Illinois Medicine

dean's message T HIS NOTE IS BITTERSWEET FOR ME, because it is my last as dean of the College of Medicine. As you may know already, I have decided to retire from the University of Illinois at Chicago following this year's College of Medicine commencement. I leave the leadership of the college in the very capable hands of Dimitri Azar, MD, head of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, who will serve as interim dean while a search for a new dean takes place. I leave with both fond mourning at the parting of ways and a great sense of satisfaction and gratitude at what we have accomplished together. I have spent more than 40 years here as a medical student, resident, faculty member and dean. It has been an endlessly rewarding experience, and I am extremely grateful to my own professors and to the administration, faculty, staff, students and supporters of the college and the university during my time here. All of you have enriched my life and helped make the College of Medicine the outstanding institution it is today. I have unlimited love for and pride in this college and this university. This place truly exemplifies what an urban public university and medical school should be, by making educational opportunity and excellent health care available to all people and pursuing research that will lead to improvements in medical treatment and health. This commitment is reflected in the Campus News section of this issue, where you can read about advances such as the creation of the college's new Center for Global Health, the expansion of the family medicine residency program and a research initiative to bring obesity prevention strategies to at-risk families. I am proud that during my time as dean, Illinois Medicine has emerged as a leader in a number of cutting-edge fields of medicine, including robotic surgery and patient safety. Innovative new partnerships and approaches will be necessary for Illinois Medicine to continue to thrive in the face of the economic pressures on health care. We are also meeting these challenges in part by restructuring our clinical endeavors and better integrating them with our teaching and research missions. In the cover story of this issue, you can read more about this effort, which is under the leadership of Joe G.N. "Skip" Garcia, MD, the University of Illinois' new vice president for health affairs. Please join me in wishing him well in this important role. The new dean will face some major undertakings. As I have previously told you, in the coming years, the college will be revising its curriculum to incorporate more small group, case-based learning, and we will be renovating the College of Medicine building to enhance this change by including more small group areas and student meeting spaces. We also need to offset the high cost of medical school with increased scholarship assistance for our students. We will need the help of our alumni and friends to achieve these goals, and I hope we can count on you to continue the support for the college that you provided during my time as dean. Future students like recent graduate Caroline Novak, profiled in this issue, will be forever grateful for your generosity. Although I am leaving, my heart will remain with the college, and I will continue paying close attention to its continued development. I have nothing but the best feelings and hopes for the College of Medicine. I have had an absolutely magnificent time here, and I thank you again for being part of it with me. Joseph A. Flaherty '68, MD '71, Res '75 Dean, University of Illinois College of Medicine I L L INOI S MEDICINE | 1

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