DMBN: What have been some of the highlights during your time with the hospital?

So much has changed-both at the medical center and in the world beyond-since I became dean and CEO of this great institution five years ago. We have grown in size, scope, and prominence-even at such an uncertain time for both the American healthcare system and the global economy. In 2007 I set an ambitious goal for NYU Langone: to become a world-class, patient-centered, integrated academic medical center. Since that time, we have undertaken projects that touch virtually every person and corner of our institution. Along the way we have faced challenges-some expected, others unforeseen-that might have derailed other institutions. But thanks to our faculty and staff's hard work and dedication, we are on track to achieve all of our goals. NYU Langone Medical Center has never been in a better position than it is now.

Some of our key initiatives include: The integration of the School of Medicine and the medical center; the implementation of Epic--the medical center's enterprise-wide electronic health record system; the restructuring of our Curriculum for the 21st Century (C21), including six dual degree options and a new, three-year M.D. degree; the opening of two major centers in Manhattan--the Center for Musculoskeletal Care (CMC) and the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health--to expand our ambulatory network; and creating the new division of medical ethics within the new department of population health.

Additionally, we want to be seen as a leader in health care quality, and as demonstrated by several objective metrics, we believe we (are). Last year we were awarded five stars for "Overall Performance" and ranked one of the top 10 academic medical centers in the country for patient quality and safety by the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC). Additionally we ranked first among the nation's top academic medical centers for both overall recommended care and surgical care by whynotthebest.org, an online tool tracking performance on various measures of healthcare quality using CMS data. And we were just one of two hospitals in (New York City) awarded an "A" Hospital Safety Score by the Leapfrog Group for excellence in patient safety. The rating signifies the medical center's overall capacity to keep patients safe from infections, injuries, and medical and medication errors.

And, of course, we can't forget Sandy. While I will always remember the damage and difficulties Hurricane Sandy caused, what I hold on to is the many ways our community came together to overcome every setback. As time passes, I now see that Sandy's impact on NYU Langone presented us with an opportunity to come back stronger than ever. Sandy has given us indelible proof of the unity of purpose that binds us all together-the commitment to serve our fellow human beings in the best way we know how.

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