Mission & Vision

Mission

In all aspects of fulfilling this mission, the Long School of Medicine is committed to fostering the broadest diversity and inclusion that ensures successful achievement of the institutional priorities to:

• Cultivate a pervasive, adaptive and respectful environment promoting diversity, inclusion, equity, professionalism, humanism and opportunity
• Provide exemplary medical education and training to a diverse body of health career professionals at all levels while fostering a commitment to scholarship, leadership and life-long learning across the educational continuum.
• Build and sustain recognized leadership, and advance scholarship excellence across the biomedical and health-related research spectrum
• Deliver exemplary and compassionate health care to enhance every patient's quality of life
• Serve as a responsive resource to address community health needs whether local or global
• Attain health equity for the diverse patient population of South Texas.

Vision

To use our shared values as a foundation to create an innovative and unified team that will transform health and health care in not only our diverse community but in the broader world as well.

Values

• Humility- We hold truth more important than individual accolades
• Courage- We believe resilience in the face of adversity enhances the implementation of innovation
• Inclusion- We believe that our differences make us stronger and more creative
• Integrity- We keep our promises even when it is costly
• Empathy- We will take the time to share each other’s joys and sorrows
• Transparency- We will do nothing without those the action affects
• Accountability- We will own every problem we encounter
• Innovation- We will continually strive for healthier lives for our patients, as well as our students, staff, and faculty

These shared values were derived from two all-day retreats and then faculty meetings with every department. The faculty and staff agreed upon the definition of these shared values, such that when one value was used to justify a decision, everyone knew and agreed upon its meaning. These shared definitions thus became the basis for discussion, persuasion, and decision-making. They became the basis for relationships between team members, and the rationale for professional behavior. The shared meaning of these values were termed the Sanguis Anima, Latin for “Lifeblood of the Soul,” indicating that these values are what drives the mission of the Long School of Medicine.