At the University of Kansas Medical Center, we pride ourselves on a number of strengths and achievements. We are proud to be providing a top-notch education to the doctors, nurses and health care professionals of tomorrow. We derive tremendous satisfaction from the fact that KU Medical Center is a major research institution, that is playing a leadership role in the discovery of new knowledge in biomedical research and education. We are also pleased that the Medical Center has become a valuable community partner for our neighborhood, metropolitan area and state.

But there is nothing that makes us quite as proud as the highquality, patient-centered health care that we help bring every day to the people of Kansas, the United States and the world.

Health, as many of us know, can be fleeting. Helping Kansans maintain good health – or manage their health challenges – is a large part of KU Medical Center’s mission.

There is little doubt that our health care system in the United States is in need of repair. Our current system provides enormous benefits, but there are substantial opportunities for reforms that would reduce costs, increase access, enhance quality, and improve the overall health of all Americans.

More than 47 million people in this country are without health insurance and don’t have access to quality, affordable health care. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 347,000 Kansans, or 12.5 percent of our state’s population, are uninsured. That is unacceptable.

At KU Medical Center, we are trying to be part of the solution to improving health care in Kansas. We are among those who believe the future of health care is the new emphasis on prevention of disease and illness before they occur. Our proposed School of Public Health, which you will read about in this issue, is centered on that concept.

Health is more than sickness or wellness. It is the entire scope of behavior and choice, of living conditions and community environment, and it helps determine your individual welfare and larger societal costs. KU Medical Center is determined to help shift the way we think about health care, so that future generations of Kansans can thrive in healthier communities and live better lives. +