One reason that the University is able to offer this high standard of care is that our medical staff is constantly developing, evaluating, and adopting new procedures that show the most promise. For example, U.Va. cardiologists are heading studies to evaluate new treatment for atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat. U.Va. oncologists are also leading clinical trials of a vaccine for melanoma. Other clinical trials focus on determining if breast cancer patients are good candidates for sentinel node biopsies, a much less invasive alternative to traditional lymph node surgery. And researchers are exploring the possibility of creating "edible vaccines" to be grown in vegetables for fighting diseases around the world.

In our clinics, U.Va. radiologists now use a new, minimally invasive technique, uterine fibroid embolization, to treat many cases of benign tumors in the uterus. In the past, a hysterectomy was the treatment of choice. They are also proponents of a new surgical procedure using laparoscopy to relieve debilitating chronic heartburn. Previous methods required a long incision in the abdomen, resulting in a lengthy recovery time.

In addition, the University has invested in modern facilities to fuel the innovations that continue to benefit our patients and make world-class medicine possible. The Motion Analysis Lab, used for treating patients with cerebral palsy and musculoskeletal disorders, is one of the best-equipped centers of its kind in the United States. Its computers record a patient's walking pattern through six high-speed video cameras. Floor-mounted force plates measure pressure from different parts of the foot, and reflective markers hooked to electrodes are taped to the patient. The resulting computer screen image looks like a three-dimensional skeleton walking on graph paper.

Maintaining this kind of innovation and high quality of care across the entire U.Va. Health System is challenging. The University, like medical centers nationally, must find ways to compensate for the rising costs of providing health care and drugs and the declining rate of federal reimbursements. Thanks to better management practices, the Medical Center has been able to cut costs and improve operating margins, placing it in the top 10 percent of academic medical centers nationwide. At the same time, it has devoted $1 million for professional development and training and received authorization from the Board of Visitors to spend up to $4 million to hire and retain critical personnel.