Phase Two: Goal and Strategy Formulation

Phase Two centered on goal and strategy formulation and gathering input from a larger set of UMMC and community stakeholders. A planning retreat involving more than 80 participants was held to allow for broad input, generate excitement and ensure an inclusive process.

The retreat was highly interactive, using polling sessions to garner participant input and define strategic direction. The retreat produced a clear understanding of stakeholders' opinions on future opportunities and threats, their comfort level with the data analyses as a basis for planning, and their overall satisfaction or concerns with the planning process.

Phase Two also included the establishment of workgroups to facilitate a more detailed discussion around critical strategic issues. After the retreat, the greatest divergence of opinion centered on three areas: network development, the care continuum and mission alignment. The workgroups were tasked with discussing these issues in greater detail and developing innovative strategies that could be incorporated into the overall process.

Guiding principles

Several themes emerged out of the first two phases of planning that began to frame the broad outlines of the plan. These six core themes became the guiding principles for the organization and served as boundaries for development of goals and strategies. These principles were reviewed and accepted by the Steering Committee and retreat participants before launching into the next phase of the plan.

• Principle #1: Adapt the Academic Vision
  Expansion of educational programs across all the schools and the development of a new medical school education building have already been approved; we need to focus on how to adapt curricula to the changing care paradigm, while meeting the workforce needs of the state.
• Principle #2: Transform the Research Enterprise
  Traditional funding for research continues to be flat, pressuring UMMC's historical emphasis on basic science/wet lab research; the research focus needs to expand towards clinical and translational research to leverage opportunities provided by the state’s distinctive population. The institution must also maximize recent investments, while continuing to emphasize research productivity.
• Principle #3: Advance the Clinical Mission
  UMMC has grown market share and enhanced its reputation significantly as it has solidified its position as the dominant provider of advanced services in metro Jackson. UMMC will need to continue to emphasize its core competency in high-complexity acute care, while developing different care models to improve the health of Mississippians.
• Principle #4: Articulate the Network Strategy
  As the health care paradigm shifts, UMMC will have opportunities to expand its reach across the state. UMMC must determine how broadly it wishes to define its responsibility for care delivery across the state, while it supports existing providers to ensure care is available locally.
• Principle #5: Align Across Missions
  There are opportunities to improve alignment across the three missions at UMMC. There will be a greater reliance on clinical margin to fund all three missions, while incentives must be aligned to ensure advances in each mission area are leveraged for the benefit of the entire institution.
• Principle #6: Demonstrate Institutional Effectiveness
  Opportunities exist to remove institutional operational and infrastructure barriers to allow for more effective fulfillment of the tripartite mission.