Dear Rush University,
After spending some time integrating myself back into the Rush University community, having many wonderful conversations and learning from university members, I am thoroughly excited for what lies ahead.
For the first few months I have and will continue to meet with students, faculty and staff to better understand their goals and the needs of the university. Partnering with the deans from each college, Rush University will be able to achieve even greater excellence and together we will have a positive impact on health care by training the next generation of leaders.
It is truly wonderful to be back at Rush University and I am grateful to now have a strategic role leading a distinguished and dedicated health care university. There were many reasons why I chose to come back to the west side of Chicago but quite frankly it can be summed up in just a few words: "There is something special about RUSH."
With a rich history full of trailblazers throughout health care, RUSH has become a system whose mission is dedicated to caring for the communities we serve and maintaining its place as an institution dedicated to excellence in patient care, research and education. Rush University creates and fosters a passion to serve among our students and I am excited to help continue that during my time as president.
It is an exciting time at Rush University. As I have observed and listened to many in the RUSHU community since my start in April, it is clear that the university and system are growing. Our goal is to facilitate the continued growth and development of our research and educational programs to complement our clinical care, community service and health equity mission. Now, more than ever, the university has many opportunities to emerge as a leader in health care drawing upon the success of the teacher practitioner model Rush has been famous for.
The university has made many significant advances, with each college seeing successes. From the College of Nursing continually being ranked among the best in the nation, to the College of Health Sciences producing award winning programs in respiratory care, to the success of our Anchor Mission in Rush Medical College, Rush University continues to shine as a beacon of excellence.
To continue to build on these successful programs at the university, we must work together to invest in our academic spaces and research programs. Investing in our spaces and recruiting our academic leadership roles is a priority for the university. We will also be looking for ways to continue to invest and develop our research programs. We have already started this by creating the Rush to Progress Pilot grant process with over $1M in funds to stimulate the best and brightest faculty to pursue their research projects.
I continue to be impressed by the students, faculty and staff that I have met, their love for the RUSH community and their passion to create a better future for the communities they serve and beyond.
Best,
Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA
President, Rush University
