Dr. Ed Cadman is the dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine at UH.

By Dr. Ed Cadman

John Duchemin's June 24 column pointedly addressed many issues related to the debate over the high-tech tax-credit law known as Act 221.

However, he missed the mark regarding the John A. Burns School of Medicine when he wrote, "everyone seems to be waiting until the buildings are built." The faculty of the medical school is certainly not waiting as evidenced by the dramatic growth in research grants they have obtained in the past four years.

From last July through June 30, 2003, the medical school faculty brought to the university $46.9 million from grants and contracts. The research component was $25.6 million, a 700 percent increase over 1999 figures. This astounding research growth is evidence that our faculty possesses the energy and intellect to take our medical school to the next level of its development — to continue its essential role to train physicians for Hawai'i and the Pacific, and now, to become the nidus around which our state can build a thriving biotechnology industry.

In November 1999, the university committed 30 new state-financed faculty positions for the medical school over five years. We have recruited six. This year we will bring $6.9 million collectively in research grants, paying the salaries of the staff — to be hired from our pool of local talent. This coming year, we will recruit another six research faculty members with a similar earning potential. The estimated annual economic benefits of the new campus would be $75 million to $80 million.

Over the past 18 months the medical school has raised $14 million in gifts and contributions to support its academic programs. A capital campaign in conjunction with construction in Kaka'ako will provide more donation opportunities.

The medical school's new mission is to become a research-intensive school. Through this research initiative we can become the focal point of a new bioscience campus/park for Hawai'i and revitalize Kaka'ako.

There is a renewed spirit of excellence at the school; each faculty member has done his or her part to move this project forward at an astonishing pace.