IU School of Medicine awarded over $5 million to improve clinical training experiences and community health research

INDIANAPOLIS—Indiana University School of Medicine researchers were recently awarded an additional $5.4 million grant to improve classroom and clinical learning experiences for medical students to learn more about community health, with a special focus on underserved populations.

The grant is from the United States Health Resources Administration (HRSA) for the Primary Care Reaffirmation for Indiana Medical Education program (PRIME). The PRIME program focuses on the expansion of public health clinical training, point of care ultrasound curriculum and assessing capabilities for competency areas, including the new Health Equity, Advocacy and Leadership competency. Previously, the program allowed the school to provide all first-year medical students with laptop computers.

This new funding will also allow for the release of $1.5 million in health equity pilot project funding for IU School of Medicine research projects happening across the state. These 18 faculty-led projects are in 12 different departments and divisions across 6 campuses, with 30 students and 21 residents involved as investigators.

“This funding will bring innovation to our medical student curriculum and enhance understanding of health equity as it impacts care for Hoosiers,” said Bradley Allen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for medical student education and principal investigator of the PRIME program. “We are proud of the work our faculty have already completed and look forward to the continuation of these exciting and innovative projects.”

PRIME was created in 2020 thanks to an initial $7 million grant from the HRSA. Paul Wallach, MD, executive associate dean for educational affairs and institutional improvement, is also a principal investigator of the program.

Below is a list of the newly-funded pilot programs and their faculty leaders.

Cardiovascular Equity to Address Segregation Study

Award Amount: $100,000

Khadijah Breathett, MD, MS

Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology

The Path4YOU POCUS & PRIME

Awarded Amount: $100,000

Amy K. Caldwell, MD, MS

Assistant Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology

Reducing Bias and Disparities in the Care of Patients with Obesity

Awarded Amount: $79,889

Christen K. Dilly, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Dimitrios Stefanidis, MD, PhD

Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery

Primary Care in Sickle Cell Management (PRISM)

Award Amount: $99,803

Meghan Drayton Jackson, DO

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Andrew R.W. O’Brien, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine

Increasing Lung Cancer Screening Rates in Diverse Communities

Award Amount: $100,000

Francesca C. Duncan, MD, MS

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology

Edwin J. Jackson, DO, MBA

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology

Ali Ajrouch, MD

Postdoctoral Fellow in Medicine

POCUS ECHO

Award Amount: $100,000

Rob Ferre, MD

Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine

Closing the Gap: Caring for Our Unhoused Neighbors

Award Amount: $99,993

Mark D. Fox, MD, MA, MPH, PhD

Associate Dean, IU School of Medicine—South Bend

Assessment of the Current State of Survivor-Focused Cancer Care in the Adolescent and Young Adult Population in Rural Southwestern Indiana

Award Amount: $99,928

Kara Garcia, PhD, ME

Assistant Professor of Radiology & Imaging Sciences

Tammy J. Sajdyk, MS, PhD

Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Trident Approach to Surgical Health Equity in Indiana

Award Amount: $100,000

Andrew Gonzalez, MD, JD, MPH

Assistant Professor of Surgery

Dominique Doster, MD, MHPE

Categorical General Surgery Resident

Widening the Bottle Neck: Exploring the Breast Screening Program as an Effective Bridge to Lung Cancer Screening (LCS) and Smoking Cessation (SC)

Award Amount: $74,800

Nasser H. Hanna, MD

Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology

Ali Ajrouch, MD

Postdoctoral Fellow in Medicine

Rural Clinician Perceptions of Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Screening and Orthopedic Applications

Award Amount: $30,000

Ellen M. Ireland, PhD, MPH, MA

Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine

James G. Wilcox, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine

Decreasing Skin Cancer Outcome Inequities Through Targeted Primary Care Physician Educational Interventions

Syril Keena Que, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Dermatology

Award Amount: $15,025

Developing Cross Cultural Empathy through Mindfulness (DeCCEM)

Awarded Amount: $100,000

Julia LaMotte, MS, PhD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Lindsay Blazin, MPH, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Bridging Health Equity to Clinical Practice in Perinatal Mental Health

Award Amount: $100,000

Michelle L. Miller, PhD, MA

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Jasmine D. Johnson, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology

Use of Spanish-speaking Standardized Patients in the pre-clinical training of medical students

Award Amount: $96,778

Ray Munguia Vazquez, MD, MSc, PhD

Clinical Assistant Professor Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery

Addressing Health Inequities in Northwest Indiana Through Longitudinal Student-Led Community Based Participatory Research Partnerships

Award Amount: $100,000

Baraka Muvuka, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine

Elizabeth R. Ryan, EdD

Associate Dean, IU School of Medicine Northwest-Gary

Evidence-Based Investigation of Healthcare Inequities: Exploring the Clinical Algorithms and Treatment Practices Taught in Medical Education that Impact Equity

Award Amount: $94,084

Jennelle D. Richardson, PhD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology

Elizabeth S. Yeh, PhD

Associate Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology

Culturally Competent Video-Interpreter Training for Residents and Medical Students

Award Amount: $14,998

Anthony L. Shanks, MD, MS

Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology

###

IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability.