University of Rhode Island launches Academic Health Collaborative

The University of Rhode Island has launched The Academic Health Collaborative to revitalize its health programs and get the most out of cross-disciplinary education, research and outreach.

The collaborative is designed to encourage teamwork and promote the study of advanced methods in research areas, inter-professional education, the overall health of its population, the promotion of health and identifying and eradicating health discrepancies. The initiative could lead to the formation of health clinics led by faculty members, new programs in public health, health policy and worksite health.

The main reason the collaborative was formed was to support the health care industry’s efforts to provide better quality care, reduce hospitalizations, promote wellness and reduce costs. There is a growing need to address health care models due to the ever-growing number of Americans who have health insurance.

The university is already well-known on a global scale for its Alzheimer’s and neurological research, and its study of pharmaceuticals based on plants, premature infant birthing and development, medication uses based on organisms found in the ocean, diseases originating from insects.