Here is a Hartford Courant editorial published Nov. 16, the morning after the Hartford HealthCare Bone & Joint Institute at Hartford Hospital ribbon-cutting ceremony:

Hartford Hospital’s new Bone & Joint Institute is a big investment in the vitality of Connecticut’s capital. Medical centers are economic engines for cities, and Hartford Hospital is to be applauded for revving its city’s engine.

The $150 million institute, which opened Tuesday, aims to be a national center for orthopedic surgery. Its success rests on the knees and hips of baby boomers, who are increasingly seeking out joint replacement surgery. With 30 surgeons, 48 private rooms and immediate access to the resources of Hartford Hospital, the institute should have no trouble drawing patients. It will also focus on rehabilitation and research.

Hartford Hospital has grand plans for its campus, which it hopes will grow to encompass its academic corridor along Jefferson Street as well as the nearby Institute of Living. It could be world-class if those plans come to fruition, and the new institute would be a key component.

Economists have celebrated the possibilities for urban growth and development spurred by “eds and meds,” or education and medical institutions. They offer stable jobs at good salaries and make quality-of-life contributions to their surroundings.

Hartford has had a good dose of them in recent years, led by the ongoing construction of a University of Connecticut branch in the old Hartford Times building, along with the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy and Trinity College’s plans to open a branch on Constitution Plaza.

Add those to the list of recent development in the city — new apartments in the 777 Main building; the conversion of the old Capitol Office Supply building into Capitol Lofts; new grocery stores; the proposed Bushnell Square development; yes, that baseball stadium — and it looks like the tide is rising in Hartford.

Hartford Hospital, despite an onerous state tax burden, is putting its money into its hometown. The state should do the same.