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Defining the Times
2007 Spring Dialogues
Roundtable Discussion
Victor J. Dzau, MD, President and CEO, Duke University Health System, Chancellor for Health Affairs, Duke University
Harold L. Paz, MD, Senior Vice President for Health Affairs, Dean of the College of Medicine, and CEO, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, the Pennsylvania State University
P.S. Reddy, MD, Professor, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh and
Secretary General, Science Health Allied Research & Education Organization
"The commitment is enormous. It takes people, recruitment, and time."
Emerging international opportunities for academic health centers are posing major questions, according to Dr. Dzau. Discussing international institutional relationships, Dzau noted the importance of choosing the right partner, defining metrics and expectations, securing institutional commitment, and defining quality. Duke is setting up a joint medical school with the National University of Singapore, and accordingly Duke is restructuring the Duke provost's position to take account of expansions in responsibilities.
International partnerships put an institution's reputation on the table and entail an enormous commitment, requiring people, resources, and time, said Dzau. Although other schools pursue consulting relationships with institutions abroad, Duke is putting resources on the ground to create an operational relationship with a joint medical school. Dzau stressed how the board of trustees' support for global efforts made the endeavor possible.
"There can be two-way traffic."
Continuing the theme of international communication, Dr. Reddy discussed how he transferred his health and research experience between India and the U.S. In India, Dr. Reddy initiated unprecedented opportunities for medical residents to perform research. Having implemented grassroots community health initiatives related to anemia, rural health, and family planning in India, Dr. Reddy carried his ideas into the Pittsburgh community. He suggested that the success of these programs can be replicated in the United States, particularly since communities in both countries face similar problems, such as under-use of existing clinical services.
A veteran of the two-way street of innovation between India and the U.S., Reddy suggested that both countries can learn lessons from each other and can be productive partners in health care research and delivery.
"Academic health centers must be laboratories of change to define health systems of the future."
Academic health centers must be laboratories of change to define health systems of the future, Dr. Paz declared. As health care has progressed from a cottage industry to a comprehensive system, the next logical step is the global health system.
Niche markets exist for researchers whose areas of interest appeal to companies. However, academic health centers face the challenge of creating highly integrated, comprehensive systems that serve the public good. Academic health centers must remain true to their four missions of education, research, patient care, and community service.
Opportunities for innovation abound, and their translation from laboratory to bedside will be the underpinnings of success. The next step will entail implementation of these developments, such as electronic medical records, in the community. Dr. Paz questioned whether academic health centers can create an integrated, innovation-driven network in health, or whether they and the nation will fall victims to the merciless marketplace.