Bridges Center for Healthy Life Transitions - Central Michigan University

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Impact and Outcomes

of the

Bridges Center

IMPACT STATEMENT

Collaborative partnerships will exist between community partners, the clinical health care community, and Central Michigan University that improve the functional ability and health of at-risk populations within the predominantly rural central Michigan communities through research, service and education to elevate the skill level of the workforce and to improve access to preventive care, health and evaluation services, and health education throughout all stages of life.

Outcomes:

Establish a center for the purpose of creating sustained partnerships with the predominantly rural central Michigan communities for healthy life transitions through research, education and service.

1. Develop a model and process whereby a mechanism is established to address the community identified needs of vulnerable populations.

2. Eliminate barriers that exist between the university and the community

3. Develop a system by which collaborative partnerships are formed with community health and human service providers, community leaders and other institutes of higher learning.

4. Develop a communications plan for Bridges Center activities.

5. Establish a sustainable system whereby resources are leveraged, through community/university partnerships, to address the priority needs of the community.

6. The Bridges Center will serve as a voice for the health and human service needs of predominantly rural Central Michigan.

7. Accept the Surgeon General’s call to action for higher education in her “Prescription for a Healthier Michigan”

B. Conduct Research:

8. Seek out community based and participatory research opportunities which could be turned into best practices and better integrated prevention and treatment efforts.

9. Conduct research to evaluate the Bridges Center model and process.

a. Disseminate the model and process research results through publications, CDs, video presentations, presentations at professional associations (across disciplines), meetings and seminars and at National, State-wide, Regional and local conventions, the office of the surgeon general, other appropriate state offices and organizations.

C. Provide Educational Opportunities:

10. Conduct an annual community health symposiums

11. Develop a mechanism to provide educational opportunities whereby the health and human service workforce has access to best practices, training and continuing education.

12. Strengthen and improve Service-learning opportunities for CMU students which will enable community organizations and community members to play significant roles in how health professionals are educated and enhance community capacity to provide services.

13. Develop a network of educational opportunities through which the general population will advance their health knowledge.

Utilize CMU’s College of Health Professions’ resources (expertise, state of the art facilities and technologies) to provide services that address community identified priorities.

1. Establish a Functional Geriatric Assessment Center utilizing the resources available through the College of Health Professions and in response to a community identified need.

2. Develop and maintain Scholar/Provider Teams (an integrated core of experts in the predominantly rural central Michigan region).

University students, across the student’s educational experience, will learn first hand: community collaboration, interdisciplinary care, services to high risk populations, and opportunities that address priority needs.

Develop a mechanism for access to technology and telemedicine opportunities that will help to advance the clinical skills of the region’s workforce and provide access to specialists which will better serve the central Michigan population.

Contact Information: