What a change a new leader makes; that, or the power of public opinion has proved to be undeniable. Either lesson is applicable to the about-face UCSD has taken on its coveted, massive “”New Vision for Healthcare”” project. The campus reneged plans to begin a $12-million phase, the beginnings of an exodus of medical services from the campus’s Hillcrest location to Thornton Hospital in La Jolla. University officials lauded the proposal as fresh and forward-thinking – the elimination of an “”aging”” Hillcrest facility would herald an even better host of services at Thornton Hospital.

But a recent changeover in the position of vice chancellor of health sciences, from Edward Holmes to David Brenner, has presented a changed agenda (Holmes was a leading proponent of the proposal). Coupled with an intense wave of public dissent, which included this board, the university returns to the discussion table with a different, more open attitude. The most resounding voice came most recently from county supervisors, who echoed public sentiment that if Hillcrest services were downsized, the pressure bore by local hospitals would be untenable – especially for hospitals serving similar under- and uninsured patients.

UCSD has promised a renewed and more fervent dedication to the Hillcrest site, a noble and notable commitment to both the city and its poor.