From the Presidents
This past fall, a colleague recommended a book by Dr. Atul Gawande, a member
of the Harvard Medical School faculty and The New Yorker magazine’s
medicine and science columnist. The book, Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on
an Imperfect Science, is a terrific read. In this book and in his other
columns, Dr. Gawande explores the fallibility of science and eloquently presents
medicine as a fundamentally human endeavor.
In a New Yorker essay called “The Bell Curve,” Dr. Gawande explores the value and influence of national rankings of health care programs and individual practitioners… how they motivate us and affect patients’ decision-making. He writes that “we expect averageness to be resisted.” We strive, we push and we lean forward to make ourselves better than the rest of the pack. That innate desire to excel has been critical to MCG’s recent success.
This September, I delivered my fifth State of the University Address to the MCG community. I noted that we have become a better institution, a stronger institution, a more dynamic institution—an institution better-positioned to make an extraordinary impact on the health of the people of this state and nation.
And, as in previous years, I shared the data and assorted rankings and accolades to demonstrate our upward trajectory in our three mission areas: education, research and clinical care. But quantitative assessments of our worth tell only part of the story. That’s why this magazine is such a valuable publication. MCG Today paints a picture that cannot be captured by national rankings, year-end data and percentage increases. These pages tell a more human story: one of outreach and of impact.
Certainly, the numbers are important. That’s a fundamental part of our commitment to accountability. But equally important are the individual stories demonstrating that the good work of the Medical College of Georgia makes a positive difference in the lives of the citizens of Georgia and beyond.Sincerely,
Daniel W. Rahn, M.D.
President, Medical College of Georgia
You may have noticed that we deliberately use the following language to describe ourselves: “MCG Health, Inc. was formed to support the clinical, research and education mission of the Medical College of Georgia and to build the economic growth of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and the Southeast by providing an environment for faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation and community physicians to deliver the highest level of primary and specialty health care.”
While most people know we are a leader in health care in the CSRA, not many realize that the health system maintains a presence in virtually every county of Georgia and is a force in the western half of South Carolina. Our clinicians travel to satellite clinics and outreach facilities from Albany Children’s Medical Services to Z&B Optical in Washington, Ga.
The MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation also operates several physician office practices in the Augusta and Lake Oconee areas. In addition, we draw patients from across the country and have had patients come to us from as far away as South America and Asia. For example, Jacobito Reyes of El Salvador was a newborn when he had his initial surgery to remove a brain tumor at the MCG Children’s Medical Center.
As you’ll see on page 30, the health system continues to develop innovative programs to extend our reach to underserved populations. The REACH program is an interesting story. In the past, countless dollars and untold hours have been devoted to building elaborate telemedicine solutions. In the case of REACH, innovative clinicians and administrators constructed a lifesaving program out of ingenuity and Radio Shack components.
We are extremely proud that our geographic scope is wide and our impact is great. And we will continue to offer the clinical expertise, develop the programs and acquire the state-of-the-art technology that make us a valued health care provider for tens of thousands of people each year.
Sincerely,
Don Snell
President and Chief Executive Officer,
MCG Health, Inc.