Immersed in Translation - Ward Rounds - Northwestern University

Ward rounds neWs
Annual Founders’ Day opens
during year of health reform
As if celebrating the official opening of the
academic year at the Founders’ Day Convocation
on August 28 were not exciting
enough, members of the Class of 2013
were given a taste of what they might
expect as future physicians. With health
care reform currently a hot button topic,
Northwestern fittingly invited Stephen L.
Ondra, MD, to give the 2009 Founders’
Day address. In May President Obama
appointed Dr. Ondra to the position of
senior policy advisor for health affairs in
Class of 1980 alumna dr. Carol rosenberg
congratulates her son and first-year
student, Benjamin derman, as he enters
the northwestern fold. dr. rosenberg’s
brother, Michael, graduated with the Class
of 1977 and his son, Jon, now is a thirdyear
student at the medical school.
4 ward rounds fall 2009
the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Until very recently, Dr. Ondra was
professor of neurological surgery at
Northwestern, where he served as vice
chair and residency program director for
his department during his more than
decade-long tenure, according to Dean
Larry Jameson. “Dr. Ondra is now
engaged in one of the most important
health care policymaking endeavors in this
country’s history,” said Dr. Jameson in his
introduction of the keynote speaker.
“While we miss him here and his expertise
in neurosurgery, we are proud to have one
of our own play a role in this effort.”
Offering his perspective on how health
care reform will affect the profession of
medicine, Dr. Ondra first let the “numbers”
speak for the need for change.
“While our health care system has served
us well for many years . . . it is also widely
recognized that this system is in trouble
economically. It’s unsustainable. Our
country spends over 17 percent of its gross
domestic product on health care. That’s
over $2 trillion a year and almost 50 percent
more than any other developed
nation. It is estimated that by the year
2015—before you, the Class of 2013, end
your residency training—costs will rise to
$4 trillion a year.”
While the cost of health care is cause
for concern, the real issue comes down
not to “dollars and cents” but to the care
of real people, according to Dr. Ondra.
Proud of the accomplishments of his profession,
Dr. Ondra also acknowledged
that despite our country’s leadership in
health care, especially in highly technical
and medical specialty programs, the
United States lags behind in serving its
Check out more photos
from Founders’ Day!
Visit WardRoundsOnline.com.
people. “For all of the money we spend,
our system doesn’t provide us with a
healthier population or with longer lives
than many other nations.”
With reform seemingly an inevitable
consequence of the current health care
system’s shortcomings, Dr. Ondra
stressed the need to embrace change with
creativity and innovation. He pointed to
the use of information technology to
improve patient record keeping as one
successful avenue for enhancing safety,
effectiveness, and, ultimately, patient care.
For this country’s medical professionals,
including the new entering class, health
care reform will hopefully improve the
efficiency and quality of accessible and
affordable health care for all Americans.
“What it means to be a physician will
not change,” he said. “Your commitment
to maintaining the health of your patients
“ This is your time, Class of 2013, to
rise to [the] occasion and be part of
the transformation that will bring this
country the health system it needs
and deserves.”
will not change. Your desire to care for
and about your patients will not change.
Your obligation to heal the afflicted—not
just in body but in mind and spirit—will
not change.
“What will change will be the process
in which care is delivered and the system
in which [those] values are practiced.”
He concluded by encouraging the
medical school’s newest students to have
the courage to be leaders in health reform.
“This is your time, Class of 2013, to rise to
[the] occasion and be part of the transformation
that will bring this country the
health system it needs and deserves.”
The Founders’ Day event also provided
an opportunity to introduce the
incoming president of the University,
Morton Schapiro, PhD, who officially
started his duties as president September 1.