Letter from the Executive Director
As we turn the page to 2023 and look back over the past twelve months with great pride, we also acknowledge that the UVA community is continuing to heal from the tragic act of violence that ended in the loss of UVA students Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D'Sean Perry and injury of two others, Mike Hollins and Marlee Morgan. I have been moved to see the community come together in tribute, unity, and resilience.
Your support of UVA Health helped us reach new heights in 2022—achieving Comprehensive Cancer Center status, retaining our title as the #1 children's hospital in Virginia, recruiting outstanding new classes of nursing and medical students, and caring for every patient in our hospitals and clinics. All of this wouldn't be possible without your vision and generosity.
I hope you enjoy this latest digital edition of PULSE, which highlights just some of the vital work of UVA Health, which your support helps make possible. You will find a variety of engaging stories, including one about how Bill and Joanne Conway's extraordinary generosity is helping to address the nurse and nurse faculty shortage. And you'll read about Dean Marianne Baernholdt's bold vision for the School of Nursing in her vital new role. Plus, you'll learn about the transformative work of UVA neuroscientist Meghan Puglia, PhD, whose research on the connection between touch and infant neurological development landed her in a recent National Geographic cover story.
You'll also read about UVA Health's new 2022-2032 strategic plan, One Future Together: Health and Hope for All. It's an incredibly inclusive plan: Thousands of community members and UVA Health team members provided valuable input during the months-long strategic planning process, which was led by UVA Health CEO and Executive VP for Health Affairs Dr. Craig Kent, Chief Strategy Officer Jason Lineen, and the strategic planning committee. The plan outlines a number of ambitious initiatives focused on cultivating healthy communities and belonging, strengthening our foundation, expanding our excellence, and enabling discoveries for better health. In future issues of PULSE, we will keep you informed about how philanthropy can continue to support this new plan.
Thank you for being part of our family. We are sincerely grateful for your continued commitment to UVA Health and wish you and your family joy and peace in 2023!
Click here to see the full Winter 2022 issue of Pulse.
