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access to excellence:  the school of medicine announces a comprehensive capital campaign

Now the School of Medicine is about to write an exciting new chapter in its own story with an initiative of transformative power: a $70 million comprehensive capital campaign.

The first comprehensive capital campaign in the School of Medicine’s history, Access to Excellence will help us build a state-of-the-art home for the School of Medicine, increase funding for scholarships and professorships, and create vital new research centers and programs.

“Access to Excellence is a campaign of strategic investment that will elevate TUSM to a higher plane,” says Dean John M. Daly, MD ’73.

A New Home, An Era of Transformation

Central to Access to Excellence is the construction of our new medical education and research building, the first new structure to be built for the School of Medicine in 40 years and the largest capital project in Temple University history.

Ground was broken a year ago for the impressive new landmark, and the steel is rising quickly.  We are on schedule for May 2009 occupancy. At a minimum cost of $160 million (it will cost an additional $20 million during Phase II to complete the final two research floors), the 480,000 square foot facility will nearly double the School’s current amount of space, and its flexible design will be the ideal platform for our new curriculum.

The new building isn’t the sole focus of our campus improvement; existing facilities are being upgraded too. We have invested $33 million to renovate classrooms, laboratories, lecture halls, study areas, and other facilities during the past several years.

“By the end of the campaign,” says Dean Daly, “the School of Medicine’s physical plant will be nothing short of transformed.”

Temple Rising

In addition to its focus on TUSM’s physical plant, Access to Excellence will also benefit students, faculty and research.

We must continue to invest in scholarships to ensure that medical education at Temple remains accessible to students of all backgrounds, to compete for top candidates, and to ease the debt burden of our graduates, which now averages more than $150,000 per student.  Although we have increased scholarship funds
by an impressive 76 percent in recent years, we still have too few scholarship dollars available.

We must continue to invest in our faculty. Endowed chairs are essential to the recruitment and retention of superb faculty. We plan to hire at least 60 additional basic scientists and clinicians once the new building opens, and funded positions are key to attracting and retaining the very best scholars.

Finally, we must invest in research, an enterprise essential not only to the quality of education we provide, but also to advancing patient care and to the school’s overall stature within academic medicine.

These four major campaign objectives—facilities, student scholarship, faculty support, and research funding—constitute Temple’s plan for renewed vigor, building on the excellent momentum we have gained in recent years.

The Goal of Exceptional Training

Most people familiar with Temple are aware that it operates within a community that has considerable challenges. Temple serves more medical assistance patients than any other health system in Pennsylvania, and provided over $100 million in uncompensated care last year alone.

Despite the challenge, Temple maintains a steadfast commitment to its community. From a practical standpoint, there is much to be gained from the “roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-to-work” environment for which the school is known. Temple students are exceptionally well trained. Moreover, there’s a nearly palpable sense of loyalty fostered among those who teach, serve and learn here.

This is why the Access to Excellence campaign is so important: We provide exceptional training and service today — and want to become even better at fulfilling this mission tomorrow.

The School’s alumni have benefited from the unique experience that Temple offers. Therefore, their involvement is essential for an even stronger TUSM as the future unfolds.

We ARE Access to Excellence

In recent years, the support of alumni and friends has set TUSM on a path of progress that is strengthening every dimension of the School. We are proud that there has been a dramatic rise in philanthropy, from $3 million in fiscal year 1997 to $12.8 million in fiscal year 2007. In addition to the overall increase in total dollars donated annually, the number of alumni who have become donors increased from 22 percent in 2002 to 30 percent in 2007.

“These results indicate that alumni and faculty are increasingly proud of TUSM and understand the importance of their investment in the School,” says Dean Daly.

As a result of that investment, more of the nation’s best students and most accomplished faculty members are choosing to study and work at Temple.

“The Access to Excellence campaign is as essential to TUSM’s success as TUSM was to our success,” says Sandra Harmon-Weiss, MD ’74, one of the three volunteer chairs of the campaign.

Dr. Harmon-Weiss and campaign co-chairs E. Ronald Salvitti, MD ’63, and Solomon Luo, MD, Res ’86, have pledged more than $1.5 million of their own resources to Access to Excellence.

“We want to inspire our colleagues to make additional commitments both large and small,” says Dr. Harmon-Weiss, noting that campaign participation gives the TUSM story an exciting new direction—for today’s students and faculty and for those yet to come.

“This campaign is critical to the School’s short-and long-term efforts, so we are asking all alumni to consider the impact the School has had on their careers, and give back appropriately and generously,” says Dr. Harmon-Weiss. “We have all benefited from our medical education, and collectively have the power to
help strengthen our alma mater.”

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By Giselle Zayon

From Temple Medicine Philanthropy Report Issue

Fall/Winter 2007

Contact Information:

Office of News Communications
Eryn Jelesiewicz, Director
Phone: (215) 707-0730
Fax: (215) 707-2940
eryn.jelesiewicz@temple.edu