Groundbreaking Academic Health Center Mission Alignment Program Launches

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2016 -- The Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC) is pleased to announce the first phase of its groundbreaking Aligned Institutional Mission (AIM) Program, a means for academic health centers around the world to measure effectiveness of mission alignment and achievement of strategic goals.

"Academic health centers have the unique capability to provide interprofessional health education, transformative biomedical research, and crucial patient care for their communities and beyond," said Steven A. Wartman, MD, PhD, AAHC president and CEO. "It is essential that each component of this tri-partite mission inform one another to be more effective, and that organizational structure and leadership work effectually to enhance the overarching mission of improving health and well-being. This innovative, global program is designed to assist these vital institutions in meeting the needs of their communities and nations."

The AIM Program, focuses on mission alignment, and includes strategic planning and assessment, internal and external accountability, interprofessional education and practice, and knowledge creation and dissemination. The program is being rolled out in phases. The first phase of the program—selection of development sites—has already been completed.

Academic health centers that have volunteered to take part in the development phase include three U.S. institutions and three international institutions: Florida International University (USA), University of Arkansas (USA), University of Southern California (USA), Seoul National University (South Korea), University of Indoesnia Faculty of Medicine (Indonesia), and University of Queensland-Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners (Australia).

In order to ensure the program's success, AAHC has formed an Advisory Group of consultants, all former leaders of academic health centers.

Members of the Advisory Group include:

• Frank Cerra, MD, University of Minnesota;
• Nancy Dickey, MD, Texas A &M Health Science Center;
• Edward Hillhouse, PhD, BSC, MBBS, FRCP, The University of Leeds;
• Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCH, University of Pennsylvania;
• Larry Shapiro, MD, Washington University School of Medicine;
• Peter Smith, RFD, MD, FRACP, FRCPA, FAICD, The University of New South Wales; and
• Sarita Verma, University of Toronto.

"We fully expect the program to advance into the formal pilot phase after the development phase has been completed followed by a full roll-out to all members," said Wartman, adding that "each participating institution will commit to implementing a defined plan for improved organizational performance with the goal of achieving an optimally aligned academic health center among its missions of education, research, and patient care."

The AIM Program will offer participating institutions a program tool for internal assessment and goal setting; a period of peer consultant review and recommendations; and a strategic improvement planning and evaluation process. The end result will assist institutions to achieve their alignment goals in the context of their unique circumstances.

AAHC is a non-profit association dedicated to advancing health and well-being through the vigorous leadership of academic health centers.

CONTACT: Angela Mills
         202-265-9600
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