SOMnews / The Buzz

What’s on my mind this month is the health status of citizens in our state and how we are taking a lead role in introducing initiatives to help improve the health and well-being of the people of Maryland.

As Marylanders, we have an interesting paradox. On one hand, our state is among the nation’s leaders in several important measures. Maryland has the fourth-highest per capita income in the U.S. We rank third in the nation in median household income. Maryland is home to the world’s premiere biomedical research institute, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, as well as some of the nation’s top hospitals and two top-tier medical schools.

What’s on my mind this month is our partnerships with the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and the Veterans Affairs (VA) Maryland Health Care System—and how these partnerships reflect the full alignment of our academic health center (AHC). From the School of Medicine (SOM), to Faculty Physicians Inc. (FPI), to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and the Baltimore VA Medical Center, we are working together better than ever.

What’s on my mind this month is the School of Medicine’s Class of 2012 and their extraordinary achievements, which we celebrated last month in a wonderful convocation ceremony at the Baltimore Hilton. One-hundred fifty-two students took the solemn Oath of Hippocrates, signifying their commitment to the ancient tradition of healing, and pledging to serve humanity. This oath has stood the test of time, and represents the gold standard of moral and ethical behavior to which all physicians are bound.

What’s on my mind this month is our unwavering commitment to cancer care and our dedication to expand fundamental research that will drive the discovery of future treatments and cures. Our comprehensive cancer program is world-class, recognized for its scientific excellence and outstanding patient care. We have some of the best scientific minds working to unravel the mysteries of cancer, and we continue to recruit the best and brightest faculty in order to have the greatest possible impact. It is important that we continue to invest heavily in cancer care and research because the return on investment (ROI) is so extraordinary.

What’s on my mind this month are our youngest and most vulnerable patients, their families, and the extraordinary care they receive at the University of Maryland. Our new fetal medicine and pediatrics programs are tackling the most complex conditions, and providing families with hope where there was little chance for survival only a generation ago. Our very accomplished faculty places us at the very forefront of women and children’s care. These programs were featured in a remarkable video by Medschool Maryland Productions, which was shown at the 2012 Fund for Medicine Gala: Building Beyond Tomorrow.

What’s on my mind this month is a series of bold innovative initiatives that have been proposed to reduce and eliminate health disparities in Maryland. The recommendations come from a 13-member Health Disparities Workgroup that I chaired at the request of Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown. The workgroup is a diverse panel of experts in health disparities, physicians and scientists, and leaders in public health, government and business.

What’s on my mind this month is the vital support we receive from the Maryland General Assembly.Last month, a delegation of medical students and faculty members traveled with me to Annapolis to express thanks for that support and to communicate our hopes and priorities for the current legislative session. We met one-on-one with key lawmakers to explain how continued legislative support will allow the School of Medicine to continue its growth as a top-tier research institution, healthcare provider, and educator for Maryland’s workforce of physicians and allied health professionals.