By ANTHONY BOTTAN
The university estimates that the total cost of constructing the new, state-of-the-art facility, in addition to housing for students, will be upward of $100 million.
"This New York State capital funding provides us with the seed money we need to get our capital campaign started," said Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz. "It will be a great economic boon for Nassau County."
The new School of Medicine's temporary headquarters, including labs, classrooms and other academic facilities, will be in the New York Jets facility once the team moves to its new headquarters during the fall of 2008. Once established, the Hofstra University School of Medicine, in partnership with North Shore-LIJ Health System, will join the eight schools and colleges of Hofstra. The School of Medicine will be the first allopathic medical school in Nassau County, and the first on Long Island in more than 35 years. Plans to create the new school were announced in October 2007 and an agreement between North Shore- LIJ and Hofstra was formally reached in March. The university hopes to admit its first class in 2011.
In attendance at the acceptance of the $25 million grant were state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Senate Health Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon. "This will bring Hofstra to the next level," said Skelos. The dean of the new medical school, Dr. Lawrence Smith, who is also the chief medical officer at North Shore-LIJ Health Services, said he hopes to teach students to be a community of healers, and eliminate the arrogance that people associate with doctors.
"I see the beginning of a complete, health changing service center," Smith said.
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