UMKC School of Medicine plans expansion to St. Joseph in partnership with Mosiac

In a move designed to address a stubborn shortage of physicians in rural areas of the state, the University of Missouri-Kansas City has been given the green light to expand with a satellite campus in St. Joseph. Financed in large part with a $7 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, UMKC expects to start the new program in January.

“We are thrilled we will be able to address a critical health-care need in Missouri,” said Chancellor Mauli Agrawal said after MU system curators approved the expansion last week. “This will enable more patients throughout the state to get better access to high-quality medical treatment.”

In a news release announcing the expansion, UMKC said the American Association of Medical Colleges projects a shortage of nearly 122,000 physicians by 2032, almost half of them in the vitally important but underserved ranks of primary-care physicians. State health officials say Missouri has shortages in 250 primary-care health professional areas covering 109 of its 114 counties. That puts it near the bottom quintile of U.S. states.

“The disparities in care in rural areas result in higher rates of death, disability and chronic disease for rural Americans,” said Mary Anne Jackson, dean of UMKC’s medical school. “Expansion of our medical school to the northwestern region of our state will serve to bridge this gap, knowing that students training in rural programs are three times as likely to remain in practice in those areas.”
The St. Joseph site will offer a four-year M.D. program open to students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree.