Plan Oversight

Wesley Burks, MD

Dean, UNC School of Medicine
CEO, UNC Health

Dear Colleagues,
The UNC School of Medicine’s strategic plan – Forward Together – represents the very best of our institution. The plan represents the hard work a many dedicated professionals from around the school of medicine. Collaborative, creative and ambitious, Forward Together exemplifies the very best of who we are right now and shows us who we want to become.

We aspire to be the nation’s leading public school of medicine. By investing in education, research, faculty, diversity and inclusion, and service to the state and nation, this plan will help us reach that aspiration.

We have a lot to be proud of: award-winning faculty, groundbreaking research, an innovative approach to medical education. Our partnerships around campus, around the state, and around the world are making an impact on the care of patients and the understanding of disease from Eastern North Carolina to Sub- Saharan Africa. We ask big questions, we search tirelessly for the answers and we rise to overcome every obstacle we find along the way.

The unprecedented challenges that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic was a stark demonstration of how important our investment in our future has been. In the face of adversity, we built on our strengths. We will continue to strategically invest our resources to ensure that we continue to develop our strength and overcome our weaknesses in a purposeful and mission-driven way.

We are thankful to the faculty, staff, and students who contributed their insights during the development of this plan. As you review Forward Together, please consider the ways that you can become involved and how the specific focus areas will make an impact on the work that you do. We all have a part to play in helping to achieve our goals. Thank you for all you do each day.
Sincerely,
-Wesley Burks, MD, and Cristy Page, MD, MPH

Forward Together builds on our strengths which are

Outstanding research
Future-focused education
Enduring commitment to serving the people of North Carolina
Recognizing the benefits of supporting faculty, staff and learner success
Putting emphases on diverse, equitable and inclusive environments

Strategic Plan Oversight Committee (SPOC)

The SPOC provides overall direction for strategy implementation. The committee is composed of the Imperative Leads for the plan and meet quarterly to monitor plan progress.