the torch Winter 2014, Issue 4 | Page 4

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Two very positive developments are highlighted in this edition of the torch. We opened the beautiful new Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Waxahachie. This is one of the first hospitals to proudly carry our new name. This remarkable new facility sits at Interstate 35 and Highway 287 and will serve the fast-growing region to the south of Dallas. The other noteworthy development is the opening of the Baylor AT&T Memory Center located at Central and Park Lane. This comprehensive care site is staffed with extraordinary professionals to assist patients and their families with the challenges of dementia, including Alzheimer’s. It is open for business! Throughout the years, it has been my pleasure to share many examples of progress and growing momentum at Baylor. The combination with Scott & White is going well and, poignantly, system-wide 4 clinical leadership was at its very best when we were forced to deal with the ramifications of the Ebola crisis. Caregivers from throughout the Baylor Scott & White Health system came together singlemindedly with a thoughtful, comprehensive plan to deal with this challenge. Claudine Burton-Jeangros, a sociology professor at the University of Geneva said that panic over the disease springs from a paradox at the heart of modern life: “The more we master the world through science and technology the more frightened we are of those things we can’t control or understand. We live in very secure societies and like to think we know what will happen tomorrow. There is no place in our rational and scientific world for the unknown.” Fortunately, our caregivers are a remarkably cohesive medical community. By maintaining our culture and staying true to our mission, we not only respond effectively to the current challenges, but we also stand ready to take on the future with a positive outlook that honors the heritage of our institution. The current crisis will pass, but it will require diligent efforts throughout the System to maintain our momentum. However, with the assistance of the entire Baylor community, staff, patients and friends, I have no doubt that we will succeed. Rowland K. Robinson President Baylor Health Care System Foundation [email protected]