Institute Impact: Partnering for patients

The renewal of Penn State’s Clinical and Translational Science Award will allow Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute to continue investing in key partnerships between the institute and Sharon, Pa.-based Primary Health Network and Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network. These collaborations will develop ways to address health-related issues and add to Penn State’s many successful  research- and outreach-focused community partnerships.

“Penn State has long been recognized for visionary research and high-quality clinical services,” said George Garrow, chief medical officer at Primary Health Network. “Because of the respect and trust that Pennsylvanians have for the university, I believe Penn State is best-positioned to lead efforts at improving the health and health care of communities across the entire state and region.”

Penn State researchers will partner with Allegheny Health Network clinicians on research designed to address the needs of the residents and communities in western Pennsylvania while expanding research education opportunities. For example, Penn State and Allegheny Health Network are working together to conduct a clinical research practice course at several Penn State campuses.

“Allegheny Health Network has been collaborating with Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Insitute on best practices in clinical research, employee education programming and data sharing efforts,” said Keith LeJeune, senior vice president, research and innovation, Allegheny Health Network. “The institute’s grant renewal will allow us to continue this work and expand our efforts to include joint collaborative clinical trials for our collective patient populations.”

Both partnerships will contribute to Penn State’s commitment to addressing health disparities. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to health disparities, and rural communities were hit exceptionally hard due to a lack of testing and vaccines. To address COVID concerns in Centre County, the institute partnered with Penn State Social Science Research Institute and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences on the Data4Action project. This ongoing project gives a voice to community members, allowing them to share their pandemic experiences and affect decision-making as the region moves forward.

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