Mobile County Commission Approves $5 Million for USA Medical School Building

The Mobile County Commission approved $5 million for the University of South Alabama Whiddon College of Medicine’s planned medical education and research building during its regular meeting on Nov. 22, 2003.

The funds will be paid $500,000 per year for 10 years.

Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations Margaret Sullivan attended the meeting on behalf USA’s administration and thanked the Commissioners for their transformational investment in the University of South Alabama. “This investment will help the University of South Alabama address the shortage of doctors in the state and continue to be an economic driver for the County and region,” she said.

The planned 250,000-square-foot education and research building will allow USA to expand its medical class size from a current maximum of 80 to cohorts of 100 students, with a capacity of 125. According to the University of South Alabama, Whiddon College of Medicine has graduated 3,000 physicians in its 50 years of existence, 90% of these stay within the state of Alabama, and many of their graduates practice medicine in underserved communities.

Commissioners said:

Commissioner Merceria Ludgood (District 1): “It’s good to see that so many of USA’s medical school graduates work in underserved communities within Alabama. Increasing capacity at the medical school will be of benefit within the state and beyond.”

Commissioner Connie Hudson (District 2): “We’re excited about this partnership, which has been a long time in the making. This state-of-the-art facility will help USA attract the best and brightest here to study medicine, and we trust many will stay nearby to help address the state’s shortage of doctors. We’re proud to be part of this endeavor.”

Commissioner Randall Dueitt (District 3, President): “I thank USA for its work and for partnering with us for two reasons: it provides a high-quality medical education right here at home, and it recruits students from elsewhere who stay here because they’ve fallen in love with the area and that helps Mobile County grow.”