: We are seeking continuation and expansion for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Health Services &Outcomes Research Training Program (T32), a combined interdisciplinary pre- and postdoctoral program focused on AHRQ priority areas. This is a joint program of the UAB Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education (COERE) and the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy (LHC). Though initially funded in 2003 with only 2 postdoctoral positions, we obtained additional positions over the years, and currently have 2 pre- and 3 postdoctoral trainees. We have graduated 6 T32 trainees, all physicians, who, between them, have published 19 peer-reviewed manuscripts and presented 33 Abstracts at national meetings;all are pursuing academic careers;27 % of our trainees have been minorities. Currently directed by Catarina Kiefe, with Norman Weissman and Michael Morrisey as co-applicants, our faculty are national and international leaders with particular strength in implementation research. Our leaders are from three Schools at UAB (Medicine, Health Professions, and Public Health, respectively) and our deep mentoring pool draws from over 200 Faculty members across campus who are members of COERE and LHC. We also have a very strong infrastructure for health services research (HSR) in the multiple units supporting our program, with access to extensive research databases (both publicly available and not), practice-based research networks, a strong Minority Health and Research Center and AHRQ CERTs that collaborate closely with COERE, and extensive analytic and statistical computing capacity. Our program relies heavily on mentored research experiences with a highly successful mentor-in-training component. Predoctoral trainees obtain a PhD in Health Services Administration-Health Services Research, postdoctoral trainees (clinicians with a doctoral degree) a MSPH in Outcomes Research. We propose to maintain 5 slots (2 pre and 3 post) in Years 1-2, and add 2 slots in Year 3 to achieve a steady state of 3 predocs and 4 postdocs by 2010 for the 5-Year renewal period. Postdoctoral and predoctoral positions are for 2 and 3 years, respectively. Enhancements for this cycle also include added leadership (Eta Berner, Carol Ashton, Nelda Wray), more emphasis on health informatics, a new organizational structure, and a more structured program evaluation.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 233 publications
