A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to appropriate funds to construct the north carolina cardiovascular diseases institute at east carolina university.
Whereas, the State of North Carolina has one of the highest incidences of advanced cardiovascular disease in the nation, killing one in four North Carolinians yearly; and 
Whereas, in North Carolina cardiovascular diseases lead hospital admissions and in the years 1995 and 1996 alone resulted in over 304,000 inpatient admissions with parallel associated costs exceeding over four billion dollars; and
Whereas, this State has the fifteenth highest death rate from cardiac illnesses in the country and the fourth highest death rate from stroke in the United States; and
Whereas, the 29 counties of Eastern North Carolina are plagued by a multiplier of the average death rate because of limited access to clinical care, inadequate diagnostic outreach, a paucity of new technology and lagging prevention methods; and
Whereas, working together through the University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and Pitt County Memorial Hospital have become the major resources for treatment, education, and research for these costly diseases and in recent years have extended services and programs to the entire State; and
Whereas, there is both a desire and a need to expand the clinical and basic research efforts at the Brody School of Medicine, clinical, as well as education and training through a new multidisciplinary, internationally recognized cardiovascular disease institute that would serve all citizens of the State; and
Whereas, the broad areas of focus of this expanded clinical and research effort would include heart and vascular disease, hypertension, and stroke, as well as developing new technologies in surgery and medicine; and 
Whereas, this effort would be comprised of two structural components:  a cardiovascular clinical research and education center and a basic science research center; and 
Whereas, an integrative approach would be used that would effectively integrate cardiovascular service lines; and
Whereas, these centers would also house a central cardiovascular data center that would be a repository for all images, diagnostic and medical records, and hemodynamic demographic data related to the hospital and center; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of sixty million dollars ($60,000,000) for the 2004‑2005 fiscal year to construct the North Carolina Cardiovascular Diseases Institute at East Carolina University.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2004.