December
30th, 2005
Dear Colleagues,
In the days since Hurricane Katrina hit the
U.S. Gulf Coast on August
29th, those of us
based in New Orleans have been trying to
adjust to new realities
and a much different
environment. Some of the city's residents lost
loved ones,
more than 250,000 are still
homeless, and many more are displaced. No
one was spared
and everyone lost
something. As an alumnus or friend of Tulane
I know you have shared
that feeling of loss. Your encouragement and support over the last four months have
meant more than you can imagine. By now, residents and functions have returned to
many parts of the city, including the Central Business District, the French Quarter,
the Garden District and the Uptown/University District. There are many other encouraging
signs for the future---a commitment on the part of the federal government to build
a stronger levee system, a much reduced crime rate, a restructured school system
which promises better education (Tulane has taken a lead role and the university
is even taking responsibility for a school in its immediate area), and investment
in rebuilding the city.
Hurricane Katrina forced us to rethink the university's role in New Orleans and
to make changes that were unthinkable prior to August 29th. At the Health Sciences
Center, our School of Public Health and
Tropical Medicine (SPHTM) has played a lead role in planning for the future---working
closely with the leadership of the CDC, state and local agencies. It has been exciting
for me to see the extent to which our faculty and students have helped address the
environmental and other public health issues that confront our community. All of
our public health students in "traditional" on-campus degree programs will be back
in New Orleans in January. In contrast to the SPHTM, the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina has proven to be very challenging for the clinical faculty at our School
of Medicine (SOM). In Orleans Parish, we have gone from more than a half million
residents to about 75,000, and from 11 hospitals with approximately 2,500 beds to
2 with about 100 beds occupied. All of this will change over time but the short
term challenge has been enormous.
Earlier this month, the university's Board of Administrators announced a restructuring
and repositioning of the university (http://renewal.tulane.edu). At the School of
Medicine, we undertook a right sizing and repositioning of our programs. In the
process, we re-emphasized our core areas of mission and made a strong commitment
to the faculty in these areas. The next few years provide an opportunity to reshape
the SOM and make it an even better school. I have agreed to step in as dean of the
SOM, while continuing in my role as Senior Vice President for Health Sciences. One
of my goals will be to work with Ted Chen to further strengthen our ties with Taiwan.
As always, I am very grateful to Ted for his central leadership role of the Taiwan
programs at our Health Sciences Center.
All of the Health Sciences Center buildings in downtown New Orleans were damaged
by Hurricane Katrina but most are already repaired and
functional. Careful planning allowed for protection of many valuable research and
clinical assets, including cell lines and transgenic animals. Our research community
is intact and focused on the future Indeed, we have been awarded a record number
of large competitive research grants during the past four months.
The alumni and friends of the Tulane University Health Sciences Center are more
vital to its future than ever before. There is no more important group to me than
those of you in Taiwan. You have been there for the Tulane University Health Sciences
Center and for Ted and me through good times and bad. I am especially grateful to
Dr. Min-Ho Huang and his colleagues at the Show-Chwan Health Care System and to
Dr. Jeffrey Tsai and his colleagues at Asia University for their strong and energetic
support in the post-Katrina environment. I would also like to thank our colleagues
at the Taipei Cultural and Economic Office in Houston for their strong support of
our Taiwanese students in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. We will need your
continuing support and advice in the days and weeks to come. The Tulane University
Health Sciences Center is a historic academic institution with a very bright future.
For my part, I will do everything possible to facilitate the continuation of excellence
at the SPHTM and SOM. Shelagh and I look forward to seeing you in Taiwan later in
the year and to receiving you in New Orleans if you can visit us in Louisiana.
Wishing you a very happy, healthy and successful New Year,
Paul K. Whelton, M.D., M.Sc.
Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine
Dean, Tulane University School of Medicine
Senior Vice President for Health Sciences
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