Opening Comments from the Dean David S. Wilkes, MD
- We learned a number of lessons from the DARs/CARs.
- Accountability is key across all missions.
- In education, we must ensure that students are prepared to perform the Entrustable Professional Activities.
- In research, we must diversify the funding portfolios, maintain the standards for research funding per square foot of lab space, and maximize salary support on grants.
- In the clinics, we must improve efficiencies across the board in the ambulatory setting and we must establish a group practice.
- The reviews highlighted several priorities.
- As leaders, we are all responsible for working together and guiding institutional change.
- We must improve organizational structures and processes. In the dean’s office, we are doing this through developing business intelligence, improving IT infrastructure, and piloting the Be Smart initiative (lean processes).
- We must build and strengthen external relationship across the University, through the Inova partnership, and through the CTSA initiative.
- We will take education to a higher level through innovations in our graduate and master’s programs.
- One of the programs we learned about in the DARs is the Silo Busters program in the Child Health Research Center (CHRC) in the Department of Pediatrics. James Nataro described Silo Busters for us.
- The program is designed to facilitate interactions with basic scientists. Eligible basic scientists who will be working with Pediatrics faculty members are given joint appointments in the CHRC.
- The research may be conducted in the lab of either the primary or the secondary appointee.
- The objective is to attract basic scientists to work with clinicians.
- The first Silo Buster recipients will be announced before the end of this year.
- Accountability is key across all missions.
Bobby Chhabra, MD
The Department of Orthopedics’ clinical trials have grown from 4 trials in 2013 to more than 60 today. Over the last year, the clinical trials infrastructure has been fully supported by the overhead negotiated through the industry “rate card” mechanism.
Dr. Chhabra explained the methodology for developing the cost expectations for the rate card. It takes into account salary expenses (investigator and trial support staff) and OTPS. Billing may be based on an hourly rate or on trial enrollment and other milestones.
The rate card provides a process that is more streamlined and transparent for the budgeting process. It makes is easier for industry to set up trials. It provides salary support for MDs and PAs. The rate card helps to ensure that clinical revenues do not support the expenses of clinical trials.
Filed Under: Clinical, Education, Faculty, Operations, Research