The 50th anniversary celebration gives us a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge our many achievements in medical education, research, patient care and community service. As a world class academic medical center, the University of Miami School of Medicine should take great pride in its accomplishments throughout a half-century.

The founders of the School of Medicine were true visionaries. They anticipated the tremendous need for excellence in medical care within our community, and set into motion the plan for a facility that now treats more than 1,000,000 patients annually.

I would like to congratulate every member of the School of Medicine family on its past successes and I am excited about the potential for groundbreaking achievements in the 21st century.