Fund the building:
The Oregon Center for Health Professions legislative writing campaign

The proposed budget for higher education created by the co-chairs of the Oregon Legislatures Ways & Means Committee is less than the Governor's Recommended Budget. As a result, there is no provision within the proposed legislative budget to allow for the $9 million Article XI-G Bond necessary to complete the Oregon Center for Health Professions building at OIT.

When the Legislature sited the Oregon Center for Health Professions on the OIT campus in the 2001 session, there was no financial investment made. Businesses, citizens and foundations from throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest have provided more than $14 million in gifts to make the Center's first wing a reality.

The legislature did provide a $10 million Article XI-F Bond, which is a loan OIT is responsible for paying back to the state. The G Bond would be a gift that the university would not be required to pay back. G Bonds require a matching amount be raised by the institution, which OIT has surpassed in its $14.7 million fundraising.

When the Center was conceived, the vision was to provide the necessary space to expand vital allied health education programs. Nationwide, most people know that the US is anticipating a shortage of nurses, but few are aware that the shortage of qualified workers will extend into other healthcare professions. This is why the Center is vital.

With the Center in place, OIT will be able to reach 750 more students each year. These students will be the medical imaging technologists, clinical laboratory scientists and other specialists necessary to appropriately care for an aging population and ensure a healthy society.

The co-chairs' budget provides funding for a healthcare education policy package, but without the second wing of the Center the intent of the package will not be fulfilled. Coupled together, the policy package and Center funding will provide the educational base for more qualified practitioners to enter the workforce.

Listed below are Legislative leaders and members of the Ways & Means Committee. Please consider writing these legislators to show your support for the Oregon Center for Health Professions. E-mail addresses are provided for your convenience. The legislation associated with this initiative is Senate Bill 5516. Attached to this page are a fact sheet, budget request sheet and a letter supporting the Center from Sky Lakes Medical Center CEO Paul Stewart.