Throughout our school’s history we have made discoveries that redefined health care and public health for people and communities across our great state and beyond. This success required multiple evolutions, moments when the school community came together to chart its future.
Today we stand at another crossroads. In a time of rapid change in biomedical science, health care and higher education, we need a clear roadmap for where we will focus our energy and resources. Leadership, clarity of purpose and the ambition to advance health care and public health matter now more than ever.
Making a bold impact on health
To guide us in our current moment, together we have developed and launched our new strategic plan, which will inspire the next chapter in the story of our University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. This plan reflects the great school we are today, the even more effective and influential school we can become and the positive impact we will make.
By thinking boldly we can continue to do what we do best: Transform lives for the better. Our goal is to position SMPH among the nation’s leading academic medical centers, translating innovative discoveries into better health and preparing the next generation of clinicians, scientists and public health leaders.
Our plan’s Priority Areas and Enablers each have goals designed to help us progress in areas of need. As we move forward, specific initiatives will intentionally focus on areas where we are best poised for growth. For example, we may concentrate support on a particular area of research that we believe can benefit our entire school. This means we will invest in the success of all aspects of this area: not only faculty but the staff scientists, administrators and trainees who power that work, in addition to infrastructure.
Our success will be measured not simply by activity but by outcomes and impact. Over the coming years we will establish clear benchmarks for research excellence, educational innovation, clinical impact, workforce development and community engagement. We will report progress transparently and continue to engage faculty, staff, learners and partners in shaping our path forward.
What our school needs from you
Above all, people remain at the center of our future. The success of our plan rests with each of us seeing our individual contributions as part of something larger than any one department, program, team or role. It asks us to collaborate, focus and embrace change and new ways of working. I encourage you to read the plan, discuss it with your colleagues and consider how your work can contribute to our shared priorities.
Thank you for the energy and support I know you will bring to our school’s next chapter. Let us be grounded in a simple belief: we can do even more for people and communities across Wisconsin and beyond when we combine, focus and amplify our strengths and embody our mission.
