Medical Center, School of Medicine lay out plan for the next decade

The Medical Center, School of Medicine and Health Services Foundation have kicked off a joint planning process, the Decade Plan. Its vision is to have the Health System and medical school achieve “top institution” status by the end of the decade.

The Steering Committee, co-chaired by Arthur Garson, vice president and dean of the School of Medicine, and R. Edward Howell, vice president and CEO of the Medical Center, used its first meeting to discuss goals and timelines.

Garson asked the co-chairs of the five teams to focus on no more than five questions and to develop answers for those questions, with timelines and accountabilities for how the work will get done.

An interim update for the clinical and basic science chairs, as well as the leadership of the Medical Center and the Health Services Foundation, is planned next month. This session will seek input for integration into the plans. A second retreat is planned for spring 2003, where final input will be sought before the plan is presented to the Medical Center Operating Board and Board of Visitors for approval.

The five teams are: • The Patient Care Team, co-chaired by George Beller, M.D., and William Steers, M.D.; • The Research Team, co-chaired by Erik Hewlett, M.D., and Gary Owens, Ph.D.; • The Education Team, co-chaired by Donald Innes, M.D., and Thomas Massaro, M.D., Ph.D.; • The Cross-Mission Team, co-chaired by David Brautigan, Ph.D., and Munsey Wheby, M.D.; and • The Community Service Team, co-chaired by Claudette Dalton, M.D., and Karen Rheuban, M.D.