Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute Seeks Qualified Applicants for Cardiovascular Outcomes Fellowships

Kansas City, Mo. (PRWEB) August 07, 2014

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 currently offers a unique opportunity with an immediate opening for one fellowship position and two additional fellowships beginning July 1, 2015. The T32 program is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), and is hosted by Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute (SLMAHI) 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 scientific journals. 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, psychologists, epidemiologists, 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."

The full-time fellowship training program offers:

   •  Advanced seminars of specialized skills for outcomes research
   •  Opportunity to obtain a master's of science in bioinformatics with an emphasis in clinical research for those without prior formal training in the field
   •  Multidisciplinary mentorship individualized to meet the needs of each fellow
   •  Hands-on research experience with access to highly experienced statisticians and numerous databases including multicenter outcome registries (e.g., PREMIER, TRIUMPH, PORTRAIT, PRISM), clinical trial databases (e.g., EPHESUS, PARTNER, TAVR, FREEDOM, SYNTAX), and national quality databases (e.g., American College of Cardiology's National Cardiovascular Data Registries, American Heart Association'sNational Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)
   •  Salaried position based on National Institutes of Health postdoctoral stipend scales
   •  Benefits including health, dental, disability, and life insurance; vacation time; tuition (for M.S. coursework); and funds for travel expenses to professional conference(s)
   •  Opportunity to integrate outcomes research with clinical training. SLMAHI/UMKC has ACGME-accredited programs in general cardiology, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, and advanced heart failure/transplantation, and non-accredited programs in imaging and preventive cardiology

Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute is recognized as one of the premier outcomes research centers in the country consistently producing pioneering research that improves outcomes, patient experience, and patient care. The Heart Institute has earned an international reputation for excellence in outcomes and health economics research.

The deadline for fellowship application is Sept. 15, 2014, for one immediate opening and two positions beginning July 1, 2015.

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

About Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute
Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, a member of Saint Luke's Health System and a teaching affiliate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, 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. With more than 50 full-time board certified cardiovascular specialists on staff, the Heart Institute offers one of the largest heart failure/heart transplant programs in the country, has the largest experience with transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the Midwest, and is a global teaching site for the newest approaches to opening challenging blocked arteries using minimally invasive techniques.

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