FEBRUARY 2005
Volume 29 • No. 2

'State of the School' addressed

Dean Philip A. Pizzo has summarized recent accomplishments and offered a preview of planned new programs in a "State of the School" message published in his Jan. 10 e-newsletter.

A full text of the message, which discusses clinical, research and educational accomplishments and visions, is available online at: http://med.stanford.edu/dean/state_of_school/

Among details highlighted in the dean's message is a draft plan, reviewed in Fall 2004 by the Medical Center Committee of the Board of Trustees, which outlines the route that Stanford Medical Center's three distinct entities might follow to achieve their overarching goal of excellence in teaching, research and patient care.

An Integrated Clinical Plan for the Stanford University Medical Center was prepared by Martha Marsh, president and CEO of SHC; Chris Dawes, president and CEO of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital; and Pizzo.

In his Oct. 18 e-newsletter, Pizzo explained that the draft plan is based on the assumption that SUMC must remain true to its academic mission while adapting a flexible and sustainable business model in a rapidly changing healthcare environment.

The report notes that the two clinical entities - SHC and LPCH - are distinct provider organizations that must develop their own strategic plans within the overall teaching, research and patient care mission. Pizzo noted that the School of Medicine's annual clinical expenditures and strategic investments include the physician, staff, and infrastructure costs associated with the adult ambulatory practice as well as the research and development costs of clinical innovation critical to the success of the hospitals.

The dean said space limitations and faculty size offer challenges to all three entities that must be addressed strategically in the coming years.

"Our overarching goal in this strategic planning effort has been to create an exciting, robust and unique plan that truly differentiates Stanford from other healthcare providers, as well as other academic medical centers," the dean wrote on Jan. 10. "Key to this plan is the recognition of Stanford's unique attributes. These include great strength in basic research, biosciences graduate education and postdoctoral training, a reputation for clinical innovation and discovery, successes in translating new research findings into healthcare improvements for adults and children, and a commitment to the continued delivery of outstanding patient care and clinical service."

-From Dean Philip A Pizzo's Dean Newsletter of Jan. 10 & Oct. 15. To access issue of a current the e-newsletter with links to its archives, go to: http://deansnewsletter.stanford.edu