Mizzou expands in Springfield, growing Missouri’s future physician workforce

June 24, 2026
Contact: Travis Zimpfer, [email protected]
Photos by Justin Kelley

The University of Missouri is strengthening the state's future health care workforce with a new Springfield facility that will help train more physicians to serve communities across southwest Missouri and beyond.

University leaders joined state and community officials today to celebrate the opening of the facility, which will become home to Mizzou's School of Medicine Springfield Campus and more than double the number of medical students the university trains in the area.

"Mizzou is proud to grow our presence in Springfield and to train even more world-class physicians who will impact the health and future of our rural communities," University of Missouri President Mun Choi said. "As Missouri's flagship, land-grant university, we are committed to preparing leaders who will build on the Springfield program's legacy of excellence to make a difference across the state."

Built on a decade of collaboration with CoxHealth and Mercy Springfield Communities, the expansion will allow students to complete all four years of medical school in Springfield beginning in 2027, creating a stronger pipeline of physicians for southwest Missouri.

The new 77,000-square-foot building, located at 3737 E. Battlefield Rd., was purchased by Mizzou in late 2025 for $10.3 million. The facility will house the regional medical campus, which will include classrooms, conference rooms and a simulation center. Renovations will begin this fall and are expected to be completed in June 2027, in time to welcome the inaugural class of first-year medical students.

The School of Medicine's Springfield Campus was established in 2016 as a clinical training site for third- and fourth-year students, many of whom have gone on to practice in Springfield and surrounding communities.

With the opening of the new facility on Battlefield Road, Mizzou's School of Medicine Springfield Campus will become a full four-year medical program. By 2030, the site is expected to have four classes of 32 students for a total enrollment of 128. Together with the Columbia campus, Mizzou's School of Medicine will enroll a total of 672 medical students.

"Expanding to a four-year campus reflects the University of Missouri's deep commitment to meeting the health care needs of Missourians by building a stronger physician workforce," said Richard J. Barohn, executive vice chancellor for health affairs and Hugh E. & Sarah D. Stephenson School of Medicine Dean. "We are investing not only in medical education, but in the health of our communities by preparing physicians who will live, work and serve where they are needed most."

Curriculum at the Springfield Campus will be comparable to what students receive at Mizzou, with faculty resources and an expanded simulation lab shared across both sites. University leaders have also established partnerships with Springfield-area colleges and universities to provide pathways to Mizzou's School of Medicine in Springfield with the goal of encouraging local students to pursue medical education close to home and to remain in the region after degree completion.

"Rural health care providers are vital to serving Missouri communities that are often under-resourced and overlooked," Todd Graves, chair of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, said. "We are grateful for the partnerships with CoxHealth and Mercy Springfield Communities and their support in our university's steadfast dedication to work for all Missourians."

The expansion's potential impact on the region's workforce is already evident to students training in Springfield. Fourth-year medical student Nicole Walker believes the new facility will encourage more graduates to remain in southwest Missouri after completing medical school and will create research and teaching opportunities in the area.

Walker chose Mizzou's Springfield Campus for her clinical training because of its supportive environment and opportunities for hands-on learning. Since arriving, she has assisted in surgeries, helped deliver babies, participated in patient rounds and developed mentoring relationships with faculty physicians.

"With every decision that I make and every obstacle that I face, I know there is an entire community of people who will do everything they can to help me succeed," she said. "I am very excited to see what the future holds with the expansion of the Springfield Campus."

MU School of Medicine