GULFPORT - State legislators favor a teaching hospital in South Mississippi, but they're concerned about the need for it as well as the cost.

The gap widens between the inspiration and the reality for a proposed joint venture between the University of Southern Mississippi and the Veterans Affairs hospital in Gulfport since the announcement was made Tuesday.

"I'm not opposed to looking at it," said Rep. Herb Frierson, R-Poplarville. "The main thing we have to do is determine the feasibility of it, what it would cost and how we would pay for it. Those three things have to be determined first."

During a Veterans Day ceremony Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor proposed creating a teaching hospital and possibly a USM medical school at the veterans hospital in Gulfport, which he believes would prevent the closing of the 92-acre campus on the Mississippi Sound.

An efficiency commission will meet in December and recommend whether to leave the hospital alone or move patients to Biloxi.

Taylor said his proposal has drawn enthusiastic support. He plans a meeting with Coast state legislators.

"One thing that changes that equation is linking with the VA. That helps with the bottom line," Taylor said.

Veterans Affairs has not endorsed the idea of a teaching hospital at a facility that might close and move almost 200 patients and 420 employees to Biloxi.

"If we move off the grounds, it could be used as a medical school. If we don't move off the grounds, there's no room," said Chris Alexander, Veterans Affairs spokesman, who added that the VA could lease the property to USM.

"The medical school, that's an issue for (USM President Shelby) Thames and Mr. Taylor to address," Alexander said.

Ole Miss operates the state's only medical school in Jackson, and members of the state College Board said they aren't inclined to open another. About half of the board's budget goes to the medical school. Board members believe the state would have to fund all or part of a new medical school, despite hints that the federal government would pay for it.

"Frankly, a second medical school in Mississippi when we're trying to fund eight universities and a medical school already isn't feasible," College Board member Virginia Shanteau Newton said.

The plans for a teaching hospital or a medical school have not been presented to the College Board.

"I hate to rain on anyone's parade because I think it would be fabulous," said Sen. Debra Dawkins, D-Pass Christian. "But the demand is just not there. It's not workable at this point.

"It's kind of like moving the railroad," she said. "We all want to do it, and we all want the federal government to pay for it, but it's probably not going to happen because we don't have the money."

USM officials, however, say they could begin classes at the hospital with no new funding, although they would look for state and federal funds to expand.

"We'll begin with the resources we have," said Angeline Dvorak, USM vice president for research and economic development.

USM has five teaching sites in South Mississippi and the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Dvorak said USM has studied models of other teaching hospitals that could be applied to the Gulfport veterans hospital.

"Our No. 1 goal will be serving the patients of the VA hospital," said Dvorak. "An additional teaching site is one of the things USM has done and does really well."