(Community Matters) Senator Kirk Watson has organized a committee to coordinate the expansion of medical services, education and research in Central Texas. This afternoon, a group of us who have been discussing the quality and comprehensiveness of cancer care in Central Texas agreed to serve as the working group studying and recommending on oncology.
Our first order of business (which we were prepared to do last year but held off until understanding more about the Senator’s initiative) is an environmental assessment.We know there are good assets already here. We don’t know if they are configured optimally nor if we have all that would ensure comprehensive cancer care for Central Texans.
Good overview from Kirk about the initiative. I hadn’t realized how significant a problem we already have re: too few physicians – about 600 fewer than we need to serve the amount of people already here (ie., about 15% fewer than the 3,600 estimated already operating here). This problem will escalate as more people have access to primary care through health care reform.
Community Matters 
Two things on this:
1) I am one of the advisors of an MBA student group working with a regional cancer research & treatment center (don’t want to share which one over the blog). Might be interesting to touch base to see if there are common touch points.
2) I work with a guy who did some really great research work for a different cancer research & treatment center (can’t remember which one off the top of my head) and that might be interesting too. I’ve been wanting you to meet him for some time now, so this might be a good reason.
No hurry on either, but we can talk when we are together next.