Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 24, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 21 Planting the seeds of innovation A healthy Worcester needs affordable housing V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L M assachusetts Biomedical Initiatives in June held an event reflecting on nearly four decades of growth in the Central Massachusetts life and health sciences cluster, particularly around MBI's home in Worcester. The now burgeoning industry took a long time to develop, and part of the look back was identifying the critical factors that got it started here. Clearly one of the cornerstone events was the siting of the UMass Medical School in Worcester, which opened in 1970. e medical school's robust research capabilities is a massive presence and ongoing catalyst. e Worcester Business Development Corp. – an organization at the time largely made up of planners and community leaders – then looked into a foggy crystal ball and took the risk on the nascent biomedical industry by founding the biotech research park across the street from the medical school, which is now known as UMass Medicine Science Park. Fast forward to today and Science Park is full of tenants. Worcester Polytechnic Institute's foray into the space in 2010 with Gateway Park – initially created in partnership with WBDC, but today owned by the college – is thriving; and MBI's incubator model has helped an estimated 150 startup and early stage companies get off the ground creating more than 2,500 jobs in the region. CenTech Park in Graon and WBDC's latest venture in Worcester – the 44-acre biomanufacturing campus now branded e I can't help but notice the tremendous momentum emboldening the City of Worcester to dare to dream big in its renaissance and reimagining her future. From her leaders, to her residents, to her business sectors, a renewed and infec- tious sense of civic pride goes beyond asking, "Why not here?" to the more affirmative, "is is the place." Yes, Worcester is booming, but with growth comes challenges. Last month, I was on hand for the governor's press conference on housing choice. is centers around legislation to address zoning issues, strategies to build diverse housing stock, and unique and affordable new options for first-time home owners. In my remarks, I spoke about the housing challenge from a business perspective. In our effort to attract the best and brightest doctors, nurses and other caregivers to Worcester, our future colleagues have a healthy stock of homes to choose from. An inade- quate stock puts employers in the region at a competitive disadvantage. At UMass Memorial, I wear two hats, and those com- ments came while I was wearing my CEO hat. My other hat is of a clinician. While it is true we want the best hous- ing possible for our caregivers, we want the same for our patients. Each day, we are acutely aware some patients and their families struggle to find affordable, safe and healthy housing. Our caregivers strongly believe affordable housing is a key factor for health, and without it, neither the indi- vidual nor the community can be healthy. A growing body of evidence clearly demonstrates the link between housing instability and poor health. Given this clear link, UMass Memorial is already deeply engaged in collaborative efforts to promote healthy, stable housing for patients. Our in-home asthma program partners with Worcester's Division of Public Health, Community Legal Aid and local community health centers to screen families for substan- dard housing conditions, such as code violations. We work collaboratively to address underlying problems impairing the health of children. In doing so, we have reduced emer- gency department visits, improved medication adherence and reduced student absenteeism. Our new program, an Anchor Mission, addresses social factors like housing and workforce to foster a healthy and economically vibrant community, focusing on the under- served. Health, housing and workforce all go hand in hand. We commend Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito for prioritizing the issue of housing instability. Kudos as well to City Manager Edward Augustus, Mayor Joe Petty, the City Council and our legislative delegation for focusing on housing and homelessness. In this great renaissance for Worcester, it is vitally important her communities share in the socioeconomic benefits. is is a tremendous opportu- nity for Worcester to lead the way as a shining example of civic commitment to affordable housing for its residents. Eric W. Dickson, MD, is the president and CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care in Worcester. BY ERIC W. DICKSON, MD Special to the Worcester Business Journal Eric W. Dickson, MD Reactory, on the former Worcester State Hospital site and next to Science Park – promise to expand the region's capabilities in the important niche of manufacturing drugs for clinical trials. All this biotech success is a culmination of many factors and efforts: the medical school coming to Worcester, local leaders leveraging that engine, and the region being able to offer cost advantages to the growing biotech cluster in Greater Boston. So while we need to double down on expanding the life and health sciences sector here, we should look at what made this industry successful and how Central Massachusetts can plant the seeds in other up-and-coming sectors. Certainly with Becker College's expertising in video games and esports, coupled with MassDiGI being headquartered in the college's Worcester campus, the business community could attract more from that industry. Worcester County's long history in the manufacturing industry would make the region appear primed to take advantage of new developments in advanced manufacturing. Picking the right horse to ride can be based on a detailed assessment of trends and industry data, but when it comes down to making that horse a winner, there is an undeniable mix of luck and pluck. One of the cornerstones of Massachusetts' resilient economy is its diversity, and that principle holds true for our region. Sorting out which industry to help plant the seeds of growth with the public-private partnership model will be a critical step in the city and region's long-term economic growth. The Worcester Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Please send submissions to Brad Kane, editor, at bkane@wbjournal.com. A T H O U SA N D WO R D S B Y D O N L A N D G R E N W W

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