Duke University Medical Center administrators have finalized proposed strategic plans for the Duke University Hospital System, School of Medicine and School of Nursing.
The proposal, which will be used as a guide for the next three to five years, stresses alignment among components of the Duke University Health System. Individual plans will be shared with faculty and relevant stakeholders throughout July and a unified plan is set to receive a final review by the Board of Trustees in December.
"The overarching goal is to bring together these three components: Duke University Health System, the School of Nursing and the School of Medicine," said Dr. Victor Dzau, chancellor for health affairs and president and CEO of Duke University Health System. "We hope to create a seamless continuum from scientific discovery to translation into care delivery to global health."
The plan emphasizes Dzau's philosophy "global means local" as well. At the regional level, administrators hope to expand the availability and flow of care in Wake County and Durham County.
Changes to maximize delivery of care in Durham County and expansion of services to serve the rapidly growing greater Wake County area are a major focal point.
"Better integration of departments is necessary to maximize the quality of care," said Molly O'Neill, chief strategic planning officer, vice president for business development and vice chancellor for Medical Center Integrated Planning.
Proposed shifts in care delivery include rebuilding ambulatory structures to serve more outpatient needs as well as reorganizing multidisciplinary services-including cancer, musculoskeletal, vascular and pediatric care-to create a more "patient-centric model," she said.
The plan also proposes transferring more patients from Duke University Hospital to Durham Regional Hospital in relevant cases. In this way, DUHS can increase its focus on specialized care sought by patients from around the world.
Reorganization of multidisciplinary services offered through DUH will ultimately involve the integration of departments within the medical center to make health care a "one-stop shop" for patients by altering traditional departmental structures to better serve practical needs, Dzau said, adding that these changes will likely have an impact at the national level.
In planning the frameworks for future DUHS construction projects, officials considered the integration of research and clinical trials.
"We looked at zones between physical plans for research facilities and those for clinical facilities," said Gordon Williams, vice chancellor for operations at DUMC and vice dean for administration and finance.
Projects to be considered by administrators in upcoming years include clinical and research facilities for pediatric care and translational research, as well as centers to incorporate advances in areas such as genomic and clinical care.
Williams added that other institutes allied with DUHS, including the National University of Singapore, may serve as a base for research and "collaboration for things not possible within the walls of Duke's campuses."
By focusing on expansions within the community and around the globe, DUHS administrators hope that Duke will not only build upon a solid reputation in the area of global health, but will also benefit from the flow of ideas from around the world.
"Discoveries made in this country can be brought overseas to have a global health impact-rapidly transmitted to global communities," Dzau said. "We'd like to be able to learn from other communities globally and reverse the flow of ideas as well."
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