A Partnership That Prevails
It is one of the premier public hospitals in the country, providing
care to all residents of Marion County regardless of their ability
to pay. It has the busiest emergency room in the state, one of the
largest outpatient systems in the country, and it boasts multiple
centers of excellence. Included are central Indiana’s only
adult burn center, a senior center and palliative care program without
parallel in the city, the state’s only National Institutes
of Health-funded Women’s Center of Excellence, and one of
only two level-one trauma centers in the state.
The population served by Wishard reflects a rich diversity of ethnic,
economic and social backgrounds, giving students an opportunity
to learn social values and cultural sensitivity that are so integral
to the practice of medicine today. Most patients at Wishard present
with common illnesses, often fairly advanced. This offers IUSM students
a wonderful opportunity to learn pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment
across a broad spectrum of common diseases.
The partnership was formalized in 1975 when the School was asked
by the Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC) of Marion County to
assume responsibility for the management and staffing of Wishard.
One objective was to distance Wishard from any political process
and thereby eliminate political patronage from personnel decisions.
The partnership promised HHC and Wishard a reliable source of qualified
caregivers; it promised the School a primary site for medical education.
In the early 1990s Wishard expanded several Marion County Health
Department clinics into what are now seven primary care Neighborhood
Health Centers. Like the hospital, these clinics provide the clinical
services so important to patients and the educational venues so
important to physicians.
As a result of this partnership the physicians and staff at Wishard
are among the most dedicated, mission-driven individuals anywhere
in the world. Thus it is a wonderful example of what can occur when
great academic and public institutions work together for the common
good.
Robert B. Jones, MD, PhD, recently accepted the appointment
as IUSM’s executive associate dean for strategic planning,
analysis and operations. He served as Wishard Health Services’
CEO and medical director from June 2000 until Dec. 22, 2003.
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