The Carle Illinois College of Medicine, the first school of its kind to be created at the intersection of engineering and medicine, took another significant step forward last week.
Leaders of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Carle Health System announced the Oct. 30 completion of a set of agreements and policies related to joint research practices and governance.
The updated and expanded research affiliation agreement establishes mechanisms to identify new research collaborations across both organizations and opens enormous opportunities for economic development and health improvements to the region and state.
“This agreement is a significant step forward,” said Peter Schiffer, vice chancellor for research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Carle and Illinois already have a strong relationship, but the new agreement establishes a framework for collaborative, translational health care research, both in the proposed College of Medicine and across the rest of campus. Ultimately, that will speed the pace of health care innovation that benefits our community, the state, the nation and the world.”
The new agreement outlines a shared governance structure that will be led by a steering committee comprising four administrators from both organizations. It extends beyond just the new college – covering any research partnership developed jointly by the two institutions.
“This research affiliation agreement will be an important tool for Carle providers working to improve patient care, especially through translational research that brings studies from the bench to the bedside,” said Matthew Gibb, M.D., executive vice president and chief medical officer for Carle Health System. “We’re establishing a framework for interdisciplinary work, fostering collaboration, and building upon the strengths of each organization by ultimately supporting clinicians and scientists working to improve care for patients today and in the future.”
The Carle Illinois College of Medicine is a partnership between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Carle Health System. The new college is in the process of developing its medical curriculum and earning the necessary state and national accreditations. Plans call for the search for an inaugural dean to begin this fall and for the first class of students to arrive in fall 2018.
Contacts:
Robin Kaler, associate chancellor for public affairs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 217-333-5010, rkaler@illinois.edu
Jennifer Hendricks Kaufmann, public relations manager, Carle Health System, 217-326-8501, Jennifer.Hendricks-Kaufmann@carle.com