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Despite the economy, University of Missouri payroll is up about $15 million more than last year and employment is also up by more than 400.

But that's because of expansion in the School of Medicine, which has opened the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute, revamped Columbia Regional Hospital and absorbed the Mid-Missouri Mental Health Center.

The expansion of facilities has resulted in higher patient counts and more hiring of professionals who are some of the highest-paid people at the university.

Since physicians and medical staff are paid outside the system, taxpayers and students aren't paying for them.