Hofstra's rise a plus for LI

The long-term strategy of Hofstra University to raise its excellence and national visibility is about far more than school spirit. It focuses intelligently and commendably on areas of research and study that advance a key goal of our regional agenda: real economic growth based on high-paying, high-tech jobs.

This week's news is the arrival of the first 40 students at the new Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine. That one event is no small thing. The school is setting its sights high: making a major contribution to redefining the way medical education works in this nation. It will rely less on the grade-grind learning style of traditional medical schools and more on diagnostic problem-solving and actual experience with patients. Very early in the medical school process, for example, the students will work as emergency medical technicians on North Shore-LIJ ambulances.

This is a pivotal time in the history of health care in America. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is taking effect, and policy-makers are looking around for better models of delivering high-quality care more affordably. So it's a good moment to have a rising university, yoked to the ever-expanding North Shore system, pursuing innovation in teaching the next generation of doctors.

But the medical school is only part of what Hofstra president Stuart Rabinowitz is trying to do. He's attempting to elevate its excellence in physical science, especially the biomedical sciences, a key element in Long Island's future economy.

Of course, there are already some high-powered research institutions on Long Island. Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory are preeminent. And the high fever is contagious. Farmingdale State College is increasing its research role. And North Shore-LIJ's Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is an important player in clinical research with patients, helping bring new treatments to market for a wide range of diseases. Feinstein should be an important asset for students at the new medical school. It might even have a future physical presence on the Hofstra campus, where it could help incubate biomedical firms.

Adding Hofstra's expanding scientific learning -- such as its new doctoral program in molecular medicine -- can only enhance our chances of creating an irresistible cluster of biomedical research that will draw students from across the country, spawn new biotech businesses and create jobs. The university is also opening a new School of Engineering and Applied Science next year, and its graduates will become part of growing fields such as biomedical engineering.

Hofstra's rise in these fields means a lot to our ability to compete. Long Island is not the only region that dreams of becoming the next Silicon Valley or Boston. That level of dominance and prosperity would help not only the private sector, but the local governments that depend on private sector job creation to provide new revenue streams. But to get there, we have to compete. Hofstra's increasing scientific strength, especially if it meshes well with existing research institutions, can help the Island emerge a winner in that race for jobs.