New Weill Cornell Medicine Name Announced

Name Change Reflects the Full Breadth of Weill Cornell Medicine's Mission

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Oct 06, 2015, 07:46 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After two decades of dynamic growth that has transformed Weill Cornell Medical College into a global healthcare leader, the institution announced today a new name – Weill Cornell Medicine – which more comprehensively captures the full scope of its mission.

The new brand succinctly unites Weill Cornell Medicine's three essential principles — to care, discover and teach — and underscores how patient wellbeing motivates the entirety of its ambitions. A world-renowned academic medical institution, Weill Cornell Medicine is devoted to enhancing human health by providing exemplary and individualized patient care, making groundbreaking biomedical discoveries, and educating generations of exceptional doctors and scientists.

"Weill Cornell Medicine has a distinguished legacy of putting patients first, providing them with the finest care and offering the best possible outcomes to ensure that they live healthier lives," said Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine. "Our name now fully encapsulates the strength and totality of our mission — keeping the patient at the center of everything we do."

The Weill Cornell Medicine brand is the culmination of a strategic expansion that has touched every program area, positioning Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and Weill Cornell Physician Organization to not only thrive in today's evolving healthcare landscape, but also lead the way in shaping medicine for the future. In July, the Association of American Medical Colleges named Weill Cornell Medicine the fastest growing medical school in the country based on its increase in operating revenue over the past five years.

"For 150 years, Cornell University has fostered a culture of discovery, ambition and creativity — three essential values that underscore the bold and visionary Weill Cornell Medicine name," said Elizabeth Garrett, president of Cornell University. "The esteemed physicians and scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine will continue to be trailblazers, their work giving rise to new innovations that will truly make a difference across the globe."

"Weill Cornell Medicine's longstanding tradition of providing world-class clinical care is now elevated by an unprecedented collaboration with patient-centered research and education," said Jessica M. Bibliowicz, chairman of the Weill Cornell Medicine Board of Overseers. "Our new brand is the realization of our transformation into a global healthcare powerhouse and perfectly expresses our enduring commitment to improving our patients' health."

Much of Weill Cornell Medicine's long-term strategic growth has centered on connecting New Yorkers to its network of exceptional physicians. In 2007, Weill Cornell Medicine opened the Weill Greenberg Center, the institution's flagship ambulatory care center at 70^th Street and York Avenue, which unites primary and specialty care and imaging under one roof. The building is the anchor for Weill Cornell Medicine's clinical expansion as it and its faculty practice continue to increase their services in communities throughout metropolitan New York.

Since 2013, Weill Cornell Medicine has added more than 40 medical practices in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, and expanded services offered by Weill Cornell Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian. Weill Cornell Medicine also added more than 150 physicians to its ranks at NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital and a growing number from NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens. This expansion has led to 1.6 million patient visits, a growth of 11 percent from fiscal 2014 and a more than 40 percent increase in just the past five years. In total, patient care will generate more than $1.14 billion in revenue for the institution this year, accounting for more than 60 percent of the 2015 operating budget. Just as clinical care is at the heart of Weill Cornell Medicine's mission, it is also the economic engine by which the institution is able to deliver its research and education programs.

Entwined with Weill Cornell Medicine's successes over the years is the prowess of its faculty. Since 2012, the institution has recruited more than 50 esteemed scientists and physician-scientists, including a Nobel laureate and members of many prestigious international scientific societies, who are spurring new research discoveries using precision medicine and other cutting-edge biomedical approaches and seamlessly applying them to patient care. The Belfer Research Building, which opened in 2014, serves as the hub for these translational efforts, headquartering more than a half dozen newly established interdisciplinary centers and institutes that strive to transform the paradigm of high-impact biomedical research and discover tomorrow's treatments and therapies. This important work has led to a 20 percent growth in sponsored research support for Weill Cornell Medicine.

Weill Cornell Medicine's expansion extends beyond the doctor's office and the laboratory. Since its inception in 1898, Weill Cornell Medical College has cultivated an accomplished reputation as a leader in medical education, delivering top-tier training to nurture the next generation of physicians and scientists. The medical college, as well as the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, will continue that storied tradition as part of Weill Cornell Medicine.

Weill Cornell Medical College's new curriculum, unveiled in fall 2014, exemplifies Weill Cornell Medicine's commitment to patients by providing students with a hands-on education that will shape them into successful doctors. Under this new curriculum, students are exposed to patient care from their first day of school through a longitudinal program called LEAP. This program, during which teams of students follow a panel of patients with chronic illnesses for all four years of their medical education, illuminates healthcare delivery as well as the physical, social and psychological effects of disease. The goal is to impart the value of treating patients holistically, and enable students to develop a powerful foundation for their medical practice.

The Weill Cornell Medicine name also exemplifies the belief that collaboration is the most effective way to improve patient outcomes. Weill Cornell Medicine's collaboration with clinical partner NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, as well as The Rockefeller University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, has established a powerful scientific corridor on the Upper East Side. Weill Cornell Medicine faculty collaborate closely with their colleagues at Cornell University, both in Ithaca and at the new Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island. Together, their work will serve as a catalyst to help shape New York into a biomedical technology hub.

Weill Cornell Medicine's connections extend far beyond New York. It has established a medical school in Doha, Qatar, forged affiliations with Houston Methodist in Texas and Bugando Medical Centre and the Weill Bugando University College of Health Sciences in Mwanza, Tanzania, and established clinical and research programs on every continent except Antarctica.

Weill Cornell Medicine

Weill Cornell Medicine is committed to excellence in patient care, scientific discovery and the education of future physicians in New York City and around the world. The doctors and scientists of Weill Cornell Medicine—faculty from Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and Weill Cornell Physician Organization—are engaged in world-class clinical care and cutting-edge research that connect patients to the latest treatment innovations and prevention strategies. Located in the heart of the Upper East Side's scientific corridor, Weill Cornell Medicine's powerful network of collaborators extends to its parent university Cornell University; to Qatar, where an international campus offers a U.S. medical degree; and to programs in Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Weill Cornell Medicine faculty provide comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens. Weill Cornell Medicine is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.