Development of innovative therapies in the large multispecialty clinic setting.

Innovation is intrinsic to medicine and to medical progress. As American medicine enters the twenty-first century, it is confronted with enormous opportunities to innovate both in the science and practice of medicine. Indeed, medicine is challenged to do so by society. Cellular and molecular medicine, along with new insights derived from health care research, offer the opportunity to improve the health of the American people without unduly taxing the economy. Research and innovation in these areas are within the grasp of many clinics, and it would seem important that, because they are major providers of health care, as many clinics as possible aggressively enter these fields in preparation for delivering health care in the next century.