Drew University Is an Asset to Hospital

Re “King/Drew at a Critical Point,” editorial, Feb. 7: We concur with Navigant that Charles Drew University of Medicine is an asset and strength to King/Drew Medical Center. Many of our nation’s best hospitals are affiliated with a university.

This community deserves excellence in care, and excellence in care is associated with teaching hospitals.

King/Drew has distinguished itself from other similar public or private institutions by investing in academic programs to train physicians and allied health workers to specifically care for Los Angeles’ sickest and poorest populations.

While clearly more work and reforms must be achieved to ensure consistent high-quality training at Drew University, significant progress has been made:

* Nine of 10 residency programs administered by Drew University have received full accreditation by National Residency Review committees in 2004.

* The Drew board has added four new members, two of whom are nationally prominent academicians, one a former president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the other a former Institute of Medicine chairman.

* More than 75% of the Drew/UCLA undergraduate medical students consistently express a commitment to practice in underserved communities, far above the national average.

* Last year, the National Institutes of Health awarded Drew University faculty more than $20 million in research grants.

To improve the quality of care at King/Drew, we must ensure that it remains an academic medical institution by improving its partnership with Drew University and strengthening collaborations with UCLA and other UC campuses.

Cornelius Hopper MD

Chair, Steering Committee on the Future of the King/Drew Medical Center

Los Angeles