At a unique point in the history of health care in this country, the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) is poised to capitalize on fifty years of local health care planning and community collaboration by building an information system that enhances academic-community partnerships.
I AIMS efforts here will reach beyond URMC, emphasizing vital linkages between the health sciences center and the larger community. The overarching goal of URMC IAIMS planning is to bring together a rich array of institutional and community resources into an integrated information environment, employing computing and communication technologies to further research, education and practice goals of all participants.
The specific aims of IAIMS planning at URMC are to: (1) Express our shared vision in a master plan for the URMC integrated information environment; (2) Develop network-based partnerships with information and health care communities on and off the campus; (3) Educate the URMC and community partners to work effectively in the IAIMS environment; and (4) Design a governance architecture to guide implementation of the plan. The IAIMS planning structure consists of seven Planning/Review Groups, the IAIMS Project office, the IAIMS Advisory Board, and the Committee of Group Chairs. Existing institutional mechanisms for planning and policy development at the Medical Center are responsible for review and approval of the Master Plan. This strategy embeds IAIMS into the life of the institution, providing stability for the implementation cycle to come. Seven planning/review groups undertake intensive examinations of the current and future information environment. Four core groups represent URMC's four central program areas: Education, Basic Research, Clinical Practice/Research, and Administration. Three infrastructure groups (Information Policies, Governance and Funding, Network Infrastructure) address broad issues relating to the long-term success and stability of IAIMS at URMC. Planning group membership reflects the diverse constituencies which create, manage and use URMC information resources, including community partners. The planning groups define preferred scenarios, prepare recommendations and propose priorities that form the basis of the Master Plan and governance architecture. Chairs of the planning committees form the Committee of Group Chairs, which drafts the Master Plan and assists in developing community partnerships. The IAIMS Advisory Board, made up of senior-level faculty and administration, reviews the Master Plan before it is sent to the Medical Center Executive Committee for final approval. The IAIMS Project Office, sited in the Miner Library, coordinates and supports the work of the planning and advisory groups, sponsors educational events, and coordinates joint ventures with community partners.
