Saint Luke's seeks qualified applicants for cardiovascular outcomes fellowships

T32 grant funding trains next generation of leaders in clinical and outcomes research

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute—one of the leading outcomes research centers in the nation—is seeking highly motivated, talented individuals for its two-year postdoctoral training program in cardiovascular outcomes research. The T32 training program, funded by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), is hosted by the Mid America Heart Institute in close collaboration with the University of Kansas.

"There is a growing regional and national need for more scholars in cardiovascular outcomes and quality of care research to inform practice and policy in an increasingly complex health care system," said John Spertus, M.D., Daniel J. Lauer/Missouri Endowed Chair and Professor at the UMKC School of Medicine and clinical director of outcomes research at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute. "This fellowship provides curriculum, mentored research, and independent research experiences to train the next generation of leaders in the fields of cardiovascular clinical and outcomes research."

Fellowship program scholars will conduct studies to define the determinants of outcomes, examine the translation of evidence into clinical care in order to identify opportunities for improvement, and design innovations in health care delivery to overcome existing gaps—all national priorities. The program includes a number of excellent mentors in diverse disciplines who have published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles per year in the scientific literature. Successful trainees will be equipped to conduct independent academic research, work with the pharmaceutical/device industry, serve as leaders in quality within hospitals and health systems, and pursue careers in public health and health policy.

"Ideal candidates will have completed their Ph.D. or M.D. degrees and will have a deep passion for improving health care," said Dr. Spertus. "In addition to cardiologists or cardiology-bound physicians, neurologists, pharmacists, nurses, and others interested in the field are welcome to apply. Minority candidates are particularly encouraged to apply, given the strong research activity in studying disparities and developing strategies to overcome them."

For application details and eligibility requirements, visit www.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/OutcomesResearchFellowship

About Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute

Recognized as one of the leading outcomes research centers in the country, Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute has led more than 100 clinical research trials in all aspects of cardiovascular disease. The Institute's clinicians and researchers have pioneered methods for quantifying patients' experience and outcomes of their disease and using these data as endpoints in clinical trials, as markers of health care quality, and as tools in improving patient care. A member of Saint Luke's Health System and a teaching affiliate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute is one of the preeminent cardiovascular programs in the country. Its legacy of innovation began more than 25 years ago when it opened as the nation's first heart hospital. Since then, the Heart Institute has earned a world-wide reputation for excellence in the treatment of heart disease, including interventional cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, imaging, heart failure, transplant, heart disease prevention, women's heart disease, electrophysiology, outcomes research, and health economics. 

SOURCE Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute