Prevention into the 21st century.

Prevention in the United States has suffered because of the use of a traditional "medical" model rather than a "health" model. Financing, medical education, and research support have favored a focus on disease rather than prevention, although the greatest gains in man's physical well-being have come from preventive rather than curative activities. Although prevention has not been a major focus within medicine to date, despite its significant contributions, it appears that major changes will take place in the twenty-first century that will markedly change this situation. Mount Sinai, because of its meaningful role in studying the health of groups and in health service delivery, and its founding as a medical school with a focus on populations, has made, and will make, contributions to preventive activities in the future.