President's Message
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t UMDNJ, we are looking to the future health of South Jersey and renewing the commitment this institution has made over the years to meeting many of the region’s most pressing needs. We take great pride in our position as a statewide asset with impact in every corner, every county of the Garden State.
The University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine (SOM) in Stratford is the nexus for a collaboration among our schools that brings an unparalleled scope and breadth of service to South Jersey. This medical school has grown since its founding in 1976 to become one of the top osteopathic institutions in the nation. Equally important, more than 80 percent of its students come from New Jersey and many from South Jersey. More than half will stay and practice in our state, and a good portion of them as much-needed primary care practitioners. Home to the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, the school has been recognized nationally and with millions of dollars in grants for its leadership in providing physicians-in-training with the skills needed to care for an aging population. This is particularly good news to the residents of South Jersey’s nearly 200 retirement communities.
Not only does SOM have a major stake in the southern part of our state, but also our School of Nursing, School of Public Health, School of Health Related Professions, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and New Jersey Dental School provide many clinical and educational services throughout the region. From dental services in Atlantic County to primary care for high risk populations in Cumberland County to community outreach services in Camden, our longstanding dedication to meeting the challenges in South Jersey continues.
I trust that the articles in this issue of UMDNJ Magazine will bring into sharper focus the contributions that this University makes in education, research, healthcare and community outreach to the entire state.
William F. Owen, Jr., MD
President of UMDNJ