After Five Years, the Journey Continues
Good morning!
As I was composing this column for today, it dawned on me that this is the fifth anniversary – to the exact day – of my very first VC Notes at the end of my very first week as vice chancellor. Goodness, how five years and 260 Friday columns have flown by!
The title of that first column was “The Journey Begins.” And what a wonderful and fascinating journey it’s been.
As I reflect back on these five years, I’m so grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to lead this institution, to see it improve and grow, and to be associated with a group of exceptional people who are working to make Mississippi and our world better.
I made this short list of what I consider to be some of the top things we’ve accomplished during this time, the things I’m most proud of. Here they are, in no particular order:
I’m proud of the progress we’ve made on our journey to improving clinical quality and becoming a high-reliability organization. This has been a methodical, deliberate building process that has been going on for five years now, and we’ve made so much progress during that time. The data prove it. As Dr. Michael Henderson says, this is the right thing to do for our patients, our reputation and our bottom line.
I’m proud of the new medical education building, the translational research building and the expansion of our children’s facilities. The medical school building turned out to be everything we imagined and allowed us to grow our class size. The translational research center provides much needed additional modern research space. And when they open next fall, the expanded children’s hospital and clinics give every indication of being a spectacular new resource for our youngest patients and families. These additions to our campus represent tangible growth in all three missions.
I’m proud of the 5,489 UMMC health professionals and scientists who have graduated since 2015 (including the cohort slated for Commencement less than three months from now). They are the future of health care in Mississippi, and their commitment and fresh ideas are changing it for the better.
I’m proud that we have made huge strides in growing our clinical research capabilities to complement our already strong basic science research. We’ve brought new resources and infrastructure online and established new capabilities to conduct outpatient and inpatient clinical trials. Much of this development has occurred through our growing collaboration with the Mayo Clinic.
I’m proud that despite all the challenges we’ve faced – volatile reimbursement, high fixed overhead costs, state funding cuts and leadership changes (three chancellors and two interims in five years) - we have advanced all three of UMMC’s mission areas in a very positive manner. We have faced very tough financial challenges, yet we have persevered. People have pulled together and not apart.
I’m proud that whether it is a tornado, a water outage or a new virus outbreak, people all across the state look to us for leadership and expertise. We do not fail to step up when Mississippi needs us most. That’s a testament to your confidence and commitment to go above and beyond whatever the situation demands.
Yes, we have plenty of challenges on the horizon. We need: to continue to make business and operational improvements; additional operating room and bed capacity; a comprehensive cancer center and a new adult ambulatory clinic; new academic buildings; new boilers and generators; a better payor mix and payor rates. Above all, I’m committed to investing more in our greatest resource – our people – including paying market wages and providing more career development opportunities.
Taken all at once, this list can be daunting. In my day-to-day activities, I strive to remember to do three things: Proceed with courage, be slow to take offense, and assume good intentions. And I think constantly about keeping my eye on the end point so the daily trials don’t discourage me.
Finally, I am proud of all of you who share this journey with me. Every day I sense an eagerness, a readiness and the courage of those around me to take on these tough issues and continue our common quest for A Healthier Mississippi.
