Children’s Memorial Medical Center In January Children’s Memorial Hospital announced its intention to build replacement facilities on another Chicago site. Faculty, employees, and consumers participated in a site selection survey that yielded four potential locations. A decision will be announced early in 2006 with groundbreaking expected in 2008. Opening is targeted for 2012. This year Children’s Memorial served more than 102,000 children, representing a 9 percent increase from last year. During the year, the hospital entered into new partnerships with Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield and Provena Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin. It also established a hospitalist program. The hospital managed a sweeping educational campaign as it began implementation of the electronic medical record and an electronic occurrence reporting system designed to enhance patient safety. Children’s Memorial Research Center expanded its programs from five to seven and recruited senior leadership to direct Human and Molecular Genetics, Cancer Biology and Epigenomics, and Experimental Therapeutics. The research center also instituted a popular new professional development program, Survivor Skills for Researchers, which covers such topics as grant writing, publishing, ethics, and public speaking. During the year, the Feinberg School’s General Clinical Research Center opened an ambulatory unit at Children’s Memorial. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the center provides inpatient and outpatient clinical research trials to advance the medical treatment of children. Research protocols support all pediatric subspecialty areas. The 31 first-year Northwestern McGaw pediatric residents based at Children’s Memorial were chosen out of 824 applicants from 90 medical schools around the country. Total residents number 84. Children’s Memorial Foundation had its most successful year ever, raising more than $55.6 million. Gifts included endowed positions for six faculty members and one for the chief nurse executive.

Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (ENH) is the top independent research hospital in Illinois and 12th multispecialty independent research hospital in the nation, in terms of funding from the National Institutes of Health. That research success translates into better and safer patient care. The hospitals of ENH (Evanston, Glenbrook, and Highland Park) exceed the national average in five of the eight Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services indicators for heart attack care, three of the four indicators for heart failure care, four of the six indicators for community acquired pneumonia, and both indicators for surgical infection prevention. Patient safety, as measured by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality indicators of the National Institutes of Health, is better at ENH hospitals than at other teaching hospitals. ENH’s complications and mortality rates also are better than average. The ENH Research Institute celebrated its ninth anniversary in 2005. Since its inception, the number of externally funded principal investigators has more than doubled, annualized external awards have increased more than ten-fold, and research space has increased five-fold. ENH values its long relationship with Northwestern University and continues to support the Feinberg School financially through its teaching programs and investments in such facilities as the ENH Pancoe Life Sciences Building on the Evanston campus. The completion of the Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Building provided additional research and faculty office space to continue collaborations on the hospital campus.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s ongoing focus on quality improvement has resulted in a number of efforts that have reinforced the hospital’s emphasis on quality and a culture of safety in patient care. Medical leaders and hospital management teams work collaboratively to identify areas for improvement, many of which were noted as Northwestern Memorial was named the sole winner of the 2005 National Quality Health Care Award from the National Committee on Quality Health Care. The Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute resumed NMH’s heart transplant program, and physicians are offering state-of-the-art treatments and conducting new research in cardiovascular care. During the year, construction of the new Prentice Women’s Hospital reached its midpoint while programs in women’s health are being developed and enhanced. Northwestern Memorial Foundation provided $24 million in grants to assist with hospital programs, research, education, and medical services in the community. Discussions are under way with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago to determine use of the former VA Lakeside Medical Center properties that were acquired by the two institutions for development. For the eighth year, Northwestern Memorial received the “Consumer’s Choice” award from Chicago area consumers in the National Research Corporation survey and the “most preferred” hospital recognition for the 11th consecutive year.

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), the nation’s first freestanding rehabilitation hospital, was founded in 1954 to help war veterans with disabling injuries return to productive, independent, and fulfilling lives. Since then, RIC has relentlessly pursued its mission of providing healing and hope, helping people of all ages achieve the best life possible. This dedication to excellence has earned RIC the ranking of “Best Rehabilitation Hospital in America” by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1991. In 2005 RIC became the first independent rehabilitation hospital in the country to receive the prestigious Magnet award for excellence in nursing services from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. RIC has earned worldwide recognition as a leader in patient care, advocacy, research, and educating health professionals in physical medicine and rehabilitation. It is known for expertise in treating a range of conditions, from the most complex conditions including spinal cord injury, stroke and traumatic brain injury, to the more common, such as arthritis, chronic pain, and sports injuries. Additionally, RIC is home to the largest rehabilitation research program in the country, including the only federally designated Stroke Rehabilitation and Research Center. Research at RIC includes the world’s most advanced prosthetic arm, a brain-machine interface to help people with stroke and spinal cord injury achieve greater levels of function and independence, and robots to help people with paralysis learn to walk again.

Jesse Brown VA Medical Center The Lakeside Outpatient Clinic continues to provide multispecialty outpatient care following the transfer of inpatient services in August 2003 to the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center’s main campus, located at 820 South Damen Avenue. The Lakeside property including the VA Medical Science Building has been acquired by NMH and RIC, which are leasing space back to VA to maintain an outpatient clinic on site through 2007. The VA has formed a management advisory council, comprising veterans, affiliates, and other stakeholders, to plan for the clinic’s future after 2007. The Jesse Brown VA Medical Center values its long affiliation with Northwestern University and continues to work with the Feinberg School to provide a full partnership in the Lakeside clinic and its main campus. At the main campus, 83 Northwestern residents work alongside residents from the University of Illinois at Chicago. A shuttle service provides transportation for Northwestern students, residents, and faculty members between the Lakeside clinic and the West Side campus, where a new 200-bed inpatient facility is projected to open in late 2007.

Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation The Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation (NMFF), the Feinberg School’s principal group practice of the full time faculty, reported 548,333 patient encounters and a physician membership of 546 during this fiscal year. Net clinical revenue exceeded $310 million for fy05, an increase of more than 8 percent from last year. NMFF revenue continues to support faculty salaries, and $16.6 million was transferred to the medical school’s departments, achieving budget targets for academic programs, recruitment, and space build outs. In addition, $14.4 million was transferred for unrestricted support of the Dean’s Research and Education Fund at the Feinberg School. Significant growth took place in cardiovascular services, transplant, and oncology programs. Major investment has been made in deployment of the electronic medical record and enhancing clinical services. Close collaboration with Northwestern Memorial Hospital has focused on quality improvement, patient safety, and risk management programs. Planning with the Feinberg School and NMH for joint program development has begun.