More than 150 members of the Katz community—including faculty, staff, and students—gathered in the Maurice J. Stone, MD Commons on March 6 for Inspiring Excellence Splash Day, an open-house event dedicated to exploring Inspiring Excellence 2024-2029—Katz’s roadmap for the future. 
Throughout the afternoon, attendees enjoyed snacks and refreshments, connected with colleagues, and had the chance to meet with the Dean, who stopped by multiple times to engage in discussions and hear firsthand from community members. 

With each workgroup hosting its own table, attendees engaged directly with workgroup champions and volunteers who are leading and implementing Katz’s strategic initiatives. These faculty and staff shared updates on progress since the plan’s launch last summer, discussing key tactics and what’s on the horizon. A dedicated table also provided information about the upcoming LCME accreditation visit in April, ensuring the community is informed and prepared. Attendees were encouraged to visit the LCME portal hub to learn more. 
Beyond conversation, attendees participated in interactive engagement activities, including a video featuring workgroup champions discussing their initiatives. They also had the chance to share feedback through post-it prompts, offering valuable insights: 

📌 What excites you most about the plan? 

• “I love how there are plans to improve staff relationships and provide tons of helpful resources.” 
• “Office for community engagement.” 
• “More tech.” 

📌 How do you feel about the plan? 

• “Exciting.” 
• “Inspiring.” 
• “Optimistic.” 

Several attendees also commented on the event itself, calling it a “good format for providing info” and noting that the community “needs more of these updates.” 
As attendees visited tables, they marked each one-off, with those who completed all stops eligible for a giveaway or Katz swag. With more than 33 entries, three staff members - Michaela Baus, Lenette Graham, and Doris Straface - and one student - Jacqueline Woo - were randomly selected as winners.

The event was a testament to the enthusiasm and commitment of the Katz community. As we continue to implement the plan, your engagement and insights will help drive meaningful progress. 
Members of the Katz community and the general public can always visit the Inspiring Excellence section of the portal to learn more about the plan and stay updated on our progress. 

Explore the Portal

📍 Posters showcasing progress on each of the strategic plan initiatives are on display on the 11th floor for the next two weeks—stop by to take a look! 

The first class of approximately 40 students at the new campus is expected to begin their studies in August 2027 and graduate in May 2031.

The Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and WellSpan Health have formalized an agreement that will establish a new regional campus for Temple’s medical school to be located in York County, Pennsylvania. The agreement comes after the two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore the opportunity this past summer. 

Read more here.

Katz is building the future of medical education, research, and community impact—and you are part of it.

Join us on Thursday, March 6, from 11 AM – 2 PM in the Maurice J. Stone, MD Commons for Inspiring Excellence Splash Day, an open-house event where you can:
✅ Explore Inspiring Excellence 2024-2029, Katz’s bold roadmap for the future.
✅ Meet the champions and workgroup members leading the charge.
✅ See our progress in action and share your input as we continue shaping what’s next.
✅ Enjoy light snacks, coffee, and tea—plus chances to win exciting giveaways!

This strategic plan isn’t just words on a page—it’s a living, breathing effort that will propel Katz forward, and we want every voice in our community to be part of it. The dean will drop by throughout the event, and there will be engagement activities to connect with colleagues and learn more about the plan’s key initiatives.

Stop by, sharpen your pencil, and help shape the future of Katz!

📍 Thursday, March 6 | 11 AM – 2 PM
📍 Maurice J. Stone, MD Commons (MERB)

Since the rollout of Inspiring Excellence, Katz’ Strategic Plan 2024–2029 this summer, the Lewis Katz School of Medicine community has come together to begin work on implementation. Implementation workgroups, composed of members from across the Katz community have been working steadily to build the foundation for advancing the plan’s initiatives.

A key component of the plan’s development was crafting new mission and vision statements for the school:

Our Mission

To align with our diverse communities to advance medicine and improve health through education, research, training, and the development of the next generation of clinicians, educators, and scientists.

Our Vision

To inspire a new standard of excellence in education and research while leading social change in medicine.

The plan is rooted in a deep commitment to not just saying or sharing our mission and vision, but living them.

"I begin every meeting with our mission and vision, and I encourage other leaders to do the same. It sets the tone and helps ensure that we keep a focus on these critical guideposts, both in our day-to-day work and as we build towards the future,” Dean Goldberg explained.

Tactics to Support our Strategic Priorities

The strategic plan lays out ambitious goals that align with Katz’s mission to advance medicine and improve health. These include expanding education and training programs, growing research capabilities, attracting and retaining top talent, fostering a sense of community and well-being, ensuring access to affordable education, and building a sustainable foundation for the school’s future.

Achieving these goals requires thoughtful tactics, developed as part of the plan and further refined by the implementation workgroups. For example, the focus on fostering a dynamic research environment includes enhancing and aligning organizational recruitment and retention strategies for research and clinical service areas, and establishing an Office for Research Development, including a formal operating plan. Tactics to enhance program offerings to attract and support diverse students include expanding support services like counseling and academic assistance, and conducting a targeted campaign to raise funds for tuition scholarships. These and other strategies are detailed in the initiative sections of the portal, where the full range of tactics can be explored.

Infrastructure to Ensure Momentum

In September, Samar Khan joined Katz as Project Manager for Strategic Initiatives, bringing experience from the Fox School of Business. As part of the Dean’s Office, Khan collaborates with school leadership, implementation workgroups, and various departments to oversee progress, ensuring that efforts align with the school’s long-term goals and that the school achieves its strategic vision through consistency, adaptability, and ongoing alignment.

Building on a Foundation of Collaboration

The implementation workgroups play a critical role in translating the strategic plan into actionable steps. Each group is led by dedicated champions who provide leadership, foster collaboration, and guide the group’s focus around implementation. These champions work together to ensure that processes are efficient, ideas are practical, and the overall goals are met.

The workgroups themselves represent the depth and diversity of the Katz community, drawing on members from various departments, roles, and locations, including the university and the health system. Faculty, staff, and other stakeholders collaborate to bring a wide range of perspectives to the table, ensuring that solutions are inclusive and effective. You can view the full list of workgroup members in the portal section dedicated to each initiative.

These individuals are not only leaders in their respective areas but also collaborators who are taking on this work in addition to their regular responsibilities. Their participation and engagement highlight their dedication to Temple’s mission and shared purpose.

Dean Goldberg shared her gratitude, saying, "I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the members of the strategic plan steering committee, and the implementation workgroups and their champions. They have embraced the important work of mapping how we will move our priorities forward. Together, our Temple Family is not just imagining the future of medicine - we are building it."

Reaching a Milestone: A New Regional Campus

A major milestone was reached in September with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Lewis Katz School of Medicine and WellSpan Health to establish a new regional medical campus in York County. This proposed campus will mark Katz’s second regional campus, adding to the existing partnership with St. Luke’s University Health Network in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The collaboration will bring Katz’s nationally recognized medical education to central Pennsylvania, with the first class of approximately 40 students beginning in August 2027 and graduating in May 2031. The campus will employ more than 100 Katz faculty and a staff of 30, and it is expected to contribute to innovations in research and clinical trials while advancing WellSpan’s existing residency and fellowship programs.

Explore the Plan