Last week U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis visited our campus to announce a national program designed to retrain workers for careers in health care fields. Our country’s health care system has many moving parts, and workforce issues are only one piece of the larger puzzle. As national efforts surrounding health care reform continue to make headlines, it is critical that our leaders in Washington recognize the importance of overall reform. I think we can all agree that with rising costs for health care and insurance, the status quo for the system is unsustainable as we move forward. 

The day after Secretary Solis came to town, KU Medical Center, KU Hospital and KUPI broke ground on our new $73 million, six-story office building. The 207,500-square-foot building, set for completion in early 2011, will consolidate a host of clinics previously housed in various parts of the campus. The groundbreaking was the culmination of many years of work, and it was extremely gratifying to see all the planning and effort finally come to fruition.

I think the groundbreaking also sends an important message to our community and our state that KUMC is a vibrant and growing institution. There’s no denying that the past year has been a challenging one for all of us. We have experienced deep budget cuts and have had to make significant reductions in staff and programs. But it’s critical to remember that we have the same mission and goals.

We have made tremendous strides over the past several years and, despite the fact we have had to tighten our belts during these difficult budget times, I truly believe we are going to continue to move forward and achieve our goals.  I hope you share my optimism that our best days are ahead of us.

Research

The University of Kansas Cancer Center and the Cancer Center of Kansas have opened a Phase 1 clinical trial for Nanotax in Wichita. This is the first Phase I clinical trial discovered, developed and delivered by The University of Kansas Cancer Center, which is a critical component of achieving National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. “Our mission is to ensure everyone across the state has access to cutting-edge clinical trials no matter where they live,” said Roy A. Jensen, MD, director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center. Read more.

Other Items of Interest

On Tuesday, I had an opportunity to testify before the Legislative Educational Planning Committee in Topeka. In my testimony, I was able to explain to lawmakers the impact that state budget cuts have had on KU and KUMC and how higher education would be hurt by further funding cuts. You can read my prepared testimony before the committee here.

The University of Kansas Institute for Advancing Medical Innovation has announced the appointment of its inaugural advisory board of directors, each of whom is renowned in his respective fields. Scott Weir, PharmD, PhD, is the the Institute's director. Learn more about the advisory board.