Serving the Global Community in Partnership is a Defining Signature for Academic Health Center Leadership

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Academic health centers are unique in their capabilities and must "strive to not only work together, but to change how healthcare is delivered" in their mission to meet the needs of the world's population, Steven A. Wartman, MD, PhD, president of the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC) told academic health center leaders in Washington last week.  Presiding over AAHC's fifth annual International Forum with distinguished government and health leaders from around the world, Wartman pointed out that, as institutions that educate health professionals, conduct biomedical and clinical research, and deliver comprehensive healthcare, academic health centers can collaborate to enhance health and wellbeing throughout the world.

While noting that current uncertainties, including environmental disasters, political unrest, economic insecurity, and growing health disparities, can be critically challenging to the academic health center mission, Wartman said the "stakes are too high" and the AAHC and its affiliate, AAHC International™, will continue to support academic health centers and their value proposition of Advancing and Applying Knowledge to Improve Health – regionally, nationally, and globally.  

Academic health center leaders from numerous countries across five continents attended the meeting and shared Wartman's call to view constrained resources as opportunities to engage in strategic partnerships, globally and within communities, in order "to facilitate effective and efficient optimization of a health workforce threatened by deepening shortages and to increase a commitment to review and shift academic health centers to highly networked and aligned providers of quality healthcare."

As they gathered in Washington, International Forum participants and speakers engaged in dynamic dialogues that shared their experiences, focused on their commonalities, and provided observations of successful partnerships under the overarching theme of Collaborative Partnerships to Enhance Education, Science, and Population Health.  As he urged academic health center leaders to continue their efforts towards sustainability, strengthened leadership, and increased stewardship, Wartman emphasized that "the key is to move forward while working together, and the AAHC will continue its efforts to provide opportunities for global collaborations as a means to address and improve healthcare and social wellbeing."

The AAHC is a national non-profit association dedicated to advancing the nation's health and well-being through the vigorous leadership of academic health centers.

SOURCE Association of Academic Health Centers