Modeling collaborative innovations for health: A university-hospital partnership

Presenters will describe an ongoing partnership between a community hospital and a comprehensive four-year university, the JMU-RMH Collaborative, as a model approach to promoting and maintaining healthy communities. The Collaborative is designed to foster and support innovative and collaborative initiatives that produce beneficial outcomes for both partners, as well as contribute to a healthy community. Leadership, which is intentionally team-based, is provided by eight individuals from the two organizations. Participation in collaborative projects is open to any employee of both organizations and is encouraged through regular themed events. Annual celebrations highlight successful collaborative projects and include reports on collaborative activities. Since its start in 2007, over 85 collaborative initiatives have been launched and over 20 successful projects have been celebrated. These initiatives address acute care and community priorities. Examples include a pilot practice model integrating behavioral health and primary care, an interprofessional case review involving advance practice nurses and a psychologist to support community health workers in working with stressed first time parents; evidence based practice projects to address nausea control and sedation; a mindfulness based stress reduction project to enhance inpatient and outpatient clinical outcomes; retrospective research that informs hospital decisions; an educational program developed for stroke certification; development of simulation training for nurses; and the recent initiation of research rounds. The history of the Collaborative will be explained, along with its structure and functioning. Presenters will describe how initiatives are conceived and implemented in the absence of designated funding.