SPOKANE, Wash. — Washington State University must find alternative funding for its new Team Health Building in Spokane after state legislators declined to provide construction funds.
The university completed the design phase but now must turn to private funding to build the facility for its Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy and Nursing.
“I think it’s a miss for the state, it’s a miss for our community,” said State Sen. Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane).
The project was initially estimated at $37 million, but costs rose to $50 million by the time WSU requested legislative funding.
“That gave budget writers some pause,” Riccelli explained. “I think we still could have moved forward with a $37 million project. I think the bottom line for me is, I don’t care how it gets funded. I think we should fund a space.”
Daryll DeWald, Executive Vice President of Health Sciences at WSU, expects the Team Health Building to be built within three years once construction begins.
“What we’re hoping for is better health outcomes,” DeWald said. “So if you’re a patient, you want the caregivers to work as a team to help address your health issues. So that’s what we were shooting for.”
The building will offer state-of-the-art simulations for students training for healthcare careers. WSU also hopes training future medical professionals in Spokane will strengthen the workforce in medically underserved areas of Washington.
The university envisions the facility as a regional resource. “Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga, UW, this would open doors for all of us. The community colleges, we already have a strong relationship,” DeWald noted.
WSU is now looking for private donors and new partners to move the project forward.
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