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Anything is Possible
William D. PetasnickPresident and CEO, Froedtert Hospital
As we celebrate our 25th year and look to the future, we also reflect on our accomplishments. Do they match the intentions of our benefactor, Kurtis Froedtert, and community leaders who played a key role in developing Froedtert Hospital? These community leaders saw the potential of what an academic medical center, combining the resources of a medical college with a major teaching hospital, could mean for citizens in our region and state.
Partnering with the Medical College ofWisconsin, our mission from inception has been to improve the health status of the individuals and communities we serve through high quality patient-focused care, teaching the next generation of health professionals and advancing scientific discovery and technology.
Our commitment to continuing innovation is evident in many ways.
Our Cancer Center, with its focus on multidisciplinary care, provides the latest treatment options. A new Cancer Pavilion, coming in 2007, will further enhance our team approach by providing complete care under one roof. Our vision is to create one of the truly great cancer centers in this country, remaining patient-focused while advancing scientific discovery through basic and clinical research.
Our Neurosciences Center is a unique resource to our community. You'll read about one of the latest advances — deep brain stimulation — in this issue. It's the perfect marriage of medical expertise, science and technology in an innovative treatment that helps people with tremors and rigidity live more normally. Our Neurosciences Center is also home to one of the nation’s first certified primary stroke centers — a national certification that recognizes our extraordinary level of care.
Our Level I Trauma Center, staffed by a team of trauma specialists, has saved the lives of countless individuals.Through our support of Flight For Life, the resources and capabilities of our Trauma Center extend throughout eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
Our commitment to training the next generation of health professionals is a major resource in Wisconsin. Since 1980, more than 4,269 Medical College of Wisconsin residents and fellows have trained at Froedtert Hospital, gaining the clinical expertise to achieve board certification in one or more of 37 accredited medical specialties. The majority of these graduates stay in Wisconsin to staff community-based health systems.
And we cannot forget research — with more than 1,200 active clinical trials underway at Froedtert at any time. We are home to one of only 78 clinical research centers in the country funded by the National Institutes of Health. While any hospital can acquire new technology, only a few have the facilities to develop it. Our medical staff is comprised solely of Medical College of Wisconsin physicians who have the expertise to research new medical technology, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI. As an international leader,we've trained more than 450 scientists, physicians and researchers from 13 countries in fMRI since 1997. Additionally, our partnership with GE allows us to provide cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic tools, helping facilitate Wisconsin's efforts to become a hub of modern healthcare and technology advancement.
I would be remiss if I did not credit a significant portion of our success to the staff of Froedtert Hospital. Their level of professionalism and commitment to meeting the needs of a patient has truly made Froedtert a place where incredible things happen — every day.
Thank you all for your support of Froedtert and for placing your trust in us for the last 25 years.
Source: Froedtert Today Date: September 2005 |