OLYMPIA Gov. Jay Inslee said hes keeping an open mind about which state university should operate a medical school in Spokane, but he has no problem with the two schools using state resources to make their case to thepublic.

Asked Thursday whether the University of Washington or Washington State University should run a new school to train physicians in Spokane, Inslee said other questions are more important to answer first. Among them are the true need for additional doctors, the most cost-effective solution and the effects any new system would have on the current five-state consortium to train

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Gov. Jay Inslee talks to reporters in Olympia on Thursday about education funding and who should operate a medical school inSpokane. (Full-size photo)

OLYMPIA Gov. Jay Inslee said hes keeping an open mind about which state university should operate a medical school in Spokane, but he has no problem with the two schools using state resources to make their case to thepublic.

Asked Thursday whether the University of Washington or Washington State University should run a new school to train physicians in Spokane, Inslee said other questions are more important to answer first. Among them are the true need for additional doctors, the most cost-effective solution and the effects any new system would have on the current five-state consortium to train doctors that UWoperates.

I do not go into it with any preconceived notions, Inslee said during a news conference during which he also discussed public school funding and the stateseconomy.

Both universities are lobbying legislators for control of a new medical school that would be based at Spokanes Riverpoint campus. UW wants the state to expand the current WWAMI program that trains doctors for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho, adding as many as 320 graduate medical students by the end of this decade. WSU wants the state to approve a new medical school under its control, with an emphasis on recruiting and training physicians in Spokane and underserved ruralareas.

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Inslee withholds judgment on who should run Spokane medical school - Fri, 05 Sep 2014 PST