Medical studies center to transition into WMU medical school

KALAMAZOO--The board of the Michigan State University/Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies has announced its organization's formal merger into Western Michigan University's School of Medicine, effective July 1.

The merger was approved today at a meeting of the MSU/KCMS Board of Directors. The board's formal approval of the merger follows months of discussion involving WMU and the two community hospitals--Borgess Health and Bronson Healthcare--that operate the center and have provided third- and fourth-year medical education there since 1974 to MSU medical students.

The ongoing relationship between MSU/KCMS and MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine will continue with the WMU School of Medicine. MSU students in the College of Human Medicine will continue their medical training in Kalamazoo through June 2014 under a transitional affiliation agreement.

WMU's medical school will welcome its first class of students in fall 2014. The new school is a partnership involving WMU, Borgess and Bronson.

"This transition into the School of Medicine is a logical step in strengthening medical education in Kalamazoo," says Dr. Hal B. Jenson, founding dean of WMU's new medical school. "With this change, the role of Borgess and Bronson grows from being affiliated with a medical school based in another city to being 'parents' of a medical school with Western Michigan University right here in Kalamazoo. The School of Medicine is extremely fortunate to gain the expertise of the faculty and staff of KCMS as they become the core of the new medical school."

Under the terms of this merger, MSU/KCMS operations, programs, personnel, and facilities will be wholly merged into and become part of the WMU School of Medicine. The current clinic operations, support staff, and faculty will remain at their current locations at 1000 Oakland Drive and the psychiatry clinic will remain on the Borgess campus. Some organizational leadership changes may require certain faculty or staff to be moved once the new WMU School of Medicine building is completed. Faculty and staff will be housed at the site appropriate to their responsibilities.

Many of the center's faculty and staff are already serving on WMU School of Medicine committees that are preparing documents for accreditation. Late last year, WMU announced the leadership appointments in its medical school for five key medical and operations staff members of the MSU/KCMS organization.

MSU/KCMS has more than 60 physician faculty members and nearly 500 community clinical faculty members who teach over 200 resident physicians and 50 medical students each year.

Visit the WMU School of Medicine online at wmich.edu/medicine.