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Proposed osteopathic college is still viable

JEFFERSON — Jefferson County board Chairman Jim Schroeder said in recent days he remains optimistic a proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine will be located in Jefferson in the coming years and a representative of the proposed college, Mark Lefebvre, was of a similar mind.

Lefebvre and his colleague in promoting creation of the college, Jennifer DeKrey, have had to look for alternate forms of funding for the college after learning the state declined to provide a one-time allocation of $25 million to establish the institution.

State Reps. Cody Horlacher, R-Elkhorn, and Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, have demonstrated backing of plans for the college. Gov. Scott Walker even visited Jefferson and discussed the institution with local officials at one point. Federal representatives have been responsive. These have included Wisconsin-based U.S. senators, Democrat Tammy Baldwin and Republican Ron Johnson.

To date, the public has been made aware by Lefebvre and DeKrey that the school is projected to be located on land on Jefferson’s far north side. An authoritative source wishing not to be named, however, has said college planners and others involved have recently been considering using land on the southwest side of Jefferson, owned by the county near the new highway department, for the school.

During past meetings with the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors, Lefebvre and DeKrey said there has been what they termed “a stunning exodus of intellectual talent from the state.” They noted 90 percent of students deemed eligible for medical school attend ones out of state. Lefebvre also said most take their residencies elsewhere.

“So the physical and economic well-being of the state is at stake,” he said in 2015. “The osteopathic college is something that will address a wide range of issues.”

The city of Jefferson has already donated land for the project north of the city in a show of support for the proposed $125 million effort.

DeKrey has said it is hoped the osteopathic college would change the overall physician residency model in the state. She said she and others involved in the project want residencies in each county.

“So the economic impact of this college coming out of Jefferson would be significant,” she told the county board in 2015.

If it is up and running in the next few years, the college might graduate classes of 160 annually.

DeKrey said the economic impact of these osteopathic physicians, as they move their practices into the more remote parts of Wisconsin and into the inner city of Milwaukee, will be significant.

In past conversations with local officials, Lefebvre acknowledged Wisconsin’s other two medical schools have not been supporting creation of the Jefferson college.

“But they are just not getting the job done,” he said.

In 2015, Lefebvre said the most exciting part of the process was the traction the project was getting with private fund providers. He said there were three “distinguished Wisconsin families” willing to serve as benefactors, with one prepared to contribute $500,000. It is not known publicly whether these supporters are still on board.

Lefebvre said in 2016 the success he and DeKrey hoped to have with the state during its then-next budgeting process and the cooperation of private funding sources would determine the ultimate schedule for siting of the school.

“The state has gotten everything it can from us. Now they have to play their cards,” he said at that time. “The project is still feasible without help from the state, but shame on them if they sit this out. This happens with or without the state, but we’d love to have the state on board.”

In an interview with the Daily Times, Schroeder said Jefferson County wants to continue to be an active partner with the college, the city of Jefferson and others involved in the siting process.

“The county helps facilitate things. We bring people together and try to help with ideas to make this move forward,” Schroeder said.

He acknowledged the “setback” that was the state’s refusal to help fund the college.

“That (request) went nowhere,” Schroeder said. “Now Mark (Lefebvre) and Jennifer (DeKrey) are looking at alternate funding and are confident they will get it done.”

Schroeder said the last time he talked with Lefebvre and DeKrey was about one month ago.

“Personally, I’m optimistic the college can happen after that last meeting,” Schroeder said. “This is not a done deal, but I am optimistic. This would be transformative and the biggest thing to happen in Jefferson County in my lifetime -- or even ever.”

Schroeder called the potential college “a high-quality development.”

“Colleges such as these have a big impact financially and culturally on communities and offer many opportunities for ancillary and complimentary businesses to locate near them. There are synergies that are created by institutions such as these within the local and state economies.”

Lefebvre spoke with the Daily Times, as well, Wednesday, saying he and DeKrey are moving forward, with much activity going on and “a lot of moving parts.”

“We can’t get into specifics as we work out a wide range of details, such as the mix of financing and philanthropy, as well as the siting of the school -- which will still be in Jefferson,” Lefebvre said. “We are moving along and momentum is good. We moved into a quiet phase, which is not atypical of projects of this nature because hundreds of people have to be talked to. But we realize a lot of time has elapsed -- almost four years since we started to put this all together.”

Lefebvre said he and DeKrey will likely need until late next week, working with their board, to go through the options in front of them.

“Then we will be putting together a report on where we are,” he said, “And we will have that to the public out of the gate. The school is moving forward and we have had to consider alternatives to state funding in spite of the efforts of Steve Nass and Cody Horlacher, who have been terrific. We are getting closer to a realization of the school and we are enthusiastic. We have a good plan and we just have to get it all fitted out.”

Lefebvre acknowledged Boldt Construction remains a working partner as a design for the school is created.

“Boldt is still on board and remains a strong and vibrant partner,” he said. “You bet we are on board with them and they are on board with us.”

When asked about the Daily Times’ source’s claim that the southwest side of Jefferson could be the location of the school rather than the long-established north side site, Lefebvre said, “We still have the site the city generously gifted to us, but we are looking at other options. These options are being worked through with the county board, so I’d leave it to Jim (Schroeder) to comment on that. I don’t have anything specific to say, other than we are working with the county and looking at other options.”

Lefebvre called the siting of the osteopathic college “a hugely complicated enterprise.”

“There has not been a day when we haven’t learned something,” he said. “The time we have spent has served us well, because the state’s needs in regard to this college and the changing dynamic within health care is even more acutely expressed now. So we remain in the right place at the right time with our message. The college will be wonderful for Jefferson County and the greater Jefferson County area.”

Schroeder said, if it is realized, the College of Osteopathic Medicine would be the first new medical school in Wisconsin in a century.

So what is next on the agenda for the county in terms of its involvement in facilitating the project? Schroeder said it is simply to continue its “support and facilitation.”

“We will continue to meet with (Lefebvre and DeKrey), likely within the next month,” Schroeder said.

When asked specifically about the possibility of the college locating near the new highway department on Jefferson’s southwest side, Schroeder replied, “No. Right now it’s still on for the north side of the city.”

One of the biggest things all involved with the project had to overcome initially, according to Schroeder, was “skepticism that Jefferson County is not big enough for big things.”

“And we have overcome this,” he said.