Recently, UT President Randy Boyd provided all UT System campuses with an uplifting account of the Tennessee General Assembly activities and the approval the state budget for fiscal year 2025-2026. This message highlighted with gratitude the many aspects in which the approved state budget will positively impact the UT System as a whole, now and in the years to come. Below is a complementary summary of the funding allocations specific to the UT Health Science Center that we too are most grateful for, and that will have both immediate and long-term positive impacts for us.

 Pictured in Photo: VP Byrd, Chancellor Buckley, President Boyd, Governor Lee, Chancellor Plowman, Chancellor Freeman, Chancellor Martin, SVC Carver

• Funding equivalent to a 2.6% in compensation adjustment for eligible UT Health Science Center employees, as well as additional investment in employee health insurance and 401k contributions. We will be announcing specifics of how the compensation adjustments will be distributed to eligible UT Health Science Center employees shortly.
• Approval and funding to establish an operating formula for medical units, including the UT Health Science Center. This provides a formulaic basis for addressing operating cost increases, something we have been working to get in place for over a decade now. The formula also provides $950K in recurring funds for operational cost increases. This is a big deal because it is both recurring support and establishes a (heretofore missing) foundation for the consideration of future operational needs on an annual basis and allow us to keep up with the rising cost of doing business.
• $7.8 million for the UT Health Science Center for replacement of aging medical instructional equipment. This funding helps address some critical needs in aging instructional equipment and backfill costs already incurred by the institution in anticipation of receipt this support. Additionally, it resets the base for calculating related cost increases as part of the formula. As you know, this state support comes now as a much-needed boost - in funding and quite frankly also as an endorsement of the importance of our mission - that will further enable us to continue to invest core infrastructure.
• $2.6 million in one-time funds for capital maintenance. This funding will help us address some of ongoing maintenance needs and we will be working with our System office to get the appropriate project underway. Given our ongoing facilities maintenance needs - as we experienced earlier this year with inclement weather contributing to serious boiler malfunctions - this is another critical support for us and an appreciation of our continued need to invest in our current buildings while we are also prioritizing our long-term facilities' needs.
• Approval for moving forward with Planning and Design for the new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building. This will allow us to immediately begin the initial steps necessary to move the full building project forward efficiently when funding for such is in place. We will be working with the System office to start the planning and design phase of the project in short order. As you can appreciate, this is in itself a powerful statement of support for our new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building, and it is also strategic in anticipation of this being the priority for our system in next year’s capital planning requests.

Once again, this budget clearly demonstrates the State of Tennessee’s continued commitment to investing in higher education. We are grateful to Governor Lee, to Lieutenant Governor McNally, to our local delegates in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga where our Health Science Campuses support our communities, and to the entire Legislature for their continued support of our noble mission.

 

This impressive level of endorsement for, and investment in our healthcare mission was championed through the great support of our UT President Randy Boyd, SVP and CFO David Miller, VP for Government Relations and Advocacy Carey Whitworth, and her entire team - including Director of Government Relations David Mills - and many others. These colleagues understand and value our collective work and our statewide impact and they are tireless advocates to ensure the needs of the UT Health Science Center are a priority for the UT System and the State of Tennessee. We are extremely grateful for all they do!

 

We are also appreciative of the hard work each of you do every day to support the UT Health Science Center, our students, our patients, and the communities we serve. I am confident that with your continued effort and support along with these impactful investments from our state, the UT Health Science Center is poised to deliver on our Strategic Plan and Vision - Healthy Tennesseans and Thriving Communities!

 

Respectfully,

Raaj

Hyman Building, Suite 220 62 S. Dunlap Street | Memphis, TN 38163 US

 

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