North Shore-LIJ and Hofstra in medical school venture

The North Shore-LIJ Health System has partnered with Hofstra University to establish a new school of medicine on the school’s Hempstead campus.
“This is an important day for Hofstra University and for all of Long Island. The establishment of a new medical school brings new research and cutting-edge scholarship to our campus, provides our region with better health care resources and allows Hofstra University’s standing in the international academic community to continue to grow,” said Stuart Rabinowitz, the school’s president. “Our partnership with a renowned institution such as the North Shore-LIJ Health System will ensure that the Hofstra School of Medicine, once established, will have excellent clinical training and extensive resources from the outset.”
This will be the first allopathic medical school created in Nassau County. Such a medical school has not been established in New York State since 1963. They anticipate opening the school with an initial class of 30 students in September of either 2010 or 2011.
“The North Shore-LIJ Health System has a long history of promoting and recognizing academic achievement, as evidenced by the 15 endowed professorships we have created to enhance our clinical research and education,” said Saul Katz, the chairman of the health system’s Board of Trustees. “Our Board of Trustees is eager to pursue a partnership with Hofstra that will further strengthen the reputation for academic excellence that exists within our teaching hospitals and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.”
The school and health system are currently in the beginning stages of forming the medical school, which means they are working towards accreditation. This involves program registration with the New York State Department’s Office of College and university Evaluation and the Board of Regents as well as accreditation with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
Teaching faculty will come from both Hofstra University and the North Shore-LIJ Health System and students will also learn at the school of medicine and at the health system’s many facilities. An international search will be conducted in order to find a dean for the medical school.
The new school will be built on 11 acres of the Hofstra University’s Hempstead campus. It will include an academic facility and residential housing.
Creating the Hofstra University School of Medicine is expected to have a large economic impact on the area. This includes annual operations totaling $100 million and $100 million for capital construction.
“This bold plan to create a new medical school in the county is consistent with our vision for the Nassau HUB,” said Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi. “By bringing together one of the nation’s leading teaching hospitals and an outstanding university, this medical school will be of enormous benefit to our region.”