Penn is one of 4 sites nationwide to be competitively
selected as a training site
(Philadelphia,
PA) - The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
has been selected to serve as a training site for the
Clinical Scholars Program of The Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF), beginning in 2005. For each of the
two years of the Penn-based program, eight Scholars
will be trained in all aspects of health services research.
In addition, up to four Scholars will be selected each
year for a third year of training.
Begun 31 years ago as the first competitive national
program of the Foundation, the Clinical Scholars Program
helps young physicians acquire new skills and training
in the quantitative and qualitative sciences underlying
health services research -- including epidemiology,
biostatistics, economics, anthropology, sociology, communications,
policy analysis, and health systems. To date, more than
900 physicians have participated in the program, which
offers two years of graduate-level study and research
as part of a university-based, post-residency training
program. Many of the program's graduates have attained
leadership positions in academic medicine, the government,
and private industry.
"What's especially exciting about the RWJ Clinical
Scholars Program moving forward is its focus on leadership
training - including faculty training for participating
sites - and the opportunities for community-based participatory
research and primary data collection," said Jeane
Ann Grisso, MD, MSc, senior program officer at The Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation. "We believe that these
new areas of development will be especially attractive
to the new scholars."
"Our curriculum is innovative, comprehensive and
challenging," said Harold I. Feldman, MD, MSCE,
Co-Director of the Penn Clinical Scholars Program, and
Associate Professor of Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology
in the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
"The elements that will characterize the Penn Clinical
Scholars Program include a strong, multi-disciplinary
mentorship; individualized training within a common,
structured curriculum in health services research and
health policy; and scholar-initiated research experiences
developed and conducted in partnership with community
organizations."
"Penn scholars will acquire significant research
competencies and be encouraged to think creatively about
research problems and future career paths that offer
the potential to improve the health of the public,"
added J. Sanford Schwartz, MD, also Co-Director,
and Professor of Medicine and Health Management &
Economics in Penn's School of Medicine. "Scholar
training will be centered around community-based and
policy-relevant research designed to inform community-based
interventions and health policy. In addition, Scholars
will be trained in leadership, communication and advocacy
skills, and will interact with public and private-sector
health policy and healthcare delivery leaders to better
understand their needs and perspectives."
"Our location in a rich multi-cultural urban environment
will contribute to providing ideal training for the
new Scholars beyond traditional academic boundaries,"
said Dr. Arthur H. Rubenstein, Executive Vice
President of the University of Pennsylvania for the
Health System and Dean of the School of Medicine. "By
partnering with important community groups and strong
clinical affiliates, our Scholars will gain a rigorous
training foundation that should lead, in turn, to the
development of policy-relevant research designed to
improve community health."
In addition to collaborative activities with the other
schools within the University of Pennsylvania, the Clinical
Scholars Program at Penn will include The Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Philadelphia
Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) as its neighboring
clinical partners.
"This program will enhance our ability to train
leaders to impact health policy for children at a local,
state and national level," said Steven M. Altschuler,
MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of CHOP. Leading
the CHOP portion of the Penn Clinical Scholars Program
will be Donald F. Schwarz, MD, MPH, who serves
as Vice Chair and Associate Professor of Pediatrics
in the Department of Pediatrics at Penn's School of
Medicine and Chief of Adolescent Medicine at CHOP. A
former Clinical Scholar, Schwartz will lead the community
partnership advocacy initiatives for the program.
Joshua Metlay, MD, PhD, Research Associate and
Staff Physician at the Philadelphia VAMC, will have
primary responsibility for the Veterans' Clinical Scholars
component. "Our highly respected post-doctoral
training programs in health services research, medical
informatics and general internal medicine will provide
valuable collaborations and research opportunities,"
said Michael J. Sullivan, Medical Center Director.
Ten community organizations committed to partnering
with Penn in the conduct of the Clinical Scholars Program
include: Covenant House, a shelter for homeless and
runaway youth; the Injury Free Coalition, dedicated
to reducing the high rate of preventable injuries among
youth in West Philadelphia; the Pharmaceutical Assistance
Contract for the elderly (PACE), a means-tested, pharmaceutical-assistance
program for elderly Pennsylvanians; the Mayor's Commission
on Literacy, which provides quality literacy education
to adults; the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation
(PHMC), a public-health organization that provides direct
services to children, adolescents, families and the
homeless; St. Agnes LIFE (Living Independently for Elders),
which provides comprehensive care to the elderly with
the principal goal of maintaining independent living;
The City of Philadelphia; the Treatment Research Institute,
dedicated to reducing the effects of alcohol and other
drug abuse; United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania;
and Maternity Care Coalition (MCC), which sponsors programs
aimed at prenatal care, parenting skills, health literacy
and early Head Start.
The three other top-ranked medical schools selected
to serve as Clinical Scholars sites include: David Geffen
School of Medicine at UCLA, University of Michigan Medical
School, and Yale University School of Medicine.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton,
NJ, is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively
to health and health care. It concentrates its grantmaking
in four goal areas: to assure that all Americans have
access to quality health care at reasonable cost; to
improve the quality of care and support for people with
chronic health conditions; to promote healthy communities
and lifestyles; and to reduce the personal, social and
economic harm caused by substance abuse - tobacco, alcohol
and illicit drugs.
PENN Medicine, dedicated to the integrated missions
of medical education, biomedical research, and quality
patient care, consists of the University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's
first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania
Health System (created in 1993 as the nation's first
integrated academic health system). Today, Penn's School
of Medicine is ranked #4 in the nation in U.S. News
& World Report's most recent ranking of top
research-oriented medical schools; and ranked #2 in
the nation for receipt of NIH research funds. It supports
1400 fulltime faculty and 700 students and is recognized
world-wide for its superior education and training of
the next generation of physician/scientists and leaders
of academic medicine. Penn's Health System consists
of four owned hospitals (including its flagship Hospital
of the University of Pennsylvania, rated one of the
nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S.
News & World Report); a faculty practice plan;
a primary-care provider network; three multispecialty
satellite facilities; a regional network of subspecialists;
and home healthcare, hospice and long-term care providers.
# # #
Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, excellence in patient care, and community service. The organization consists of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Penn’s Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school.
The Perelman School of Medicine is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $550 million awarded in the 2022 fiscal year. Home to a proud history of “firsts” in medicine, Penn Medicine teams have pioneered discoveries and innovations that have shaped modern medicine, including recent breakthroughs such as CAR T cell therapy for cancer and the mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System’s patient care facilities stretch from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to the New Jersey shore. These include the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Health, Penn Medicine Princeton Health, and Pennsylvania Hospital—the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Medicine at Home, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.
Penn Medicine is an $11.1 billion enterprise powered by more than 49,000 talented faculty and staff.