URI Academic Health Collaborative, R.I. DOH form partnership

DR. Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the R.I. Department of Health, said the new collaboration between the URI Academic Health Collaborative and RIDOH’s Academic Center will allow the two state institutions to “pool talent, resources and ideas in a way that will help improve health outcomes in every zip code throughout Rhode Island.” / PBN FILE PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO
DR. Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the R.I. Department of Health, said the new collaboration between the URI Academic Health Collaborative and RIDOH’s Academic Center will allow the two state institutions to “pool talent, resources and ideas in a way that will help improve health outcomes in every zip code throughout Rhode Island.” / PBN FILE PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The University of Rhode Island’s Academic Health Collaborative and the R.I. Department of Health’s Academic Center have formed a new partnership to build healthier communities and to strengthen the state’s public health workforce.
The two state institutions recently signed a memorandum of understanding designed to lead to new research opportunities for graduate students and faculty members. It also will create internships and training opportunities with the URI College of Business’ master of business of administration degree in health, and outreach collaborations that will include undergraduate students from health, science, management and economic backgrounds.
“This is the Academic Health Collaborative’s first agreement with a critical agency in Rhode Island,” E. Paul Larrat, dean of URI’s College of Pharmacy and coordinating dean of the collaborative, said in a statement. “This is an important milestone because each agency is charged with serving the citizens of Rhode Island.”
Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the R.I. Department of Health, said the new collaboration between the URI Academic Health Collaborative and RIDOH’s Academic Center will allow the two state institutions to “pool talent, resources and ideas in a way that will help improve health outcomes in every zip code throughout Rhode Island.”
RIDOH was recently established as an academic health department, or a teaching health department. According to information from URI, this is the public health equivalent of a teaching hospital affiliation that formalizes the relationship between medical schools and hospitals.
Through the partnership, URI and RIDOH will share data for public policy development and resources to aid in health planning across Rhode Island.
The agreement creates a public health practicum through which URI students in health disciplines will become Public Health Scholars by working with a faculty mentor from URI and faculty supervisor from RIDOH.
URI College of Pharmacy students who have already started their work as Public Health Scholars are:

  • Coordinating with RIDOH staff to address the opioid overdose crisis by working to make medication dispensing safer;
  • Developing a process to conduct site visits at pharmacies to ensure the safe storage and handling of vaccine; and
  • Assisting with the implementation of new processes related to RIDOH regulations.

RIDOH’s Academic Center was launched this year, while the university launched the Academic Health Collaborative in the spring, linking three colleges at URI – nursing, pharmacy and the new health sciences college. It serves 5,000 students in nine health disciplines.

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