Illinois Medicine

In partnership with the Office of Government Relations, a new office was established this spring in Washington, D.C., to develop an active presence for the university. "The office will provide bidirectional support in which campus priorities are showcased to federal agencies—and federal research opportunities are then brought back to campus for review," says Schook. "The landscape for research is changing, and more of the larger research initiatives are focused on partnerships—between uni- versities, or between universities and the private [or] public sector," he adds. "Our focus is to help build bridges, streamline processes and to be a catalyst for innovative, new ideas." Schook's first priority is establishing a faculty advisory com- mittee, in conjunction with Matthew Wheeler, chair of the Univer- sity Senates Conference. The committee will address imminent staff needs, with an initial target of reviewing the compliance burdens for conducting research. "We are working to streamline our processes and lower re- search costs, both in time and money," says Schook. "Our goal is to be the 'best in show, while preserving the highest regulatory standards." Because of increases in regulatory and reporting require- ments, Schook says faculty spend less than 60 percent of their time in active research and the rest on research administration. A Business Process Improvement Project is now under way to analyze how to streamline processes such as proposal development, approval, sub- mission and tracking, as well as compliance committees and forms. The analysis will be used to design and install research ad- ministration software that will reduce the time and energy associ- ated with administrative research tasks outside the laboratory. "The improved processes will serve as a competitive differentiator for the university, positioning it and the faculty for growth in research activities," says Schook. cine at the University of Chicago and chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University before joining the Uni- versity of Illinois in February 2010 as the vice chancellor for research. "Translational research is embedded in our mission of delivering high-quality, cost-effective care for the state of Illinois," says Garcia. "We have a goal of personalizing medicine and addressing health care disparities, particularly in the underserved populations. That's where our health science enterprise is unique among academic medical centers." Personalized medicine involves using research advances in genomics and genetics to understand an individual patient's suit- ability for therapy or a drug. "For example, in sickle cell disease, we are making tremendous progress in using a single lab test to test the expression of 20,000 genes," explains Garcia. "Using a number of analytic approaches, we can hone down A those 20,000 genes to a 25- to 50-gene signature that can tell us whether a patient is at risk for complications and allows us to deter- mine which therapies would help prevent those risks," he adds. S VICE PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH AFFAIRS, Skip Garcia will focus on integrating the health care enterprise, including the health sci- ence colleges, the College of Medicine, the re- gional campuses and the medical center—tak- ing an enterprise-wide approach to managing the future of the Illinois health care system, for the first time. Internationally recognized for his research on the genetic basis of lung disease, Garcia was chair of the department of medi- ' decreasing the barriers for conducting research Personalized medicine also could include using gene signatures to determine who gets aggressive chemotherapy for their cancer or pharmaceuticals tailored to a spe- cific genetic makeup. "This is the future of medi- cine, and we want to provide our medical students with the knowl- edge and the tools that will lead to individualized care," says Garcia. "The focus is on team science, where treatment involves a variety of disciplines. We're establishing teams of gifted investigators and dedicated clinicians that will change the way patient care is delivered." Garcia envisions using that team approach to continue building translational and clinical programs that have the potential to be the best in the region. "For example, we already have an out- standing stroke program involv- ing neurosurgery, neurology and psychiatry," he says. "By deeply integrating stroke research, we can continue to enhance that program." Garcia plans to take the same approach of integrating the '' We are in a serious budget crisis, and we shouldn't waste resources, but in the end, the most important reason for an integrated approach is to improve the quality of service that we deliver. — MICHAEL J . HOGAN UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT clinical and research pieces for programs in bariatric surgery, obesity and solid organ transplantation. "Bringing in tools such as genomic signatures for kidney and liver transplant patients can help us tailor their immunosuppressive therapies to lower their risk of rejection and improve outcomes," he says. '' Against a backdrop of hospital mergers and pending health care reform, Dimitri Azar, MD, interim dean of the College of Medicine, says this is the right time for a unified structure. "As the largest medical school in the state and the only medical school in Illinois that is state- owned, it is incumbent for Illinois Medicine to look at its partnerships and how we can leverage our geographical presence to be a more active player in the health care delivery market." "The future of health care involves developing smart devices that can track patients' cardiac function or glucose level, sending that information back to physicians," adds John DeNardo, who has served as the chief executive officer of the University of Illinois Medical Center for the past 12 years. "Telemedicine projects are already under way that allow us to monitor patients remotely, bringing care into rural or underserved areas. An integrated structure allows us to harness the sci- entific, technological and research prowess of the university and greatly improve the lives of the people we serve." DeNardo also sees applications for the unified university con- cept in health care reform, where the goal will be to improve quality of service and patient satisfaction while reducing cost. "The hallmark of health care reform is efficiency," he says. "Integrating clinical care, edu- cation and research will uniquely position us to achieve those goals." "We are in a serious budget crisis, and we shouldn't waste resources," Hogan says. "But in the end, the most important reason for an integrated approach is to improve the quality of service that we deliver to our faculty, staff, students and patients. In doing so, we'll elevate the national and international reputation of our university. Our best days are ahead of us. " I L L INOI S MEDICINE | 27

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