WOOD COUNTY, Texas — On Tuesday morning, a project that would help senior citizens with dementia or Alzheimer's disease was proposed for a second time to the Wood County Commissioner's Court.
The project, Memory Health Life Center, aims to house 54 seniors and give college students hands-on research and experience with those residents.
"Our philosophy on this wasn't looking as much at the economic growth or the employment opportunity as it is for the need for education and care for these folks," said Quitman Mayor Randy Dunn.
Dunn said this project has been presented to several organizations. It could also lead to collaborations with local health education systems like the University of Texas at Tyler's new School of Medicine. Which in itself will generate up to 18,000 new jobs in their system.
Tom Mullins, the division director for business development of UT Health East Texas, said their system plans to have strong ties with the proposed facility.
"We're going to be involved in everything from curriculum development to actually providing onsite staff and residential and intern experiences for students in the medical school," Mullins said.
Mullins said this facility isn’t just being created for Quitman or Wood County as its purpose is to serve all of East Texas. He believes it will become a model for the country in terms of innovative and cutting edge ways to treat memory loss diseases.
Renderings presented at the commissioner’s court show a complex that is designed to use techniques to preserve memory through environment, diet, exercise and sleep. The campus aims to be constructed adjacent to the UT Health Quitman Hospital.
"We have the oldest on average age, the oldest population in Texas," Mullins said. "The largest group of people 65 and over in the state so we know what's coming at us. The sooner we can get a facility like this up and running the better it is for people who will need those services."
The Memory Health Life Center is projected to cost $50 million to construct. Dunn said they do have local funding coming into this project, and added they are aiming to reach enough funds locally and then garner help from state and federal funding.