Southwest Safety Net Embedded Scientist Training and Research (SSNE-STaR) Center

Project Summary Overall Core The US healthcare system struggles to provide quality care to the most underserved populations. The safety net organizations (SNOs) serving these populations have limited capacity to support scientists conducting embedded research or rapid evidence implementation. Building a research infrastructure within SNOs to create and implement culturally sensitive evidence-based approaches to improve health equity is an urgent unmet need. The US Southwest has among the worst disparities in the nation, but a robust system of SNOs. Arizona State University College of Health Solutions (ASU CHS) and Valleywise Health (VH) will create the Southwest Safety Net Embedded Scientist Training and Research (SSNE-STaR) Center. The SSNE- STaR vision is to improve the health equity of historically disadvantaged populations, with a strong commitment to the needs of American Indians, Hispanic, homeless, and other underserved populations. The SSNE-STaR will support the scientific training and professional development of Scholars embedded across Arizona SNOs to produce evidence-based research and gain proficiency in rapid-cycle implementation. The SSNE-STaR is a collaboration among academic and diverse safety net organizations including inpatient and ambulatory care health systems, federally qualified health centers, Tribal health centers, community partners, and other stakeholders, with equity as a cross-cutting focus, and primary care, maternal care, and disabilities as research priorities. ASU is a Hispanic Serving Institution focused on inclusion, health equity, and continuous improvement. VH is the only public teaching hospital and health care system in Arizona, providing services to underserved, low-income, and ethnically diverse populations, over 60% Hispanic. Other SNO partners include: Native Health of Phoenix, Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Value Based Care, Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital, and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. The SSNE-STaR will establish a new Learning Health System (LHS) model to support physicians and scientists embedded in SNOs that provide care to underserved populations. The SSNE-STaR will recruit and train embedded health scholars throughout Arizona. Our LHS Scholars will be selected from healthcare professionals throughout the VH system and our extensive network of SNO partners. Embedded Scholars will be recruited from a network of Native American health centers and other regional SNOs. The Center will be supported by an extended research finding dissemination and implementation network of safety net organizations. ASU brings PCOR experience to the SSNE-STaR as a partner in the PCORnet Patient-Centered Network LHSnet (2015-2019), and ASU is currently engaged in a formal collaboration with PCORnet partner, the Greater Plains Collaborative (GPC) Clinical Data Research Network (CDRN).