Lawmakers reach deal on money for EVMS

RICHMOND

House and Senate negotiators hammered out a compromise Tuesday on a state borrowing package that includes $59 million for Eastern Virginia Medical School.

The money would allow EVMS to build new classroom space to train additional doctors.

In return, the state would get increased oversight over the school - a concession EVMS officials were willing to make, said state Sen. Kenneth Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, who is one of the negotiators.

"I'm thrilled," EVMS President Harry Lester said about the state funding pledge when reached on his cell phone Tuesday evening. "It's a great day for health care in Hampton Roads. It means we can expand our class size and train more doctors. That's what it's all about."

There was concern earlier this year that the medical school would not receive building funds. The House of Delegates version of the bond bill did not include millions for EVMS that were contained in the Senate package. The bond proposal will have to be approved by the General Assembly when it returns for its veto session later this month.

The compromise bond bill totals about $1.43 billion and will finance renovations and expansions at state colleges, universities and government facilities throughout Virginia.

EVMS plans to use the money to expand its current student capacity by 30 percent. T he school presently has about 440 medical students.

Lester said the new classrooms could be available by 2010.

"There's going to be a doctor shortage at all the medical schools in the country," he said. "We've been asked to increase our class size but we have no space. To increase our class size we need a new building."

Among the conditions agreed to by EVMS is to allow the governor, the House and Senate to appoint seven of the school's 17-member board and to submit to a review by the State Council of Higher Education.

While EVMS is a state-chartered school, some legislators said it didn't meet the definition of other public schools that receive state money.

"They said they'd like to have a little oversight," said Lester, noting that the school had no objections.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine had not seen the compromise package by early Tuesday evening, but spokesman Gordon Hickey said the governor "is certainly glad that there is one."

Kaine pushed for the package this year, noting that funding state construction projects will boost Virginia's economy.

Staff writer Warren Fiske contributed to this report.

Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com