As we celebrate local medical professionals in this issue, it is important to highlight that the medical Renaissance is a central element of our exciting revival. In the original Renaissance, medicine extended the explosion of learning that led to incredible advances like the discovery of the microscope. Today, our medical Renaissance is on the forefront of our momentum and is exciting to witness. Innovation is the heart of the cure.

The most visible innovation is the rapid growth of medical education. Last fall, the University of Washington partnered with Gonzaga University starting 60 first-year students and challenging them with a curriculum featuring fewer lectures, more active learning in small groups and focused on independent lifelong learning skills. Likewise, founding Dean John Tomkowiak for the new Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is building a curriculum for his 60 new medical students answering the call of the late Dr. Floyd to be “bold, audacious, and visionary.” He aims to incorporate precision medicine training which allows students to analyze hundreds of patient data points and genetic tendencies, driving better healthcare decisions.

Doctors are not the only innovative educators in our region. The WSU College of Nursing, for example, has an incredibly advanced simulation lab which mimics a hospital setting, giving nursing students a series of patient trials expertly preparing them for the clinical setting. Standing like vigilant sentinels on the hill, our hospitals are part of our Renaissance, providing healthcare in revolutionary ways with dozens of outpatient services that used to demand lengthy hospital stays. As spring arrives, so does the Spokane Renaissance continue. Gandhi is quoted as saying it is health that is the real wealth. As our revival continues, our innovative health care professionals are making us rich indeed.

Col. Brian Newberry, USAF ret. is current executive director of Leadership Spokane and former Commander, 92 ARW, Fairchild AFB.