During my tenure as president and CEO of UCSF Health, two principles consistently drove my decisions: Always do what’s in the best interest of patients, and continually look for opportunities to improve care.
As I prepare to retire at the end of this year, I am proud that during my tenure, UCSF School of Dentistry Dean Mike Reddy and I were able to start on a shared journey, based on these principles, that ultimately will benefit patients.
UCSF has world-class medical and dental care. I’m a patient of UCSF Health and UCSF Dentistry and personally can vouch for the expertise of both organizations’ clinicians. Our vision is to create an environment where they can work together to treat patients more holistically and elevate the quality of care and experiences. We can do this by bringing the best of our multidisciplinary care under one roof, sharing a medical record and coordinating visits.
Given the synergistic relationship between oral health and overall wellness, this more comprehensive approach to oral and medical care simply makes sense and positions UCSF to be a leader in breaking down barriers between the fields of dentistry and medicine.
Thanks to this partnership, dental patients suffering chronic conditions will have more seamless access to the medical care they need, and UCSF Health patients will be able to easily tap into specialized oral care. In fact, we already partner to bring oral care to pediatric patients at the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay, and to cancer patients. Working together also will foster an environment of collaboration and innovation among our clinical, teaching and research programs.
UCSF Health has grown from a hospital to a health system, and now has affiliations with top-notch medical organizations throughout the Bay Area. We didn’t grow just to become larger; our goal is to make our specialty care more accessible, to more people, in their own neighborhoods. Creating a network of care also has implications for improving the oral health of millions of people throughout our community.
I can think of no better place than UCSF to have spent the past 21 years of my career and am grateful for the many partnerships, such as with Mike and UCSF Dentistry, that will have a lasting effect on the health of millions.
- Mark R. Laret
President & CEO, UCSF Health
