SRPH part of new research center

A $995,000 National Institutes of Health grant will help develop the Community Research Center for Senior Health in Central Texas, an effort charged with finding solutions to issues facing senior adults.

Scott & White Healthcare, the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) School of Rural Public Health, and the Central Texas Aging and Disability Resource Center are partners in the initiative and will exchange information and work on a known problem – older adults facing chronic care and chronic illnesses. While planned activities can occur throughout Central Texas, the Bryan/College Station and Temple/Belton areas will serve as activity hubs.

“It gives each of us an opportunity to represent what we know best,” said Alan Stevens, Ph.D., director of the program on aging and care at Scott & White Healthcare, principal investigator of the grant and adjunct professor at the TAMHSC-School of Rural Public Health.

“We welcome this innovative partnership between health care, community services and academic institutions,” stated Regent Professor Marcia Ory, Ph.D., of the TAMHSC-School of Rural Public Health, who serves as lead academic partner on the grant. “Working together to build an infrastructure to identify problems and embed evidence-based solutions into community settings can help bridge the gap between research and practice – leading to better lives for seniors.”

Tom Miller, Ph.D., assistant professor at the TAMHSC-School of Rural Public Health, will also serve as a co-investigator.

Scott & White has expertise in delivering health care. The TAMHSC-School of Rural Public Health improves health of communities through education, research, services and outreach. The Central Texas Aging and Disability Resource Center has developed a system that provides programs and services to older adults. The Brazos Valley Area Agency on Aging will serve as the local aging services partner.