and Philip Pumerantz, president of Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif. — a key partner in the proposal — are confident the project will move forward as planned. But they cautioned, they must first acquire approval for a residency program through the American Osteopathic Association and receive positive results from a financial feasibility study.  Read the full story >>