As the end of 2019 quickly approaches, I want to take a moment to celebrate all that we’ve accomplished over the past year. UAB Medicine has continued to grow its impact here in Birmingham and beyond, and it is thanks to all of you hardworking and dedicated individuals. I’m looking forward to sharing more details about specific areas of growth and success at my annual State of the School address on Wednesday, January 29, at noon in the Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium. I hope you’ll join me there or via livestream.
I want to call out our remarkable staff for the ways in which you bolster our academic medical center every day. I am regularly impressed by your tenacity to bring forward the best results, whether it’s for a patient, a student, lab research, or for your fellow staff members. You are absolutely integral to our overall progress, and I want you to know that your efforts do not go unnoticed.
As we turn to face the challenges the new year will bring, I want you to know that we will be investing heavily in developing our infrastructure. The last five years have brought tremendous and rapid growth, but it has also brought a need to look inward, find ways to better our enterprise, and become more efficient. We will be working to ensure we have the means to continue expanding every area of our mission. Thank you to our industrious faculty members, who have been tireless in their efforts to grow as educators, secure even more research funding, and serve in a clinical capacity.
And last, I’d like to express my gratitude for how this community bands together during the holiday season to give forward. I have heard of so many efforts throughout departments, divisions, and among my own office’s staff to ensure that this time of year is a little bit lighter and brighter for all. Your spirit of generosity is one more example of what makes the UAB Medicine family so exceptional. I’m proud to work alongside each of you.