HPM Research Centers
Major agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and others consistently select Health Policy and Management faculty to lead critical research, training, and policy development projects.
One result is that HPM is home to major regional and national research centers, including:
Center for Care Organization Research & Development
The Center for Care Organization Research & Development (CCORD) is a collaborative organization of health services researchers within the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Division of Health Policy and Management, and external partners. The goal of CCORD is to improve patient and population health through integrating research and practice to advance transformational knowledge about health care systems and care delivery. CCORD engages in research ranging from detailed analysis of small units of health care to intelligent design of health care systems, working closely with policy makers, health care managers, and health care providers to give them the information and methods they need to design and implement programs in their particular context effectively. Research by CCORD advances knowledge and practice in the key areas necessary to transform health systems, including: Clinic and Care Team Organization; Incentives and Financial Management; Performance Targets and Measurement; Organizational Design; and Organizational Change. CCORD research integrates contextual effects across areas and utilizes state of the art data analysis, research, and evaluation methods to establish a solid evidence base. Director: Douglas Wholey, PhD
Center on Aging
A multidisciplinary resource, the Center on Aging (CoA) fosters basic and applied research and educational programs that help explicate the aging process and inform public policy. It emphasizes both basic science in aging and applied gerontology. The CoA is housed in the School of Public Health but relies on the active participation of more than 60 faculty and staff from a wide range of colleges and schools across the University, including the Medical School, School of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, School of Social Work, College of Education and Human Development, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and various departments in the College of Liberal Arts. The CoA sponsors a gerontology minor program for graduate students and a certificate in aging for persons in the community. It also sponsors the Scientists in Aging, a collection of researchers in various areas of basic science in aging who meet regularly to exchange ideas and work on projects. Director: Robert L. Kane, MD
Minnesota Area Geriatric Education Center
The Minnesota Area Geriatric Education Center (MAGEC), housed in the School of Public Health, is funded by the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). MAGEC is well positioned to create dynamic partnerships between faculty, researchers, elder care professionals, and other experts to provide better care for the aging population. The MAGEC faculty includes professors from several colleges, which reflects the interdisciplinary nature of both gerontology and geriatrics.
MAGEC designs and delivers interdisciplinary educational opportunities for eldercare professionals through affiliations with various consortium partners throughout the state of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Signature MAGEC events include the MAGEC Fellowship, which is a 40 hour program, typically one day per month for five months; the Distinguished Lecture Series, which features presentations by national authorities; and the Summer Institute, a day-long session on a topic of special interest. Director: Robert L. Kane, MD
Long Term Care Resource Center
The Long Term Care Resource Center is a center for the development and dissemination of knowledge to advance community long-term care. First funded by the Administration on Aging (AOA) to provide technical assistance and training, perform research and development, and disseminate information to the AgingNetwork, it is presently funded by multiple federal, state, and foundation sponsors. The Resource Center now conducts studies on community-based long-term support, state long-term care policy, assisted living, culture change in nursing homes, small-house nursing homes, the relationship between behavior and physical environments for older people, and regulations. The Center also founded and administers a searchable website, Nursing Home Regulations Plus, which enables users to explore variation in State nursing home regulations and their relationship to resident autonomy and quality of life.
Research Data Assistance Center
Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC) is a CMS contractor (Contract Number HHSM-500-2005-000271) that provides free assistance to academic, government and non-profit researchers interested in using Medicare and/or Medicaid data for their research. ResDAC is staffed by a consortium of epidemiologists, public health specialists, health services researchers, biostatisticians, and health informatics specialists. Director: A. Marshall McBean, MD
Rural Health Research Center
The Rural Health Research Center‘s mission is to conduct research and disseminate information that will help policymakers better address the unique health care needs of rural America. Primary areas of research include: Rural health care financing (e.g., issues related to managed care, Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance); Rural systems building (e.g., issues related to networks, managed care organizations, provider sponsored organizations, alternative models for small rural hospitals, and health personnel); and Outcomes and delivery of care in rural areas (e.g., issues related to quality of care and implications of technology diffusion). Major funding sources: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Director: Ira S. Moscovice, PhD
State Health Access Data Assistance Center
The State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) is a health policy analysis and research center focusing on health insurance coverage, access to care, and state health policy. SHADAC produces timely and targeted health policy research with a focus on deriving lessons from state variations in policy and outcomes in the national context. The center’s goal is to help states bridge the gap between health data and the policy-making process. SHADAC also houses the State Health Access Reform Evaluation (SHARE), a National Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. SHARE funds rigorous research evaluations of health reform issues with the goal of developing an evidence-based resource to inform state implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Major funding for SHADAC is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Associated Faculty: Lynn A. Blewett, PhD (PI) and Kathleen Thiede Call, PhD