The Memphis region has the three interactive medical functions necessary to become a medical hub.
Medical functions are centered in major hospitals, medical schools, and research centers. The large Memphis hospitals provide health care centers. Among these the Church Health Center is a recognized model for "working poor" health progress. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center provides a training facility and research for the regional health care industry. Research conducted at the medical school, metro and regional hospitals and independent facilities provides the cutting-edge knowledge. There are several renowned clinics in the bio-med field serving the region and manufacturers. Each hospital, medical school and research center is interactive and synergistic, providing the foundation and framework for the region's development as a medical center.

St. Jude is a world-class research hospital.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is one of the world's premiere centers for research and treatment of catastrophic children's diseases, primarily pediatric cancer. St. Jude has a world-class staff including a Nobel Prize winner for Physiology and three members of the National Academy of Sciences. Noteworthy is St. Jude's dedication to providing cost-free medical services for childhood diseases to children under the age of 18 all over the world. The hospital's high quality of medical care and research in children's diseases has provided good results and significant progress. Childhood cancer survival rates have increased from 20% to over 80%. This extraordinary facility is currently undergoing a $1 billion expansion to increase its research and care capability and will hire 400 new researchers. The new areas of research to be conducted include chemical biology, molecular biotechnology and human immunology and immunotherapy.

There are five important medical clusters in the Memphis region.
The largest cluster of medical facilities and research centers in the region is located in the Memphis metro area. It includes the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Veterans Hospital, Baptist Memorial HealthCare System, the Regional Medical Center - The Med, Methodist Healthcare, the MERI (Medical Education Research Institute) and the Southern College of Optometry. Other facilities are emerging to the east and south in response to the need for services in suburban areas. Other major hospitals are located in Jonesboro, Jackson, St. Francis and Tupelo.

The Memphis region has significant medical research facilities.
Most medical research in the region is conducted at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the University of Memphis. While some research is done collaboratively, each institution has its own research focus - St. Jude in children's diseases and UTHSC in bio- and health-sciences. Potential research relationships also exist between the UTHSC and the medical schools in Little Rock and Nashville and the research center at Oak Ridge. Currently, UT has funding for $50 million in research with plans to expand to $200 million in 5 years. The University of Tennessee has a program to work on projects with the Oak Ridge Research Center. Important research within the region is also taking place at University of Mississippi, which has just received a $60 million grant, and at ASU, which is focused on bio-agriculture research.

Commercialization of research is the foundation for developing the bio-med component of the economy.
The logistics infrastructure and diverse medical functions of the region have encouraged the expansion of a bio-med component of the economy. Tri-Star Center is a joint operation of UTHSC and the University of Tennessee established to facilitate the commercialization of technology in the Memphis region. The center has the resources and environment necessary for startup businesses to develop a presence in the bio-med market. The economic impact of this center is linked to the quantity and quality of research being conducted in the region. The region has already been successful in attracting medical specialty companies such as Smith & Nephew, Sofamor-Danek, Wright Medical and Planet RX. A continued emphasis on technology commercialization will attract other medical companies to the region. The region is poised to significantly expand its bio-med base.

Recommendations

Develop a collaborative medical council involving hospitals, medical schools, universities and the business community.
A medical council would increase synergy between the institutions, develop and support policy and increase investment to build the bio-med economy. It could address the need to significantly increase research dollars (doubling from $50 to $100 million at UTHSC), the commercialization of technology from medical research and advance the Medical School to become one of the top 25 schools in the country in terms of its faculty, research and funding.

Define the regional biomedical mission.
The region must define its goals for the level, quality and synergy it wants its medical establishments to achieve. This will require new partnerships to be formed between the public, private and medical community. The Memphis region can become a world-class bio-medical health service center or remain a metropolitan service center. While the region contains an array of medical facilities, it often operates in a competitive and fragmented manner that limits the synergies necessary for the region to become a major bio-med economic center.

Significantly strengthen the biomedical economic cluster.
Bio-med is emerging as a key component in the new economy. Regions that position themselves to participate in this growth sector will advance and attract new economic activity. The Memphis region has a good foundation upon which to build a bio-med industry. However, its various parts need to be strengthened to experience large-scale economic growth. The UTHSC in Memphis will either emerge as a major research center or remain a teaching institution. Its research budget will determine the direction the medical school will take.