A Conversation with Barbara Atkinson

As the University of Kansas School of Medicine and School of Nursing move into their second centuries of health education, how is the Medical Center preparing physicians, nurses and technicians for the constantly changing field of health care?

Dean Karen Miller and I are committed to meeting the health care needs of Kansans by providing well-trained doctors, nurses and allied health professionals that will have dynamic and influential careers. 

We have redesigned the School of Medicine curriculum to better prepare students for the rigors of modern and future medicine by investing in technology as never before and designing education programs using an interdisciplinary, patient-centered model. The 21st century Jayhawk physician will be wired to the university, which should enable easier access to continuing medical education and collaboration between the School of Medicine and its graduates for years to come.

We successfully received accreditation for the maximum eight-year term. This milestone recognizes the progress made in the educational programs at the KU School of Medicine and the outstanding work of our faculty and students. We will build on these strengths in the years ahead.
The School of Nursing is graduating more students today than ever before. Not only has the number of students increased, so too have their skill sets. Our nurses are ready to provide outstanding care to their patients thanks to programs such as the novel SEEDS technology program, in which students actively engage the health care information technology systems they will encounter in practice, and through new academic paths such as the Clinical Nurse Leader Program, a masters offering that prepares nurses to functions as a clinician and provides individualized, evidence-based, highly effective care to patients and families in identified settings.
KUMC has the only allied health professions school in the state of Kansas, but with more than 20 different academic programs available is also one of the largest schools of allied health sciences in the United States.  In addition to producing skilled professional in highly needed areas such as occupational therapists and dieticians, the School of Allied Health's Clinical Laboratory Sciences programs will help drive Kansas' life science industry.

Both the state of Kansas and the Kansas City region have identified the life sciences as the focus of their 21st century economies, where does the Medical Center fit into these efforts?

 KUMC will have a very important role in establishing the state of Kansas and the Kansas City metropolitan area as top life sciences centers, and will do so through a number of means which have been outlined by the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation's Blue Ribbon Task Force. 
Our faculty's research is expected to drive the region's life science industries and we are committed to becoming one of the top 25 medical centers in basic life sciences and one of the top 50 in research and development.

Our aspirations of fostering first-class clinical research and care will extend outward from our campus through partnerships with organizations, such as the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and Kansas City’s area hospitals.

We are well on our way to realizing our greatest potential, by successfully recruiting the best and brightest researchers and educators, in turn, allowing us to more effectively compete for federal and private funding.

Having a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center was acknowledged as a top community priority by the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, what does this mean for KUMC and the region?

We have set out to redefine how cancer is treated in our region and, in doing so, are determined to secure designation as a comprehensive cancer center from National Cancer Institute.

This initiative is about much more than pursuing a label, KUMC has resolved offer Kansans access to the latest cancer treatments and therapies. New treatments mean new hope to cancer patients and their families.

Under the direction of Dr. Roy Jensen, the KU Cancer Center is prepared to take its place as a pioneer in the journey toward ending cancer. The Cancer Center is particularly well poised to be a forerunner in research thanks to the presence of proven leaders such as Dr. Karen Kelly and Scott Weir, who are renowned for their work in cancer research and drug development.

While we have formed a winning team at the Medical Center, outside support is critical to attaining our goals. Thankfully we have strong allies in Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and the Kansas Legislature, who have appropriated $5 million in annual funding for the KU Cancer Center's advancement.

These intellectual and financial resources will not only lead to scientific breakthroughs in KUMC laboratories, but will allow us to be on the forefront of bringing that knowledge to the bedside in the form of more effective treatments.   

The Medical Center has also been expanding its physical resources, what impact will the new Biomedical Research Center have on the work being done here?

The $57.2-million Biomedical Research Center demonstrates the power of state dollars combined with public and private philanthropy monies to transform our life science research efforts.

Armed with the promise of new space and additional private support, we have been able to recruit 150 new faculty-scientists and clinicians during the last two years.  Faculty members moving into the Center bring $58 million in outside funding with them, which will significantly help to cover overhead costs.

With 205,000 square feet, the center will house 80 laboratories designed as neighborhoods to foster the study of proteomics, reproductive biology, liver function and neuroscience. The building is designed to share equipment in common areas, which encourages collaboration and avoids costly duplication.