Opportunities and Challenges as We Begin a New Year

As we begin 2025, I'm energized by the remarkable progress we're making together. Our accomplishments over the past year demonstrate what's possible when exceptional people unite behind a shared mission.

Exciting things are happening on all of our campuses. Let’s begin with UCSF Health, whose rapid growth makes it the site with the greatest changes. The acquisitions of St. Mary's and St. Francis hospitals, alongside our new Bayfront Medical Building at Mission Bay and the upcoming ambulatory building at Power Station, represent more than just expansion – they're opportunities to make UCSF-quality care available to more people around the Bay. The new Parnassus Hospital tower, on track for completion in 2030, will further transform how we serve our patients. This growth will be accompanied by a significant expansion in our faculty numbers and an increase in the proportion of faculty whose primary focus is clinical care.

We're meeting the economic challenges of academic medicine head-on. While maintaining our commitment to patient access, we're embracing innovation through targeted AI initiatives. Our new multi-campus Division of Clinical Informatics and Digital Transformation (DoC-IT) is leading this charge, laying groundwork for tools that will meaningfully enhance our clinical work without compromising our human touch. I’m pleased that the UCSF Health System is expanding the use of AI to support our clinicians, beginning with making digital scribes available to our faculty practicing in ambulatory clinics starting this month. In the next few years, I expect to see more digital tools rolled out to support our faculty, trainees, and staff across our sites and supporting all our missions. The DOM will continue to take a leading role in implementing and studying these innovations.

In 2025, the opportunities in research are extraordinary. Our department continues to excel across clinical, translational, and basic science, supported by several DOM, SOM, and campus initiatives:

  ‣‣ The PRIDE Building at ZSFG and the upcoming Baker Research and Academic Building (BRAB) at Parnassus provide vital new spaces for discovery. The opening of the BRAB will also trigger the start of a process to upgrade the other research space at Parnassus, particularly the towers;

  ‣‣ Our novel DOM funding mechanisms – particularly iRAPS and NIH+ – are helping to support our innovative research community with tangible resources;

  ‣‣ Improved data access, facilitated by the DOM Data Core, is providing new opportunities for data-driven improvement activities and investigations. We are pleased that ZSFG is facilitating access to its Epic data, which will allow us to help improve care and conduct research that includes our diverse populations;

  ‣‣ The VA's long-awaiting modernization of its health record system in the next few years should also create new research opportunities.

In addition to these programs, the DOM has launched several initiatives to support our research community, including the Physician-Scientist Career Development Program (PSCDP), the Pre-Proposal Application Review (PREPARE) program, and the Diversity in Basic Science (DiBS) program. In an era of exciting scientific breakthroughs in areas such as gene editing, tumor immunology, precision medicine, and tissue engineering, the department is positioned to be an international leader.

Our educational programs have emerged stronger post-Covid, reinvigorated by our culture of mentorship and continuous learning. I am particularly pleased by the energy in the room as the vast majority of our educational conferences now take place in person. The DOM’s Program for Clinician-Educator Success (PRO-Cess) continues to bring together our outstanding educational faculty to share ideas and build community. Lekshmi Santhosh's leadership as our new Associate Chair for People Development and Mentorship will further strengthen our efforts to help our people achieve their professional goals.

Yes, we face challenges – shifting healthcare policies, uncertain NIH funding dynamics, the cost of housing in the Bay Area, a tight city budget, and some political threats to the VA and to efforts to build and support a diverse and inclusive community. But I've never been more confident in our ability to meet these challenges or more committed to defending our core values and the uniqueness of our community at a time of change.

Thank you for your dedication to our mission. Your work makes a difference every day, and I'm proud to be part of this remarkable team as we push the boundaries of what's possible.

Here's to a productive and impactful 2025.

Robert Wachter, MD
Chair, UCSF Department of Medicine
Holly Smith Distinguished Professor of Science and Medicine
Lynne and Marc Benioff Endowed Chair in Hospital Medicine