Project Launch Letter
Dear Colleagues,
As I have been sharing in town hall meetings and with many groups of GW-associated stakeholders for a few months, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) stands at a pivotal juncture.
Both the local and broader health environments are in the midst of rapid change, and we must position ourselves for a flourishing and sustainable future. We have a great opportunity to do so, by envisioning what our future could and should look like and by making strategic choices to get there. This planning work will involve contributions from the entire SMHS community, enabling us to align with the path forward.
To that end, we have launched the SMHS Strategic Envisioning initiative.
Why Now? Key Drivers Shaping Our Future
A New Clinical Horizon
Our recent agreement with Universal Health Services (UHS) transitioning clinical services to our new affiliate, Capital Medical Group (CMG), provides a more sustainable structure that protects and elevates GW’s academic, research, and clinical training missions.
External Pressures & Opportunities
While navigating complex environmental shifts (including evolving NIH funding landscapes, economic headwinds in higher education, and rapid transformations in health care) we must actively pursue strategic opportunities to build agile, innovative models for academic success.
GW Institutional Alignment
Our SMHS strategic envisioning effort must align with the GW Strategic Framework, ensuring SMHS priorities actively shape and reinforce the university's broader vision.
Process & Timeline (August 2026 – April 2027)
This initiative will run through April 2027, structured across three core phases and concluding with university endorsement:
- Phase 1: Setting the Stage (Aug–Oct): Baseline analysis, data gathering, environmental analysis (local and national markets) and stakeholder alignment.
- Phase 2: Idea Generation & Prioritization (Sep–Dec): Broad community engagement, town halls, and feedback synthesis.
- Phase 3: Mapping the Future (Dec–Feb): Drafting core strategic priorities, actionable goals, and success metrics.
- Finalization & Rollout (Feb–Apr): Socializing and refining the roadmap across departments, securing final approval, and transitioning to execution.
Shared Leadership & Next Steps
We — the big WE — all of us in SMHS need to own this process. While we have engaged ECG Management Consultants to provide specialized analytical and facilitation support, it is important for our SMHS team to lead this effort and to make the broad contributions for it to be successful.
To guide this work, I am pleased to announce the SMHS Strategic Envisioning Steering Committee, which will oversee data synthesis and community engagement:
| Steering Committee Member | Title |
|---|---|
| Andy Artenstein | Interim Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean, SMHS |
| Nancy Gaba | Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Alison Hall | Senior Associate Dean for Research and Interim Director, GW Cancer Center |
| Julie Lloyd | HR Director for SMHS, SON |
| LaQuandra Nesbitt | Senior Associate Dean for Population Health and Health Equity |
| Lorenzo Norris | Senior Associate Dean for Education |
| Hellen Olumilua | Director, SMHS Administration/Operations |
| Nancy Rambo | Associate Dean for Finance |
| Mary Lynn Reed | Senior Counsel |
| Colleen Roche | Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education |
| Zareen Zaidi | Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Development |
| Kelly Gebo | Dean, Milken Institute School of Public Health |
| Susan Kelly-Weeder | Dean, School of Nursing |
| Sara VanDommelen | Research Administrator (SMHS Strategic Envisioning Project Manager) |
| John Carfagno | Director, Communications and Marketing (Ex Officio, SMHS Strategic Envisioning Committee Member for Communications) |
Over the coming weeks, you will receive invitations to participate in working groups, town halls, and surveys. SMHS staff who attended the SMHS Staff Retreat were the first to participate. SMHS staff who were not able to attend, faculty, students, and other important stakeholders will soon be invited. Your candid perspectives and your best, informed thinking about what our future could look like are critical as we build this strategic roadmap.
Sincerely,
Andrew W. Artenstein, MD, MBA
Interim Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
The George Washington University
