Way back in November, we noted the problems caused by Ike to UTMB, and pointed out that it would be nice if various pols could get behind rebuilding the important resource.
While people were busy shopping and decking the halls and such in December, the issue did get some attention from opinion leaders.
Mayor Bill White, County Judge Ed Emmett, and Dr. Red Duke pointed out the gap in medical services caused by UTMB’s service reduction in an op-ed in the Chronicle.
Local industry has sounded the alarm regarding the loss of UTMB’s excellent trauma services.
And Texas Monthly‘s Mimi Swartz effectively blasted UT’s board of regents for its response to UTMB’s plight (and its likely illegal November meeting that resulted in massive layoffs at the institution).
A lawsuit is pending regarding the regents’ likely illegal meeting, but that lawsuit will have about as much impact on the UTMB decisionmaking as a Facebook page or online petition (not much). If area pols (and people) don’t get behind restoring this important medical resource, it seems likely that its decline will be permanent (and it will hardly surprise if a shiny new med school opens in, say, Austin, eventually). As a growing region in a growing state, we can hardly afford any permanent reduction in area medical capabilities, so here’s hoping our area pols get their act together on this.
