Joslin Unveils New Strategic Plan
BOSTON — May, 2002 — The next decade offers important opportunities that, if seized now, can vastly improve the lives of people with diabetes and the lives of those at risk for the disease. Joslin's new Strategic Plan, released today, outlines how Joslin's Research, Clinical, Strategic Initiatives, and fundraising programs will expand on the Center's legacy of discovery and care in the years ahead.
According to Joslin President and Director C. Ronald Kahn, M.D., members of the Joslin staff and the Joslin Board of Trustees have been engaged in a strategic planning process for the past 9 months. "The goal of this process was to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities that surround the Joslin Diabetes Center, and to construct a plan for the Center and each of its components that will help guide us through the next five to ten years," says Dr. Kahn.
The results of this process are summarized in the booklet which may be downloaded by clicking here.
Diabetes affects 17 million Americans and is growing at epidemic proportions, the strategic plan notes, with a nearly 40 percent increase in diabetes in the past decade. It is now the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the cost to society is an estimated $105 billion annually.
Joslin's commitment to a single disease — diabetes — and its combination of clinical care, patient and professional education, and basic and clinical research all within a single organization makes it uniquely positioned to attack the diabetes problem on many different fronts. The strategic plan outlines in broad strokes Joslin's goals for fulfilling its ultimate mission: "To improve the lives of people with diabetes and its complications through innovative care, education and research that will lead to prevention and cure of the disease."
"As people read through this report, they should keep in mind that strategic planning is a living process," says Dr. Kahn. "While a great deal of time and effort was put forward to develop this plan, it will continue to evolve and expand as we begin to implement various aspects of this strategy."
