Summer’s Here! At Work or Play, Stay Focused

Good morning.

Even with “University” at the front of our institution’s name and training health care professionals as our charter function, there is one distinct difference between us and other universities in Mississippi: We don’t slow down during the summer months.

Last week’s commencement wasn’t a signal that the Medical Center operation goes into brief hibernation. That’s just not who we are. Our clinical care operations are, of course, 365/24/7, but our six schools also remain active year-round. New students are already on campus, and we are gearing up new residents to onboard on July 1. Research studies never take a break, either. New discoveries are happening every day.

I encourage you to request to take a personal break this summer (and I mean actually break away, including email, unless there is an emergency). But when you’re here, stay engaged and keep working toward our goals. We’re nearing the end of the fiscal year and still have lots to get done.

Earlier this week, we held a working-group meeting for our institutional strategic plan, UMMC 2030. The first year of the five-year plan is winding up, and as I heard updates from each of the executives who are leading the five strategies, I was encouraged by how much we’ve been able to accomplish this year – with more to come.

We’re able to reach or exceed our targets because of your hard work and dedication. Keep it up! We need to stay focused, even when thoughts of vacation or R&R fill our minds. Your work is important and can be vital to an entire state’s population. So, when you’re out of office, commit to that. But, when you’re here, stay committed to your role in helping us get closer to A Healthier Mississippi.