There are many ways for an academic medical center to measure its success. You can look at the funding dollars your researchers are attracting each year. You can track the patient satisfaction rates for your clinical care. Or you can point to a healthy endowment.
But when you’re an academic medical school, I think one of the most critical measures of success is how satisfied your students are in the medical education they are receiving.
KU Medical Center has conducted a student satisfaction survey of undergraduates, graduates and medical students since 1993. There have been years – particularly in the mid-1990s – when a significant percentage of our students gave us sub-par ratings in some very key areas. KUMC has listened to the feedback it received from students in those early surveys and worked hard to address areas that needed attention.
I’m pleased to report that in the past several years, the student attitudes toward KU Medical Center have been on the rise. In our latest survey, conducted in 2009, we had some of our highest satisfaction rates ever from students.
Areas with a high level of student satisfaction last year included:
* More than 90 percent of students surveyed said the environment at KUMC was friendly and supportive of students (compared to 72 percent in the 1998 survey).
* Nearly 89 percent said KUMC has a positive image in our community (compared to 56 percent in 1998).
* Almost 87 percent of those surveyed said they felt a sense of pride being part of KUMC (compared to 63 percent in 1998).
While the faculty and staff can be proud of the progress we have made in when it comes to student satisfaction, there are still areas where improvement can be made, and we are constantly searching for ways to do just that. But in the meantime, we can celebrate the fact that the vast majority of our medical, nursing and allied health students are very pleased with their educational experience at KU Medical Center.
KU School of Medicine-Wichita students Kyle Goerl (family medicine) and Danae Doubek (pediatrics), who will be married in late April, were thrilled to open their Match Day envelopes on March 18th. They found out they will both serve their residencies at the University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals. “It worked out well because Danae wanted to train at a larger children's hospital, and I wanted to train in a smaller community program,” said Kyle. “But we are so excited to return to Kansas someday to raise a family and work in a rural or underserved location.”
In the News
The big news story this week has been the passage of sweeping federal health care reform legislation. Marcia Nielsen, PhD, MPH, Vice Chancellor for Public Policy and Planning, was interviewed by a number of media outlets when the health care bill passed on Sunday night. Dr. Nielsen had an op-ed editorial in the Kansas City Star on the Saturday before the House vote on the health care measure, which you can read here. She was also interviewed by the Kansas City Star for an article the day after the bill's passage. And Dr. Nielsen was also asked her reaction to the measure's approval by Fox 4 TV and KCTV.
KUMC has put together a quick reference guide about health care reform, which you can download from our Web site.
William F. Cathcart-Rake, MD, FACP, a Salina-based oncologist, was named director of the KU School of Medicine expansion in Salina. Pending approval from the national medical school accreditation body and obtaining funding for the program, KU's incoming medical school class will expand in 2011 or 2012 to include students specifically recruited to complete all four years of medical school in Salina. Details here.
Around Campus
The Office of Cultural Enhancement and Diversity is sponsoring a visit with KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, PhD, on Tuesday, March 30 from 12:00-1:00 p.m., at G013 School of Nursing Auditorium. The Chancellor will discuss her role as Chancellor, the impact of valuing diversity in professional schools, and what lies ahead. For more information, contact Gwen Swoope.
The University of Kansas Hospital has begun a two-year project to expand inpatient maternity and neonatal intensive care facilities for the Maternal/Fetal Institute. When completed, the expanded unit will have 11 suites, as well as a still-undetermined number of rooms dedicated to the care of women with medical or obstetrical complications before labor. A new 50-bed neonatal intensive care unit will replace the current 40-bed unit to accommodate the growing demand from throughout the Midwest. Read more here.
The Department of Rehabilitation Medicine is conducting a Durable Medical Equipment drive to help victims of the Haiti earthquake. They need crutches, walkers, canes and tents that sleep up to six people. Please bring all donated items to the Spine Center Therapy gym. The deadline for the drive is Friday, March 26. For more information, call 913-588-6796 or e-mail LLadesich@kumc.edu.
To help in the fight against heart disease and stroke, the Landon Center on Aging will be coordinating KUMC's efforts to support the American Heart Association Heart Walk. This year's event will be held on Saturday, May 22, 2010, at Theis Park near the Country Club Plaza. If you would like to register or volunteer to be a team captain, please contact Hallie Kates-Calloway at 8-0606 or email hcallowa@kumc.edu.
Kudos
Jenna Hamilton and Meghan Cassady, both students in the Department of Physical Therapy, will serve as Beverly A. Drake Fellows for the JayDoc Free Clinic. They will help promote the student/clinical teacher interaction at the Clinic and support patient care for the underserved in our community. Beverly Drake served as the Chief Physical Therapist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at KU Medical Center for 30 years.