Leadership Letter

As we usher in a new decade, we reflect on the significant accomplishments of the past year and look forward with confidence that, with our campus partners, we will continue to advance each of our missions.  

For the first time in our nearly 150 year history, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have completed a joint strategic plan to dramatically shape the future of our academic medical center. Throughout the past two years, more than 180 leaders across dozens of areas within the hospital and the medical school came together with a single purpose of creating a bold, shared vision for excellence. This collaborative goal, to become a “Top 10 Academic Medical Center by 2020,” is the plan for Northwestern Medicine.

We are proud of this work and recognize the achievement of this strategic goal is dependent upon our continued commitment to attaining the highest standards; finding ways to improve quality and patient safety; becoming more efficient in how we deliver care and investing in areas of research that accelerate new medical knowledge leading to cures and treatments. Together with our campus and community partners, we will strive to increase research and training opportunities for the next generation of physicians, scientists and other healthcare professionals to help meet the current and future needs of the patients we are so privileged to serve.

Our affiliation with Lake Forest Hospital, now known as Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, is an important part of the Northwestern Medicine plan as it provides an opportunity for us to improve access to specialty care for residents of northern Cook and Lake counties. We look forward to collaborating with the hospital’s physicians and its dedicated employees and volunteers as we join our two organizations.   

While the economy this past 12 months has been unprecedented, we are proud that our disciplined approach to planning and strategy execution has assured Northwestern Memorial’s continued financial strength and growth. As a result, we have continued to meet the expanding needs of our community. 

I hope you find this online annual report informative and reflective of the excitement we share for our future. Thank you for your ongoing support of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare!

Thomas A. Cole
Chair of the Board
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare

Dean M. Harrison
President and Chief Executive Officer
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare

Arvydas D. Vanagunas, MD
Chief of Staff
Northwestern Memorial Hospital