Health Services Research
Health Services Research in Under-Served Populations
The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) played a major role throughout the 20th century in Texas and nationally in educating minority physicians. For example, by 1978, two-thirds of all physicians of Hispanic origin in the United States had trained at UTMB. The UTMB School of Medicine ranks fourth among all public and private schools in the percentage of graduates from under-represented minority groups. UTMB also has many excellent faculty from minority groups. While UTMB has relatively strong research programs in some areas, such as epidemiologic studies of older Mexican Americans, it lacks the appropriate infrastructure to foster a strong program in health services research (HSR).
The Health Services Research program at the Sealy Center on Aging is funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The overall aim is to increase the capacity of UTMB and its faculty to conduct rigorous health service research. The specific aims are to: 1) Increase the number of current UTMB faculty who conduct health services research, 2) recruit additional faculty with specific research expertise in HSR, and 3) strengthen the HSR infrastructure of UTMB.
Major accomplishments:
- Developed an infrastructure for successfully advancing health services research (HSR) in under-served populations.
- Increased the number of health services researchers and are ready to take the next step toward our ideal state: having a cadre of independently funded minority health services research investigators, who will serve as role models and mentors in our ongoing efforts to recruit junior faculty and students from under represented minority groups into health services research.
- HSR Grants Awarded:
Tracy Oghalai-Nguyen, MD, PI, Junior Faculty Career Development Award in Geriatric Medicine, American College of Rheumatology and the Association of Subspecialty Professors, $150,000/2 years.
Carlos Reyes-Ortiz, MD, PhD, PI, Assimilation, Acculturation, and Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer Risk Among Hispanic Men in the United States, Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Researcah Program. Health Disparities Training Award (W81XWH-06-1-0290), $187,500/3 years.
Mabel Caban, MD, PI, Effects of Disability on the Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, National Cancer Institute (K08CA111622-01), $640,870/5 years.
Future plans:
Continue to support and expand the health services research infrastructure through strategic partnerships in order to increase the number of investigators with external funding.