UICOMP's strategic-planning sessions have yielded a set of aggressive goals and objectives designed to transform the campus and enhance the community
Peoria, Illinois - In January of 2006, a steering committee was formed to lay the groundwork for what would become UICOMP’s current strategic plan. Countless individuals contributed to this vital initiative and thereby helped shape the future of healthcare and medical education throughout the region.
The following material is a synopsis of the work produced by various task forces and focus groups comprised of faculty, staff, medical students, and community advocates.
Executive Summary
The purpose of this plan is to define strategies by which UICOMP can expand through the next decade. Three circumstances prompted strategic planning at this time. First, University of Illinois President Joseph B. White asked all administrative units to engage in strategic planning in preparation for a University-wide development campaign. Second, several years have lapsed since the last formal strategic-planning effort at UICOMP, making renewed planning timely. Third, continued constraints in state funding for higher education (including UICOMP) forced a reconsideration of strategic directions to achieve the greatest possible cost-effectiveness.
UICOMP’s 2002 strategic plan crystallized a desire to expand the campus identity to include a more robust research enterprise. The present plan was developed to extend and complement the 2002 plan, not to replace it. Accordingly, we used a strategic-planning paradigm that included a systematic assessment of existing internal and external realities. We assembled two teams to develop plans for research and educational programs.
From the beginning we understood that building a robust research enterprise would enhance our educational programs by affording opportunities to engage trainees in research and bringing more research mentors into our environment. Dr. Richard Lister and Dr. Gwen Lombard led the research and education planning teams, respectively. Both teams gathered critical information from a broad group of faculty, staff, community partners, and other stakeholders.
The views that emerge from the broad and detailed planning effort are:
1. UICOMP is a highly successful educational institution that has been a major asset in facilitating the growth and evolution of the healthcare industry in Peoria.
2. UICOMP’s budding research program and the community’s extensive and sophisticated healthcare facilities and programs embody huge potential for future development with major benefits for both the College of Medicine and the region.
Research & Education
The research strategic plan identifies four areas for targeted development in the coming decade: cancer and stem cell biology, translational neurosciences, health systems and outcomes, and use of simulation in medical education. Critical investments in research development include expansion of research laboratory space, recruitment of additional faculty in cancer biology, and recruitment of senior investigators to lead the development of research programs in health systems, use of simulation in medical education, and translational neuroscience. Resource targets totaling $20.7 million have been assigned to these critical priorities. Additional research objectives will require an investment of $10.9 million.
Highly motivated, dedicated faculty, combined with a strong curriculum and state-of-the-art clinical facilities at the major affiliated teaching hospitals, have been pivotal in UICOMP’s educational success. However, in the climate of declining state support for medical education, our facilities, faculty, and access to technology have not kept pace with the evolution of medical education over the past three decades. Furthermore, it is increasingly difficult for volunteer faculty to meet the needs of our educational mission without greater support.
The education strategic plan identifies critical needs for investment in faculty development programs, expertise in curriculum development, instructional space, and technology. Resource targets of $11.9 million have been assigned to these priorities. (Note that investments in the medical simulation lab mentioned above will also serve the educational mission directly). Another $20 million targeted for educational endowment will serve additional priorities in education.
Peoria’s continued development as an academic healthcare destination and certain gaps in service-provider availability also define a need to expand programs in graduate medical education. Expansion of residencies in Pediatrics and Obstetrics/Gynecology, initiation of a residency in Psychiatry, and addition of subspecialty fellowship programs are all priorities that will require recruitment of new leadership to UICOMP and substantial investments by our hospital partners.
The resources needed for investment in the growth strategies identified above have been prioritized. Those with highest priority imply investments totaling approximately $37 million.
The proposed investments will have substantial expected outcomes. The number and scope of training programs will expand, and the quality of trainees and educational outcomes will improve. More well-trained health professionals will locate in the Peoria region. Research budgets will increase several fold. Based on a recent economic impact study published by the American Association of Medical Colleges, total annual budget increases at UICOMP will have a local economic impact of approximately $88 million. If Peoria succeeds in encouraging local commercialization of knowledge discovered in UICOMP laboratories, the impact could be much greater.
Special Recognition
We wish to thank our many friends, colleagues, and community partners for contributing to the College’s strategic-planning process. Your commitment to improving local healthcare will help UICOMP further its mission of enhancing the quality of life for future generations.
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