Starting a community based research network from scratch

Jeff Whittle, MD, MPHClinical & Translational Science Institute of

SE WisconsinStaff Physician, Milwaukee VA

Professor of Medicine, MCW

Clinical & Translational Science Instituteof Southeast Wisconsin

• Blood Center of Wisconsin• Marquette University• Milwaukee School of Engineering• University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee• Medical College of Wisconsin– Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin– Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital– Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center

What Makes a CBRN

• A recognizable mission• Practitioners willing to allow their lives to

become more interesting• Researchers who recognize that their

partners know things that they don’t • Projects that are feasible, interesting and

important

Selecting a Mission Statement

• AHRQ PBRN Resource Center• CTSI is the founder and funder – Emphasis on translation of research advances

into clinical practice– Service to Southeastern Wisconsin– Initial practices are academically affiliated

• WREN is established and effective– So borrow from them– But avoid too much Primary Careness

Draft Mission Statement

The Southeastern Wisconsin Alliance for Translating Emerging Research into Practice will improve the health and healthcare of Wisconsin residents by encouraging the translation of advances in the understanding of health into clinical practices that are used daily to prevent and cure disease. (We will accomplish this goal by promoting conversation and collaboration among medical practices, the patients they serve, and clinical researchers.)

Practices Considering our CBRN

• Milwaukee VA Medical Center Clinics– Blue, Gold, Red, Yellow (Milwaukee)– Union Grove, Appleton, Cleveland, Green Bay

• Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Clinics– Division of General Internal Medicine– Primary Care Initiative Sites

• Columbia - St. Mary’s Affiliated Practices• Your Southeastern Wisconsin Practice?

Educating and Attracting Researchers

• CTSI Advertising and education venues– CTSI of SE website– Push newsletter out to CTSI of SE WI

• Wide variety of CTSI researchers– Seven collaborating institutions– Molecule, cell, organ, patient, family, system– Federally funded professors to unfunded students

• Attendance at statewide conferences

What kinds of projects work best?*

• Most practices need a concrete payoff–Most people find money useful– Improving practice function is valuable– Address a need: CME, document quality

• People are not doing this for profit– Interesting and relevant to them– Satisfy need to deliver cutting edge care

• Don’t upset any of their patients

*Meurer’s rules for what practices will do for nothing

How to learn more about us

• Contact me: – jeffrey.whittle@va.gov– 414-384-2000 x46444

• Clinical & Translational Science Institute– https://ctsi.mcw.edu/

• Contact CBRN director Edward Minter– 414-805-6999– eminter@mcw.edu

• Stop by at World Café on Friday

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