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Strategic Plan

July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2012

Overview | Plans | Five-year Objectives | Timetable for Attaining Objectives

Overview

This strategic plan outlines the activities to be undertaken to attain the goals of the Roger C. Lipitz Center during the academic years 2008-2012 (July 1, 2007-June 30, 2012). The scope of the Center’s mission and goals is national, though many of its specific activities draw on local, regional, and international sources of ideas, data and funding. Using quantitative and qualitative scientific methods to analyze primary and secondary data, the Center will maintain a balanced portfolio of small and large multidisciplinary research projects. It will also conduct an educational program that helps prepare the next generation of leaders in gerontologic health services research. To support these scholarly activities, the Center will rely on three streams of external support. The Center will communicate its discoveries to researchers, policy-makers, students, health care professionals, health insurers, and leaders of health care provider organizations.

The Center’s portfolio will include three domains of research on improving the quality of health care and the quality of life for adults with several chronic conditions requiring complex health care:

Domain #1. Identification of present deficiencies in the organization, delivery, and financing of complex chronic care.

Domain #2. Evaluation of innovations in the organization, delivery, and financing of care.

Domain #3. Analysis of the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of promising innovations.

Most of the Center’s studies will be designed and conducted by multidisciplinary teams that represent the varied perspectives of researchers, health care providers, policy-makers, industry leaders and consumers. The Center will evolve working relationships with members of the faculties of other JHU departments and schools through visits, meetings, presentations, and collaborative research projects. Through a multi-modal communication program (described below), the Center will elevate the profile of innovations in complex, chronic health care at Johns Hopkins University.

Qualitative studies will generate hypotheses for subsequent quantitative evaluation. Many of the studies will analyze existing data; some will collect and analyze original data. Many of the projects will be small (1-2 years in duration, modest budget); a few will be multi-year, costly undertakings. Most will be supported by external funds, and the Center will provide limited numbers of small seed grants to support research conducted by graduate students and junior faculty members.

The audiences for the results of these studies will include leaders of health care provider organizations, public and private health insurers, health care professionals, researchers, and policy-makers in the federal and state legislatures.

Education

The Center is committed to helping develop the next generation of leaders in gerontologic health services research (GHSR). It will continue to collaborate with the Health Services Research and Development Center, the Center on Aging and Health, and the Divisions of General Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology in educating graduate students who share the Center’s mission. It will continue to co-sponsor the School’s Certificate on Aging and provide generous financial support for doctoral students through its T-32 Training Grant from the National Institute on Aging.

The Center’s faculty will teach five gerontology classes and provide gerontology lectures in others. This faculty will also continue to mentor and advise graduate students and junior faculty members. The Center will sponsor quarterly research conferences, monthly research-in-progress seminars, periodic national conferences, and a web site that provides current information about learning opportunities in GHSR.

Support

In order to support these research and educational initiatives, the Center will sustain three streams of revenue.

Stream #1: Grants. The Center will submit investigator-initiated research proposals, educational proposals and responses to relevant PAs, RFAs and RFPs to local, regional, and national governmental and philanthropic organizations. Its portfolio will include a balance of small short-term projects and large multi-year initiatives.

Stream #2: Philanthropy. The revenue from the Center’s endowment will provide $20,000 - $25,000 per year for general operating expenses. The Director of the Center will work with the School’s Development Office to encourage prospective donors to support the Center’s operations and expand its endowment. To facilitate this process, the Director will continue to develop précis of potential projects that the Center’s development officer will present to potential donors who are interested in supporting improvements in chronic care in America. The Director will also develop full proposals and meet with prospective donors to explore their interests in detail.

Stream #3: Royalties. Intellectual property created by the Center Director will generate modest royalties that will be allocated to the Center.

Communication

The Center will share its new knowledge with leaders of health care industries, health care professionals, researchers, donors, students, and policy-makers through an apolitical multi-modal communications program. To attract investigators to this field, the Center will sponsor quarterly research conferences and monthly research-in-progress seminars. To disseminate the Center’s research findings and promote the diffusion of innovation, its members will publish peer-reviewed journal articles and make presentations at scientific meetings and legislative hearings. The Center’s website will describe the Center’s research and educational initiatives.

Five-Year Objectives

The faculty, students, and staff of the Lipitz Center will strive to attain these objectives during the period from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2012.

Scientific productivity

Complete the randomized trial of “Guided Care,” possibly with an extension beyond 2010.

Complete the “Interdisciplinary Geriatrics” project.

Complete the “Geri-FIT” project.

Conduct a national Medicare demonstration project (“Medical Home”).

Collaborate with non-Lipitz Center Principal Investigators in conducting research projects relevant to the Center’s mission.

Conduct 7-10 small analytic/pilot projects.

Provide mentorship and seed grants to fellows and junior faculty members.

Publish 30-40 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and book chapters.

Present research results at 25-30 professional meetings.

Educational programs

Co-sponsor the School’s Certificate on Aging.

Provide financial support for doctoral students through its T-32 Training Grant from the National Institute on Aging.

Teach four-to-five gerontologic graduate courses per year and provide gerontology lectures in others.

Coordinate monthly research-in-progress seminars and quarterly research conferences

Mentor and advise graduate students.

Maintain a website that provides current information about learning opportunities in GHSR.

Communication

Sponsor quarterly research conferences.

Conduct periodic national conferences.

Publish and present the results of gerontologic health services research.

Maintain an informational website.

Pending the results of the ongoing randomized trial of Guided Care, conduct a multi-faceted national campaign to diffuse Guided Care throughout primary care in America.

Sustain productive advisory relationships with legislators, policy-makers, and JHU institutional leaders, providing scientific testimony, information, and advice upon request.

Finances

Increase the Center’s present endowment by $1 million

Operate with a balanced budget

Timetable for Attaining Objectives