Fall/Winter 2006 - University of Rochester Medical Center

The Emergency Department at Strong
Memorial Hospital is under review
for possible expansion and operational
changes.
What will be done to deal with the
impact of cuts in the growth of the
NIH budget
We are in the process of expanding our
bridge funding program. This funding
will provide support for investigators
who have experienced lapses in funding.
We will have a program and a mechanism
in place by December 1 for people
to apply for funds to continue their
research programs. The goal is to keep
good scientists and their labs here.
You also have named the emergency
department as an area that you want to
address quickly. What will happen there
We are hard at work on the E.D.
A consultant has given us a report with
50 key items that we can change. We
will be creating additional beds for
patients who have to board in the E.D.
We realize we have a nursing shortage
in the E.D. and we’ll address that. We’re
looking at more efficient registration
and better ways to handle non-acute
patients. We are putting together a
comprehensive plan to address several
elements that have resulted in long
waiting times and a less than satisfying
experience for patients, faculty and staff.
In one year or five years, how will you
determine whether you have gotten to
where you want to be
Some of the metrics we will use would be
the U.S.News & World Report rankings,
NIH rankings, faculty awards and honors,
the number of people in the National
Academy of Science and Institute of
Medicine. We also will monitor the quality
of care that we provide within our hospital
and patient and employee satisfaction.
Finally, our ability to deliver new technology
is a key measure.
Why have you decided to keep your clinical
practice
I think it’s very important to see patients.
That’s who I am. I’m a clinician-scientist.
I will not see patients in the hospital for
a while. I used to do six to eight weeks of
service in the hospital and I’m not doing
that now. However, I have a strong relationship
with my ambulatory patients. They
see me as their doctor and it would be hard
for me to stop seeing them and taking care
of them.
What do you want from alumni
I will seek their support and enthusiasm.
We have alumni across the country.
I expect them to support the hospitals
where they practice, teach and conduct
research. But I also know our alumni are
loyal to Rochester, where they received
their education and training. My goal is
to convince them that giving philanthropically
to programs at the Medical
Center is a best use of their money.
What is the biggest hurdle you face
Time. Our biggest problem now is we
have outgrown our facilities. Hospital
occupancy is at 100 percent and research
space is 100 percent full. We need to
build facilities, and that takes time.
How do you view the future of the
Medical Center
I would stress the opportunities. We
have huge opportunities with the River
Campus. Our new president, Joel
Seligman, is a very energetic individual
who will partner with me to develop
many joint programs. We have a terrific
hospital, outstanding faculty and superb
students. The real danger is not to take
advantage of the opportunities. From my
perspective, in eight years we’ve made
sensational progress and I see even
greater progress ahead.
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ROCHESTER MEDICINE