Dean's Corner
A Message from Interim Dean Dr. Richard DiCarlo
It is often said that change is the only constant in life, and we have seen our share of change in recent months. One change that has raised questions among our faculty is the partnership agreement between LCMC and Tulane. We will remain UMCNO’s primary academic partner, while East Jefferson will be the primary academic partnering hospital for Tulane.
We are not entirely certain about the impact that the closure of Tulane’s hospital will have on the patient population at UMCNO. We expect that there will be an increase in stroke, cardiac and other medical and surgical patients coming to the emergency department, and this will create opportunities for growth in our programs. Hospital leaders know that they can count on LSUHSC faculty and residents to care for the people of this community, and we are working with UMCNO to improve and expand our current clinical programs, and to develop new ones. We have a good working relationship with LCMC leadership and we are restructuring our contracts to provide greater clarity for departments and faculty. We are very optimistic about LSUHSC’s future partnership with UMCNO and LCMC.
Faculty are well aware that the other big changes in the school relate to new facilities. The move into the CALS building went smoothly, and all departments from 1542 Tulane Avenue are now in their new office space. It is a good step forward to have our clinical departments closer to the heart of our campus, with better access to the clinic and the hospital. Work continues on the lower floors of CALS to install AV systems in the classrooms, and to install new equipment in the third floor Wellness Center, which should open later this spring. We will begin searching for a new physician educator to guide development and coordination of the training activities in the simulation, standardized patient, and simulated emergency areas. There is great potential to enhance our clinical education at all levels in the CALS training facilities.
As we move closer to the start of the MEB renovation, we would like to thank the basic sciences departments and faculty for their patience and cooperation with the relocation plans. We owe particular thanks to Dr. Backes for his tireless efforts to accommodate investigators in their new space, and his ongoing work with Facilities. This is a challenging task to say the least. We are trying to balance the needs of our investigators to maintain successful research operations with the need of the school to prepare for the future. This is a massive renovation project, and the lab space we will have in three years will dramatically enhance our research enterprise.
Amidst all of these changes, we continue to advance our missions. We have recruited both new junior faculty as well as mid-career faculty with prominent clinical and research achievements. We continue to improve our clinical programs, and the cycle of education is ongoing. Our students who entered the early match did exceptionally well, and the main Match Day will be on March 17. Upcoming events such as the Camp Tiger Auction and Family Day will be in-person, further signifying a return to normalcy. Amidst all of the above-mentioned changes, we will graduate another class of outstanding new physicians in May, and welcome another class of interns in June.