We take great pride in this commitment. It stands at the very core of who we are and what we aspire to be. Organizationally, it is essential that we invest in the people, facilities, and technologies that set us apart and support our three missions-patient care, medical education, and biomedical research. Professionally, we are committed to being international leaders in patient care, successful providers of high-quality service, and good partners with our health care colleagues both within the state's borders and beyond.

It is impossible to illustrate all the ways in which an academic medical center like this one makes a difference in the lives of people or the well-being of the world. Perhaps this difference-making capacity begins with our longstanding commitment to indigent patient care, dating all the way back to our earliest beginnings over a century ago. Even as we move into a new era in medicine based on our three-part mission of service to all Iowans, taking care of the underserved defi nes our reason for being. It is not the only reason, of course, but it is a core reason for our very existence. It is one of the most signifi cant ways in which we are relevant to the residents of this great state-making a difference in the lives of real people with real needs. The day we lose sight of this relevance is the day we lose sight of our reason for being. And no organization, no matter how great, can long continue without a reason for being.

To demonstrate just a few ways in which we make a difference, this report focuses on people-either staff members who are making a difference for others, or patients who are making a difference for others because we made a difference for them.

We hope you enjoy their stories.

At the same time, there is no way that every deserving person's story can be told. Literally thousands of others from all walks of life have compelling stories to tell thanks to the vitality of this institution. There simply isn't room in this publication to share them all.

To each and every one of you, however, we say "thank you." Thank you for recognizing our role as the state's comprehensive, tertiary provider of health care services. Thank you for supporting our commitment to high-quality patient care for all people, regardless of income. Thank you for helping us make a difference.

R. Edward Howell
Director and CEO
UI Hospitals and Clinics

R. Edward Howell has taught a class in Health Management and Policy every year since his appointment as director and CEO of UI Hospitals and Clinics in 1994. In this and other ways, he is truly making a difference in the lives of young people aspiring to careers in health care. Howell, in fact, describes himself as an educator who happens to be managing a major teaching hospital. That's because many of his career highlights are related to teaching and education. His current appointment as a clinical professor in the UI College of Public Health is nothing new. He served as a faculty member at the University of Minnesota and Medical College of Georgia when he held professional appointments at those institutions. Howell also recently concluded a term as chairman of the Iowa Business Council, a catalyst for economic development in Iowa. He is the only hospital executive in Iowa ever to head the organization.