The University of Washington Medical Center is ranked #6 for diabetes and endocrinology, #8 for cancer, #16 for neurology and neurosurgery, #23 for genetics, #26 for nephrology, as well as five other specialties. Specific to epidemiology, the opening section of the organization’s strategic plan states “…supports the three major activities that advance this mission: providing outstanding patient care and health promotion programs, advancing medical knowledge through research; and training the next generation of healthcare professionals and scientists. The patient care, teaching and research activities must be integrated effectively to support better care for individual patients, better health for the population and reduced per capita costs for patients.” Specific to the case study question see the following responses.
1. What contribution does the epidemiologic framework make toward accomplishing the hospital's strategic goals?
The University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) is an academic based health care organization affiliated with the University of Washington (University). The University has nationally ranked research programs in traditional health sciences as well as “population health.” The translation of research initiatives of the University to practicing medicine is the corner stone of the UWMC’s strategic plan as indicated in the opening comments of the strategic plan. In addition to the comments noted above, the strategic plan also states as one of the seven objectives to “enhance the integration of UW Medicine’s research programs to promote rapid and effective translation of research from laboratory to clinical settings.” The UWMC’s strategic plan has the enhancement of the integration of research, teaching and patient care as one of the five priority areas. It was clear in ready the strategic plan that UWMC saw the incorporation of research,