To the YSM Community:
Earlier today, President McInnis and Provost Strobel communicated regarding my reappointment as dean. I am grateful to President McInnis, Provost Strobel, and the Yale Corporation for the privilege of continuing to serve in this role.
I am also grateful to the Yale School of Medicine (YSM) community. I so admire your commitment to this school, to our patients, to advancing knowledge, and to each other. It is a joy to be surrounded by brilliant people who are passionate about our teaching, research, and patient care missions.
We have been on an extraordinary journey and we have accomplished much. As we look forward, we must remain focused on our core missions. The details of our strategic goals should evolve, but we will continue to emphasize four key themes:
- Create an environment of inclusive excellence where all members of our community can thrive and to which we can continue to recruit the best talent in the world
- Nucleate cross-disciplinary team science to advance creativity and innovation; promote interdisciplinary research to increase our impact
- Build and steward resources necessary to serve as a biomedical discovery powerhouse of the 21st century
- Realize our potential as a premier academic health system through alignment and partnership with Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS)
These align with the themes President McInnis has articulated as emerging from her listening tour.
There are many to acknowledge: the deputy deans, chairs, and center directors who tackle tough issues with humor and grace; our staff who keep the school running, often behind the scenes; our students and trainees who inspire growth and learning and bring energy to the school; faculty who identify both opportunities and creative solutions with a commitment to improving YSM and the world; our alumni who share their passion for the Yale System with future and current students; our partners in YNHHS; and fellow deans and cabinet members who generously provide support and share ideas.
As we look forward, we will have opportunities to refresh strategy. We also face critical challenges. In this regard, let me share a few priorities that are front of mind:
- During a time of uncertainty, we will continue to emphasize support for research, educational, and clinical programs. This may require sacrifices in other areas, but our decision-making must be driven by our values.
- At the same time, we will engage national leaders and our fellow citizens to highlight the impact of YSM.
- We will continue to address gaps in knowledge and patient care by diversifying funding for our work, through a renewed emphasis on development and novel partnerships.
- We must continue to attract and nurture outstanding leaders, faculty, staff, and students to ensure a robust future for the school.
- We will continue to strive to enhance bidirectional communication.
The last five years brought significant change as we faced unexpected tests, but we are well-poised to thrive in the face of new challenges.
Let us proceed on this journey with kindness, courage, and imagination.
Sincerely,
Nancy J. Brown, MD
Jean and David W. Wallace Dean of Medicine
C.N.H. Long Professor of Internal Medicine