Program will be housed at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine has received a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health to provide a postdoctoral fellowship program in cardiovascular outcomes research. The program will be based at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute and is designed to meet the growing need for scholars capable of quantifying patients’ outcomes, defining the determinants of these outcomes, comparing the effectiveness of alternative treatments, translating new knowledge into clinical practice, and measuring and improving the quality of care.

“There is a growing regional and national need for more scholars in cardiovascular outcomes and quality of care research,” said John Spertus, M.D., Daniel J. Lauer/Missouri Endowed Chair and Professor at the UMKC School of Medicine and Clinical Director of Outcomes Research at the Mid America Heart Institute. “This program will expand and improve our existing American Heart Association-funded training program, which has grown to be the central unifying outcomes research program in the region and serves as the primary training program in cardiovascular outcomes research for UMKC, KU, the University of Iowa and Washington University in St. Louis.”

The two-year fellowship training program is comprised of three synergistic components: 1) a basic foundation of general skills for clinical research; 2) specialized skills for outcomes research; and 3) hands-on research. The new program will further enhance UMKC and Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute’s role as the core lab for clinical and outcomes research in the Frontiers regional translational research network.

Fellowship program scholars will conduct studies to define the determinants of outcomes, examine the translation of evidence into clinical care in order to identify opportunities for improvement, and design innovations in health care delivery to overcome existing gaps — all national priorities. Upon completion of the program, successful trainees will be equipped to conduct independent academic research, work with the pharmaceutical/device industry, serve as leaders in quality within hospitals and health systems and to pursue careers in public health and health policy.

About Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute

Recognized as one of the leading outcomes research centers in the country, including being one of only four Outcomes Centers supported by the American Heart Association, the Mid America Heart Institute has led more than 115 clinical research trials in all aspects of cardiovascular disease. The Institute’s clinicians and researchers have pioneered methods for quantifying patients’ experience and outcomes of their disease and using these data as endpoints in clinical trials, as markers of healthcare quality and as tools in improving patient care.

About Saint Luke’s Health System

Saint Luke’s Health System consists of 11 area hospitals and several primary and specialty care practices, and provides a range of inpatient, outpatient, and home care services. Founded as a faith-based, not-for-profit organization, our mission includes a commitment to the highest levels of excellence in health care and the advancement of medical research and education. The health system is an aligned organization in which the physicians and hospitals assume responsibility for enhancing the physical, mental, and spiritual health of people in the metropolitan Kansas City area and the surrounding region.

About the UMKC School of Medicine

The UMKC School of Medicine was founded in 1971 as an innovative combined degree program. From its baccalaureate/MD curriculum to a docent system that emphasizes small group learning, the school has remained a trendsetter in medical education and research. For more information about the UMKC School of Medicine, visit www.med.umkc.edu/. You can also find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

About the University of Missouri-Kansas City

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience. For more information about UMKC, visit www.umkc.edu. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.