By: Ellis S.C.R. No. 31
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Access to affordable health care is one of the most
critical issues facing the State of Texas and the United States; and
WHEREAS, Health care is the largest and fastest-growing
industry in Texas, employing 1.3 million workers in more than 200
careers; and
WHEREAS, The University of Houston enrolls 11,000 students
and confers 1,800 degrees in 97 health-related degree programs
annually; and
WHEREAS, The health sciences represent 27 percent of the
University of Houston's enrollment, 24 percent of the degrees
awarded, and 23 percent of the health-related degrees awarded in
the region; and
WHEREAS, The University of Houston's annual research awards
in the health sciences total $40.5 million, 38 percent of the
university's total research funding, and annual royalty income from
commercialized drugs totals $12 million; and
WHEREAS, The University of Houston's clinical programs in
optometry, pharmacy, clinical psychology, social work, and other
fields treat over 30,000 patients annually, many of them indigent
and uninsured, and these programs generate over $3 million in
revenue; and
WHEREAS, The University of Houston is a member of the Texas
Medical Center and has built numerous productive collaborations
with other member institutions; and
WHEREAS, By virtue of its educational, research, clinical,
and community outreach programs, the University of Houston is one
of the most important contributors to health care and the health
sciences in the region and state; and
WHEREAS, Organizing the University of Houston's
health-related programs as part of a health science center will
enhance the university's ability to address regional and state
health care needs, spur innovation in the delivery of health care,
reduce disparity in access to health care, elevate the university's
visibility as a leader in the health sciences, and further the
university's goal of attaining tier one status; and
WHEREAS, Organizing the University of Houston's
health-related programs as part of a health science center will
result in a more efficient use of state resources by maximizing
opportunities for collaboration across the entire university for
the benefit of the people of Texas; and
WHEREAS, Recognizing the breadth, impact, and potential of
the University of Houston's health-related programs, the
University of Houston System Board of Regents has approved the
creation of a health science center at the University of Houston;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby support the University of Houston System Board of Regents'
creation of a health science center at the University of Houston.