UW Medicine Strategic Plan Accomplishments

UW Medicine's mission is to improve the health of the public


The UW Medicine strategic plan supports the three major activities that advance this mission: providing outstanding patient care and health promotion programs, advancing medical knowledge through research; and training the next generation of healthcare professionals and scientists. The patient care, teaching and research activities must be integrated effectively to support better care for individual patients, better health for the population and reduced per capita costs for patients. 

STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES are intended to advance UW Medicine's mission:

  • Review and strengthen centers of excellence and other core clinical programs;
  • Deliver consistent, excellent service and improve patient access;
  • Improve UW Medicine’s strategic outreach to patients and healthcare professionals throughout the WWAMI region;
  • Identify or develop additional primary and secondary care services in strategically placed locations in the local market that align with UW Medicine’s tertiary and quaternary care activities;
  • Enhance the quality, cost-effectiveness and integration of UW Medicine’s educational programs to address the region’s healthcare workforce needs and to maximize the focus of future healthcare professionals on quality, safety, efficiency and reduction of per capita cost;
  • Enhance the integration of UW Medicine’s research programs to promote rapid and effective translation of research from laboratory to clinical settings; and
  • Incorporate strategic financial modeling with sophisticated analyses and long range plans as a component of all major initiatives.
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Five Priority Areas

  • Build key clinical programs. Improve existing patient care programs that are central to UW Medicine’s ongoing success in improving health and develop new programs suited to UW Medicine’s preeminence in specialized tertiary and quaternary care.
  • Build networks and affiliations. Develop strategic affiliations and alliances locally and throughout the region that support our ability to improve health; broaden clinical programs in primary and secondary care to support the needs of our patients, sustain our referral base, and secure our ability to serve as an Accountable Care Organization with a strong focus on reducing per capita cost.
  • Deliver excellent service. Enhance UW Medicine’s ability to deliver excellent care by ensuring that all care and service provided are outstanding, compassionate, timely, coordinated and complete.
  • Deliver high-quality, safe and effective patient care. Implement initiatives to maintain the highest quality care and safety standards that support UW Medicine’s mission of improving health.
  • Enhance the integration of research, teaching and patient care. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of services that support UW Medicine’s core activities of research, teaching and patient care on behalf of improving health through workforce development, human resources, facilities growth and renovation, and information technology advances.

Major Accomplishments and Activities through 12/2011


Build key clinical programs

  • Completed construction and opening of the new Vascular Clinic at HMC.
  • Completed remodel and opening of the new Otolaryngology Clinic at UWMC.
  • Completed capital planning for an additional Cardiac Catheterization Lab and new Electrophysiology Lab at NWH supported by UW Medicine Regional Heart Center.
  • Completed plans with UW Athletics and lease for UWMC to operate a new 30,000 sq ft UW Medicine Spine & Sports Medicine Clinic in the renovated Husky Stadium which will be completed in 2013.
  • Construction on schedule for 2012 completion of the UW Medical Center Tower. Secured approval to increase Phase I scope to shell-in additional floors and upgrade HVAC for stem cell transplant unit.

Build networks and affiliations

  • Valley Medical Center in Renton, WA joined UW Medicine on July 1, 2011 as our fourth hospital.
  • Continued strategic plan implementation at Northwest Hospital: relocated UW Medicine’s orthopedic joint replacement program and OB midwife program to NWH; completed planning for June 2013 relocation of UW Medicine multiple sclerosis program to NWH.
  • Strengthened regional strategic outreach plan with hospitals throughout WWAMI region and increased interfacility transfers for tertiary and quaternary care from the region.
  • Expanded the UW Neighborhood Clinic: Kent Des Moines expanded by 5,000 sq ft to house the UW Pediatric Residency program supported by Seattle Children’s; opened the new Ravenna Clinic; completed plans for the new Northgate Clinic opening in March 2012.

Deliver excellent service

  • Completed first year of the “Patients Are First” initiative, held four Leadership Development Institutes and developed standard metrics and goals for UW Medicine health system that are now reported quarterly.
  • Expanded Transfer Center to serve all four hospitals in UW Medicine health system; regional transfer center patient volume increased by 8% this past year.
  • Completed implementation of the Contact Center for HMC and UW Neighborhood Clinics and launched implementation for the first four clinics at UWMC.

Deliver high-quality, safe and effective patient care

  • Improved HMC and UWMC scores for UHC quality and safety rankings.
  • Established quality and safety projects and assessment tools for all UW Medicine sites.
  • Launched and funded five additional safety and quality improvement initiatives.
  • Expanded activities and facilities in the Institute for Simulation and Interprofessional Studies (ISIS).
  • Established UW Medicine Board Patient Safety and Quality Committee.
  • Implemented planning for medical school and residency curricula improvements that expand the focus on training physicians who deliver high-quality, safe and cost-effective patient care.

Enhance support for research, teaching and patient care

  • Completed a major EPIC hardware and software upgrade to the most current version for the system.
  • Deployed EPIC ambulatory electronic medical record, scheduling and registration and pro fee billing (through UWP) for Summit Cardiology at NWH.
  • Completed planning for Cerner Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) for a go-live in spring 2012.
  • Integrating clinical data system-wide using AMALGA from Microsoft.
  • Advancing UW Medicine strategic research construction underway for South Lake Union Phase III.
  • Planning expansion of GME training programs for the region in high-demand specialties. 

UW Medicine Strategic Plan (PDF)
Strategic Plan Update - 9/20/2012 (PDF)