Texas A&M School of Public Health establishes joint program with Houston Methodist to address health outcomes

Texas A&M School of Public Health has entered into a partnership with the Houston Methodist Research Institute and the Center for Outcomes Research. The joint program will be under the direction of Bita Kash, PhD, MBA, FACHE, associate professor at the School of Public Health, who currently serves as the director of a five-university National Science Foundation (NSF) industry/university cooperative research center anchored at Texas A&M.

Clinician-scientists from Houston Methodist and research faculty from Texas A&M University will collaborate as “research team leaders” pursuing internally and externally funded research opportunities. Research will focus on improving health outcomes of patients treated in acute-care settings and throughout the cycle of their care in the ambulatory environment and the community.

“With support and direction from the rich clinical environment that characterizes Houston Methodist working with Texas A&M faculty, our goal is to conduct research in the fields of health services, health economics and health operations that will provide national leadership and fundamental improvements in patient outcomes in the US and throughout the world,” Kash said. “Research findings will be translated into actionable strategy for health system leaders to implement rapidly.”

Kash will divide her time between two program offices, one at the School of Public Health and the other at Houston Methodist Hospital.

“We are delighted to partner with one of the nation’s leading hospitals in developing better and more effective care through our outcomes research,” said Dean Jay Maddock of the School of Public Health.

“With this partnership, we hope to provide national leadership that will lead to fundamental improvements in patient outcomes throughout the world,” said Robert Phillips, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer of Houston Methodist.

Kash’s research model relies heavily on the knowledge and experience of health care leaders to guide academic research. She has published about 70 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Kash also serves as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Healthcare Management, a peer-reviewed research journal of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).