Alumni, faculty and staff gathered for a day of learning and reminiscing at the Keck Medicine of USC Annual Meeting and Healthcare Conference. Held Oct. 18 on the Health Sciences Campus as part of Homecoming celebrations, the day consisted of an array of continuing medical education courses, a luncheon and a campus tour.

During the luncheon, attendees heard from Keck Medicine CEO Tom Jackiewicz, Keck School of Medicine of USC Dean Laura Mosqueda, MD, and Keck School Vice Dean for Medical Education Donna Elliott, MD, EdD. In addition to offering an overview of the growth and recognition of the past decade, highlighted by being named to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospitals Honor Roll, Jackiewicz emphasized that the ongoing success is due to teamwork and a dedication to patients.

Tom Jackiewicz addresses the crowd at the 2019 Keck Medicine Annual Meeting and Healthcare Conference. (Photo/Ricardo Carrasco III)

“At its core, we’re really committed to patient-centered care,” he said. “All the awards and accolades are really about taking care of everybody and treating them as a member of the Trojan Family. As we build, we’re really creating a legacy for USC.”

Part of the legacy is expanding the Keck Medicine footprint, which began with the opening of the Norris Healthcare Center — a clinical building that now is at capacity, he said. A new hotel, offering a place for patients’ families to stay while their loved ones undergo treatment, will open next summer, and a healing garden is being planned for the hospital rooftop, Jackiewicz added.

Mosqueda began her remarks by talking about how medical education has changed since she was at the Keck School, when students studied in libraries instead of online and memorized endless notes instead of having instant access to information at their fingertips. Today’s incoming students, however, will not begin practicing medicine until 2030 — which took her breath away, the dean said.

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t know what the practice of medicine is going to look like in 2030,” she said. “So it means that we have opportunity to have both a hand and a heart in shaping what that practice is going to look like,” guiding students toward offering the best possible care on behalf of their future patients and families.

Before the luncheon, alumni attended lectures on the latest in inflammatory bowel disease management, the principles of street medicine, advances in dermatology for skin of color and treating athletes so they can return to their sport. The day concluded with a tour of campus and an invitation to the Homecoming tailgate the following day.

— Melissa Masatani

Alumni, faculty and staff gathered at the annual event, which is held as part of Homecoming celebrations. (Photo/Ricardo Carrasco III)