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June 2017
Weill Cornell Medicine aspires to attain the highest levels of excellence in clinical medicine, biomedical research, and education. Unparalleled growth over the past two decades has brought us to a point where our ability to improve health is greater than ever before. With a clear mission and strong core values, we are poised to build on our rich legacy and launch another decade of advances.
As a community, our shared commitment to care, discover, and teach invigorates our efforts:
Today Weill Cornell Medicine has an unprecedented opportunity to increase momentum and accelerate growth across our mission. We are a triple threat and are set to become one of the leading institutions in academic medicine nationwide.
Since being appointed dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, my first priority has been to convene our entire community to shape a collective vision for our future. For the past several months, I have met extensively with senior administration at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University, members of our Board of Fellows, and leadership of NewYork-Presbyterian and partner institutions. I have visited each of our academic departments, centers, and institutes to engage with faculty clinicians, researchers, and educators. Students, trainees, and faculty representing different constituencies have also reached out to introduce themselves. To gain the broadest and most comprehensive sense of the issues facing our community, I additionally held a Town Hall meeting open to all.
Weill Cornell Medicine is in the midst of transformational changes, fueled by three previous strategic plans aimed at various components of our mission ("New Horizons for Medicine" 1993-1999, "Advancing the Clinical Mission" 2001-2005, "Discoveries That Make a Difference" 2006-2013). As a result, we have a solid foundation from which to leverage our traditional strengths in clinical care and education, combined with steadily increasing capacity in research.
Like other academic medical institutions in the US, we face complex challenges, including spiraling healthcare costs, reduced reimbursements, increasing hospital consolidations, and a sustained low payline for research grants from the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies. These difficulties are compounded in our current political environment and heightened in the unique competitive market of New York City. Surrounded by three other academic medical centers in Manhattan plus additional medical schools in the New York metropolitan area, Weill Cornell Medicine is situated within the most fiercely contested geographic area in academic medicine, unmatched by any major city in the US.
Integration and innovation are key to meeting these challenges head on.
Weill Cornell Medicine must continue to grow - not just for the sake of growth, but in a directed and targeted manner. Our strategy for continued growth must ensure that we are able to increase market share in an era of healthcare consolidation, compete with peer institutions in attracting the best students and faculty, and have the capability to bring scientific discoveries swiftly to the clinic. We must also continue to focus on increasing our research portfolio and make funded research one of our highest priorities.
This course will require unity of purpose and greater efficiency across our medical school, graduate school, and physician organization. A blended mission and a commitment to excellence and innovation will guide our course for the future.
Within the overarching framework of integration and innovation, major priorities for Weill Cornell Medicine include:
Weill Cornell Medicine's greatest resources are the people who make up our community--the students, trainees, faculty, and staff who propel us forward. Since my first days on campus, I have found this environment to be one of the most collegial and collaborative I have ever experienced. Now as dean of this great institution, I want to affirm my commitment to transparency, inclusiveness, and consensus building. Through teamwork and collaboration, we will be able to meet our challenges and successfully execute our plans.
Weill Cornell Medicine's mission and vision statements will serve as the guiding principles for our next strategic plan. This plan will incorporate diverse stakeholders across our institution, including faculty leadership and members of our Board of Fellows. The first step will be a strategic planning retreat involving department chairs, institute and center directors, and senior administration to take place in mid-June. We will keep you informed throughout the strategic planning process. Our goal is to build on our longstanding traditions and culture, while adapting to the changing and dynamic world of academic medicine as it emerges in New York City in the 21st century.