PROGRAM CHANGES
One of the great lessons my predecessor Steve Schroeder passed on to me and our foundation colleagues can be found in his 2001 Annual Report message. It’s the line from the Kenny Rogers tune, The Gambler: “Know when to hold ’em; know when to fold ’em.” Foundations rarely support enterprises, or even fields, in perpetuity. There are always new fields to plow, new ideas to reach for, new players with new objectives and visions. The hard part, as Steve so aptly noted, is determining when to exit a field. We don’t always get it right—it’s hard to know when you’ve reached the tipping point, except in hindsight. In recent years, we’ve had some notable successes—in groundbreaking work on helping patients, families and providers deal with decision-making and care near the end of life, and in reducing the harm caused by substance abuse, particularly tobacco use.

We at The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation take pride in knowing that we’ve helped to build these fields and have contributed to the successes achieved by the many dedicated people with whom we’re privileged to have been associated. Indeed, it is partly because of these successes that we feel prepared to move on to other critical health challenges—childhood obesity, disparities in care and hospital nursing. In the short run, we will continue to meet our past commitments to fund both prevention efforts related to tobacco and to other substances, like alcohol and illegal drugs, and end-of-life issues— for, to be sure, there are still considerable hills to climb before unalloyed triumph in those fields can be declared. But we believe that the successes that have been achieved can be sustained with some additional support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and with the continued robust efforts of our partners and other innovators in these fields.

GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD IDEAS
The prospects for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are bright. Building on the impressive legacies of my three predecessors, I am confident that our dedicated staff, grantees and funding partners truly can help to improve the health and health care of people in this country. We do this simply through investing in good people and good ideas. Throughout the various changes outlined in this message, this remains a constant. When you read the tribute to Terrance Keenan that follows, you will understand more fully what I mean and how I know that our staff, following Terry’s example, will continue to find the good people and good ideas that the Foundation will be proud to support.

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A.
President and Chief Executive Officer