CEO Message |
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The need for post-Sandy recovery at the state and federal level is going to require large amounts of resources, and we anticipate that this may impact the availability of funds for healthcare. Infrastructure replacement needs will most likely result in competition for scarce government funding that we will have to take into consideration over the course of the coming year. Post election, the future direction of healthcare is becoming clearer. We are now working in an environment where patients, government and employers want comprehensive, coordinated, high-quality, safe and low-cost healthcare. This model of healthcare is about building a platform that emphasizes keeping people healthy instead of solely treating people once they become acutely ill. The achievement of this model will involve healthcare institutions coming together into larger systems, offering a comprehensive range of services to a large population. The success of these operations is not in the number of patients coming to the hospital for treatment but in the quality of care given to patients. Healthcare becomes customized, and patients are so well cared for that they require fewer visits to the hospital. This is consistent with our current strategy at Stony Brook — aligning ourselves with other institutions and medical groups that share our values and principles to further strengthen our clinical and academic enterprise. The recent realignment of the School of Medicine, the Hospital and physician practice plans within the University has placed us in a stronger position to do so. We are working together in a fully coordinated manner to proactively form relationships with other hospitals and physician groups to develop a network of institutions with one shared mission. These efforts will lead to a time in the near future when Stony Brook will be part of a system of hospitals and physicians that spreads over a wide area of Suffolk County offering premium healthcare to the community that is second to none and providing outstanding teaching and research. Internally we are rethinking the different ways we provide services and improving our patient care models so that we can further enhance quality, safety, effectiveness and care to match the growth in the clinical, academic and research areas. We are preparing to address reform in healthcare, and fulfill needs on a local, regional and national level. I’m excited to be part of challenges that lie ahead, and I want to thank you for working together now and as we enter into this time of significant change. Your efforts are helping us to adapt and lead in the best interest of our patients, families, colleagues and staff. L. Reuven Pasternak, MD |
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Looking ahead, 2013 is going to be a year of change, challenge and opportunity. Now that the election has passed and we have begun the recovery process in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, the landscape has been altered both physically and operationally. Although this will present us with challenges, Stony Brook is well positioned, through the work of many, to do some exciting things and to be creative.
