Celebrating our Bicentennial

August 6, 2010

This past winter, Mass General’s unparalleled commitment to making a global impact was put to the test when a massive earthquake devastated the island republic of Haiti. Hundreds of MGH staff members hail from Haiti, and as the entire hospital community came together to mourn, nearly 100 of our employees deployed as part of a large-scale relief effort to aid victims struggling with the unanticipated tragedy. In this issue, you have a chance to read about the incredible work of our volunteers — the unique set of challenges they faced in the immediate aftermath, the country’s difficult road to recovery and the courage of the Haitian people. I have never been more proud to be a part of this institution and to know that when disaster strikes, Mass General can and will respond.

Making real strides in health care worldwide, however, is not just about exporting expertise to neighbors in need. Mass General’s influence is derived also from its research enterprise, the world’s largest based in an independent hospital — and with this advan-tage comes a responsibility to ensure that the investigations conducted in labs throughout campus have a direct impact on patient care. This issue will give you an inside look at a group of MGH neurologists taking this responsibility to heart. Dedicated to making headway in the understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, a condition with no known cure, MGH physician-researchers are using leading-edge genetic analysis, imaging techniques and other scientific tools to advance our abilities to prevent, diagnose and treat this condition.

The patient is and always has been at the center of Mass General’s mission. No story reflects this mission better than our cover story, which features a team of clinicians whose work is giving renewed hope to patients diagnosed with late-stage melanoma. The results have been extraordinary and serve as an example of the promise of personalized medicine in cancer — drugs that beat back tumors by targeting a genetic abnormality that causes the cancer.

Mass General’s bicentennial year is an opportune time to celebrate visionary breakthroughs and to be thankful for the culture of collaboration that makes them possible. This fall, Mass General launches the Campaign for the Third Century of MGH Medicine — an ambitious capital campaign that will ensure that those with the vision to revolutionize medicine are able to do so for generations to come. Mass General is, first and foremost, a great hospital. But it is also much more: a powerhouse of scientific discovery, an intensive training ground for leaders in world medicine, a first responder and supportive partner to vulnerable communities at home and abroad, a laboratory of best practices and an advocate of innovative public policies. With the generous support of our friends, the Campaign for the Third Century of MGH Medicine will help make our vision for the future of medicine a reality.

Thank you for your interest in Mass General, and I hope you enjoy this issue of Mass General Magazine.