July 23, 2008
Dr. Kelch's Comments on AARP "Healthiest Hometowns"
This is a wonderful day for the city of Ann Arbor! Now, the rest of the nation can know what we have known first-hand for some time: that Ann Arbor is a special place in so many ways . . . particularly when it comes to living in a healthful manner – and that’s despite all of the spectacular restaurants we have in town. Everything in moderation, I’ve always counseled my patients.
At the University of Michigan Health System, we were thrilled to be acknowledged by the AARP, a vital, nonprofit organization “dedicated to enhancing quality of life for all as we age” – a mission not unlike our own, which we do through our excellence in research, education and patient care.
As I considered this tremendous award, I was struck by a thought: No single group or organization “owns” this honor. It wasn’t one aspect of Ann Arbor that resulted in this acknowledgement – but nearly EVERY aspect of it – from the wonderful green space to the world-class health care to the very folks who live here and choose to exercise and eat right. It was only through our collaboration, through combining all that we have – that enabled us to achieve this No. 1 status.
That feels right to me.
The value of collaboration is a message I deliver frequently within and outside of the University of Michigan Health System. I often note that the University of Michigan’s greatest strength is the fact that we have top-ranked schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Social Work, Nursing, Law, Business, Pharmacy, Public Health and Engineering – and a top Health System – all within a walk or short bike ride from each other. This proximity – unique in the United States – allows our scientists and physicians to easily and freely collaborate across disciplines. It is so impressive an arrangement, in fact, that the National Institutes of Health recently awarded the U-M a $55 million grant because of our collaborative model. The grant was part of a national initiative to encourage interdisciplinary research for therapies that improve human health.
Collaboration is the very basis of our Cancer Center, our Depression Center, our Geriatrics Center, our Brehm Center for Type 1 Diabetes Research and Analysis, and our new Cardiovascular Center – all of which tap the knowledge of a multitude of experts to develop the most effective approach to disease prevention and treatment – and surest route to scientific breakthroughs in the future. The intellectual capital we have on campus is one of the key reasons the AARP sees Ann Arbor as a “hotbed of medical innovation.” I quite agree – it is astounding.
Our work in genetics, stem cells, nanotechnology, cancer, depression, and cardiology and vascular medicine – to name a few – will alter medicine and improve lives in a way we never dreamed possible.
Our efforts are further enhanced through the University Research Corridor, an alliance of Michigan’s three largest academic institutions – Michigan State University, the U-M and Wayne State University – that is supporting innovation and encouraging the transfer of technology to the private sector to bolster medical and other research advances across the entire state.
In Ann Arbor, though, it is the wonderful relationship with our community partners that enables us to meet the health and medical needs of southeast Michigan so effectively.
Collaborations such as the Washtenaw Community Health Organization, in which the U-M Health System and county government work together to provide support and treatment to Medicaid-eligible, indigent and uninsured children and adults who need mental health, public health or substance abuse services. Or the Washtenaw Health Plan, which provides medical care coverage for low income individuals who are not eligible for other public assistance programs.
We feel great affinity for our community; one of our most critical Strategic Principles is our commitment to Taking Care of Our Own.
When we say “our own,” we also are talking of our University of Michigan faculty and staff, and we’re taking care of them through an innovative program called the Michigan Healthy Community Initiative, which:
- Encourages healthier living for employees, their families, retirees and U-M students.
- Is a collaborative effort to fashion a prototype program that promotes health, improves health care delivery, and defines optimal insurance coverage for individuals and families.
- Encourages faculty and staff to work together to increase activity, attention to physical safety in the workplace, and other health and wellness efforts.
- Michigan Healthy Community is also testing new ideas that we hope will continue to improve community health here – and affect the way health care is delivered throughout the United States.
These are just a few examples of what we bring to the ‘picture of health’ in Ann Arbor – but these examples reflect some of the crucial quality-of-life factors affecting our growing 50-plus population.
Our mission of excellence in patient care, medical education and research – combined with the cultural life of Ann Arbor – contribute to making Ann Arbor very desirable place to live and work.
The University of Michigan Health System is very proud to make our home in Ann Arbor – the “#1 Healthiest Hometown” in America – and we’re also pleased to have played a role in helping Ann Arbor achieve this honor.
Congratulations, Ann Arbor! And thank you, AARP!
