JSPH Inaugural Commencement

TODAY, marks the inaugural commencement for our brand new School of Population Health. That's right---Population Health. A school whose mission is to prepare leaders with global vision to develop, implement and evaluate health policies and systems that improve the health of populations and thereby enhance, the quality of life.

We strive to fulfill this mission by providing exemplary graduate training in health policy, chronic care management, health care quality and safety, AND of course today, in public health.

Our nation stands today at a population health crossroad exemplified in part, by a new law----a law that is 10 weeks old. Whatever your politics, health care delivery in our country will never be the same. We have a lot of work to do!!! We must work hard to reduce the unexplained variation in health care services.
We must reduce disparities in how care is delivered. We must improve the coordination of care. We must improve the quality and safety of the care we deliver.

AND, we must put the patient at the center of all that we do.

Our school, in the great Jefferson University tradition, exemplified by these graduates here today, is preparing a new generation of leaders to meet these challenges. Men and women from a diverse background who now have the skills to go forth and to make a world of difference.

As the inaugural Dean, I am especially proud of the accomplishments of this class, and the support that they received from our faculty and our staff.