The Vision of the Department
The Department of Internal Medicine is internationally recognized for excellence in education, research and patient care. In the past year, the department rose in the national National Institutes of Health (NIH) rankings from #9 to #7 and the Department of Internal Medicine now receives more than a third of the entire Medical School NIH funding. The Department expanded with the successful recruitment of 81 new faculty and 56 outstanding house staff officers. The Department also has proposed several physical expansions to better care for patients, including a major renovation of the department’s existing office and clinical space in the Taubman Center, a home ventilator clinic in the Taubman Center, and new multi-specialty health center located in Brighton.
The dedication of our faculty to both enriching the minds of students and enhancing the lives of patients through comprehensive care is truly phenomenal. We feel confident that the caliber of our research and faculty will uphold the Department’s vision of being the leaders and best.
The accomplishments of the Department of Internal Medicine would not be possible without the dedication of outstanding faculty, the drive of stellar medical students, and the remarkable support of alumni and friends. Donor support has allowed ambitious research projects to become realized. As technology improves and our understanding of medicine grows, many opportunities continue to exist for making “The Michigan Difference” within the Department of Internal Medicine’s programs and initiatives.
Please read below the different types of funding that is needed to continue. For more information about any of these types of funding, please contact the development office at (866) 860-0026 or by email at intmed-development@med.umich.edu.
Endowed Research
Endowed research funds provide annual distributions of up to five percent of the corpus of the funds in perpetuity, offer predictable and long-term support for dedicated researchers at all stages of their careers, and figure importantly in the recruitment and retention of exceptional faculty. Research activity by the members of the Department of Internal Medicine continues to represent the major fraction of funded activity for the Medical School and for much of the University of Michigan at large.
The department took a leading role in the development of a medical school-wide research space policy to ensure appropriate allocation of space based upon extramural support. Our direct and indirect extramural research dollars per square foot of laboratory space surpass the average for both the Medical School and the clinical departments combined. In the current fiscal year, the department invested significant resources—in excess of $7.5 million dollars—for faculty recruitments and retentions; enhanced support of existing programs such as the Southwest Oncology Group, Center for Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine, and The George O’Brien Kidney Center; and supported the launch of new programs including the Microbiome Core Facility and the CTSA Cost-Sharing and Pilot Grant Program. While total research funding has grown 73 percent since 1998, research activity and the need for funding grow at a similar rate.
Patient Care
When it comes to being the leaders and best, we are relentless. The Department of Internal Medicine is constantly expanding, utilizing new technology, and improving our patient care services. In 2007, the department embarked on several patient care initiatives, including a proposal to expand space for ambulatory care by leasing 17,000 square feet at Domino’s Farms, providing “swing space” that will permit a major renovation of the department’s existing office and clinical space in the Taubman Center. Other ambulatory care initiatives included the proposed creation of a home ventilator clinic in the Taubman Center, the involvement of multiple divisions in a planned new multi-specialty health center located in Brighton, and a partnership with the Cancer Center to develop a new Phase I experimental therapeutics unit to make it possible for Division of Hematology/Oncology faculty to provide state-of-the-art therapy for patients with cancer.
In the in-patient arena, new initiatives included a partnership to develop a Multi-Disciplinary Program in Sleep Medicine; the creation of an Intensive Insulin Service to enhance the care of inpatients with diabetes; the development of a Sub-Acute Care Program to enhance the care of patients requiring sub-acute care; and a significant expansion of the Hospitalist Program to meet the growing need for inpatient medical care.
U-M patients receive the most thorough, informed care available. Serving patients is an honor and joy which U-M staff does passionately. Our staff aims to treat patients with the most up-to-date care while easing the emotional stress that accompanies physical ailments. By supporting patient funds, you allow others to receive the care they deserve.
Medical Education
Great students inspire faculty and challenge fellow students. They animate our classrooms, libraries and laboratories. Students are an essential part in the University of Michigan Health System’s three-part mission: patient care, medical education and research.
Particular progress was made last year in post-graduate medical education with the successful recruitment of a new director of the Med/Peds Residency Program, Dr. Michael Lukela, the recruitment of Dr. Davoren Chick as Associate Graduate Medical Education Program Director, the successful recruitment of 56 outstanding house staff officers in 2007, and the attraction of a record number of applications received for 2008. Department faculty provided approximately 25 percent of all undergraduate teaching effort at the Medical School as well as serving in many leadership roles.
Support for residents provides unique training opportunities in internal medicine, including off-site rotations and research projects. Financial support defrays costs for travel to national conferences and allows residents and fellows to purchase learning tools such as textbooks and laptops.
