Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/425954
t m c » p u l s e | d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 4 22 I was very pleased by the involvement of our Strategic Plan Steering Committee, a group of 25 of our partner CEOs, presidents and research leaders from member institutions—all dedicated their time and insight into the plan that has ulti- mately guided our work over the past 10 months. The strategic plan offered up the end goals for a number of collaborative projects and initiatives behind which TMC leaders have stood in sup- port. We looked critically at where we were as a campus—a medical city—and where we would like to be. And then we established this framework for that vision. What emerged was a clear desire to rebrand and refocus the TMC around collabora- tion, research and education. We are also moving forward in the establishment of five institutes in horizontally-integrated areas of focus—innova- tion, genomics, health policy, clinical research and regenerative medicine—all fields that not only represent the needs of the future, but are also areas in which TMC researchers and physicians are already gaining traction. Earlier in the year, we took an exciting first step in getting the Health Policy Institute up and running. We welcomed Dr. Tim Garson as the director of the institute, and with his help have begun to set the tone for a collaborative dialogue around health policy within the medical center. In October, we officially kicked off the Innovation Institute and opened the doors to TMCx, an accelerator designed to help startup companies see novel ideas and innovative products through to commercialization. We took another bold step in working with Johnson & Johnson Innovation, LLC., as they expand J-Labs to include an incubator within the Innovation Institute. Their space will I also want to offer congratulations to Dr. Bob Ivany and the University of St. Thomas, officially named the 55th member of the Texas Medical Center. In this tremendous time of growth and opportunity, we are pleased to have St. Thomas join us as a partner in research and education. If I had one thing to say about the state of the Texas Medical Center, it's that it is vibrant—it is moving forward, just like this city. It is an exciting time to be in the medical center, and I think these projects demonstrate that. In the midst of so much change, we have also taken the time as a community to reflect on the founding vision of the Texas Medical Center. What does it take to compete as a global leader in research, education and life science? We have no shortage of expertise and passion. Each institution excels in its field of expertise. For us to have 21 renowned hospitals, eight academic and research institutions, six nursing programs, three public health organizations, three medical schools, three universities, two pharmacy schools and a dental school, we are beyond fortunate. Individually, there is no question that our mem- bers represent the best of the best. Imagine, then, how game changing we can be together. The work that we have done over the past year, and that planned for the years ahead, is all in an effort to fulfill our founding charter. Seventy years ago, the founding members of the Texas Medical Center agreed that this land was being purchased for three reasons: research, education, and the health of Texas.