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Morehouse School of Medicine Unveils Mobile Clinical Research Unit
On December 6, 2012, Morehouse School of Medicine will unveil Georgia's first mobile
clinical research unit at a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Louis
M. Sullivan National Center for Primary Care upper plaza parking lot, located at 720
Westview Drive in Atlanta, GA. This mobile unit is the first of its kind for the
State and offers an opportunity for MSM researchers to access individuals in rural
areas who would otherwise have difficulties reaching a research center.
"This mobile unit is an extension of our research center," said Dr. Elizabeth Ofili,
director of the Clinical Research Center and associate dean of clinical research at
Morehouse School of Medicine. "It brings state-of-the-art, sophisticated research
capabilities to the communities of our more than 150 partners across Georgia."
The mobile clinical research unit, which spans roughly 30 ft. in length, will visit communities in metro Atlanta, as
well as key areas of difficult-to-reach populations in Macon, Fort Valley, Albany,
Columbus and Augusta, Ga. These communities have clinics and practices who have long
partnered with Morehouse School of Medicine to improve the quality of care for their
patients and are therefore ideal as the initial areas of reach for the mobile unit.
"Morehouse School of Medicine is seamless with the communities we serve, and this
mobile unit is just another way of engaging our communities," said Dr.Priscilla Johnson,
associate director of clinical research operations for Morehouse School of Medicine's
Clinical Research Center. "We are essentially expanding access for these individuals
to participate in clinical research opportunities."
"This mobile unit affords us the opportunity to learn about various health disparities
that still plague our communities and will extend our research excellence," said Dr.
Sandra Harris-Hooker, senior associate dean and vice president for research affairs
at Morehouse School of Medicine.
The mobile clinical research unit is a self-contained, handicap accessible, mobile research facility with state-of-the-art
equipment and technology used to conduct similar research to what Morehouse School
of Medicine is able to do in its own labs at the Clinical Research Center. Existing
research which may leverage the use of the mobile unit include vitamin D studies,
stroke prevention studies, hypertension studies and diabetes among others. It contains
two exam rooms, a laboratory, private areas for patient interviews, a restroom and
audio/visual technology for patient education. On board equipment includes cardiac
monitors, refrigerator and freezer, portable ultrasound, scale and computers with
internet access.
"What makes this unit so unique is its sole dedication to research and education.
This mobile clinical research unit is allowing us to take intervention and prevention
to our patients. Research should not be limited to walls, and with this unit, we can
be 'hands-on' right in the streets of our communities," said Dr.Valerie Montgomery
Rice, dean and executive vice president at Morehouse School of Medicine.
Click here for more information on Morehouse School of Medicine's mobile clinical research
unit or to learn more about the latest research at Morehouse School of Medicine, visit
www.msm.edu.
About Clinical Research at Morehouse School of Medicine
The Clinical Research Center has served as the hub for clinical research at MSM since
1996 so as to provide faculty with an outpatient research site uniquely suited to
the pursuit of clinical and translational studies in minorities and underrepresented
populations. It was the first freestanding research facility of its kind to be accredited
by Joint commission Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Research
faculty, physicians, students and community partners collaborate to discover new treatments
in heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke and HIV/AIDS.
The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), a component
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), partially supports the Mobile Clinical
Research Unit and Clinical Research Center at Morehouse School of Medicine: Grant
Number 8U54MD007588.
About Morehouse School of Medicine
Morehouse School of Medicine is one the nation's most widely recognized community-based
medical schools, established to recruit and train minority and other students from
disadvantaged backgrounds as physicians, biomedical scientists and public health practitioners.
The institution's mission places special emphasis on primary care training; development
of model community-based health services and the conduct of research and translation
of discovery to benefit vulnerable populations and ultimately eliminate health inequities.
The School offers doctoral programs in medicine and biomedical research; and Master
of Science degree programs in public health and clinical investigation. It also sponsors
graduate training (residency) programs in family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics
and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, public health and preventive medicine, and
general surgery.
Morehouse School of Medicine annually ranks as one of the top U.S. medical schools
in the percentage of graduates practicing primary care specialties. The School ranks
# 1 in the first-ever study of all U.S. medical schools in the area of social mission.
Such recognition underscores the vital role that MSM plays in the nation's health
care system.
Morehouse School of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education,
and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It is also a member of the
Atlanta University Center Consortium, the world's oldest and largest association of
historically black colleges and universities.
MSM in the News 2012