Sharing Resources and Collaborating on Tough Health Care Issues 400 health services researchers will
of the U-M Medical School. According to Department Chair work together to make health care and IHPI member Paul P. Lee, M.D., better, safer, and more cost effective J.D., the Institute will tap the expertise of specialists in health care data analyJoshua D. Stein, M.D., M.S., a clinisis, among them Marie Lynn Miranda, cian and health services researcher at Ph.D., Dean of the U-M School of the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Natural Resources and Environment. Center, uses large health care databases “Dean Miranda has made groundto study utilization patterns and patient breaking use of geospatial mapping in outcomes of eye care in the United health care,” he says. “We are fortunate States. Now, Dr. Stein will have access that her team will be applying those to even more resources—as well as tools to the new W.K. Kellogg FoundaJoshua Stein, M.D., M.S. more opportunities to collaborate with tion grant to improve utilization of U-M faculty and others—as a memeye care services by children throughout ber of the newly created U-M Institute for Healthcare the state of Michigan, especially in disadvantaged Policy and Innovation (IHPI). communities.” Geospatial mapping allows researchers IHPI is one of the nation’s largest communities to visualize data related to the locations of patients, of physicians, scientists, and policy analysts studying patterns of health care, and social and community how health care works and, more importantly, how to resources for a given area. improve it. To date, IHPI is comprised of approximately “Through affiliation and partnerships with other 400 health services researchers at U-M, as well as noncenters and institutes at Michigan, we can begin to profit and private sector organizations. link changes in public policies to “The idea behind IHPI is to gather “We hope to make sub- improvements in the health of people talented individuals from different in Michigan and around the United stantial contributions to States,” adds Dr. Lee. disciplines and university programs and give them the shared space and In addition to Dr. Lee and Dr. Stein, the practice of health support they need to successfully Kellogg is represented by Paul R. Lichter, understand the changing health care M.D., David C. Musch, Ph.D., M.P.H., care and to the health system, advance beneficial healthRoni M. Shtein, M.D., M.S., and fellow related policies, and inform efforts to Paula Anne Newman-Casey, M.D. of our patients.” improve patients’ well-being through “Establishing this institute shows health services research,” says Dr. — Joshua D. Stein, M.D., M.S. U-M’s commitment and dedication to Stein. “Although IHPI members supporting researchers and creating an come from many different departments and programs environment for us to achieve our potential as health throughout the University, we are now positioned to care innovators,” says Dr. Stein. “We now have an pool our resources and learn from one another in a exciting opportunity to come together, share ideas, and highly collaborative environment.” In addition to facullearn from each other. Through our synergy, we hope to ty from the U-M Medical School, IHPI members include make substantial contributions to the practice of health faculty from the U-M School of Public Health, the Ford care and the health of patients here in Michigan and School of Public Policy, and the U-M Institute for Social around the globe.” Research. Founded in 2011, the Institute is an initiative Innovation in Research
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