University of Miami and UHealth

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine: The University of Miami (UM) Miller School of Medicine (MSOM) is an academic medical center with extensive clinical facilities. Research is a top priority, with more than 1,300 ongoing projects funded by more than $380 million in extramural grants and contracts. The school ranks in the top third among U.S. medical schools in terms of research funding awarded. With more than 1,400 faculty members, MSOM is dedicated to generating major advances in medical research and converting these discoveries into enhanced patient care. The medical center includes three University-owned hospitals: UHealth Tower, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital. UM affiliates include Jackson Health System, Holtz Children’s Hospital, and the Miami VA Healthcare System.

Miami CTSI: In 2012, UM was awarded a Clinical and Translational Science Award, becoming part of a national consortium of medical research institutions working together to improve the way clinical and translational research is conducted nationwide. The Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) focuses on culturalized health sciences, minority health and health disparities. The Community and Stakeholder Engagement program seeks to transform research at UM and the CTSI Hub to be responsive and inclusive of community/key stakeholder participants. Our CTSI community engagement framework is a multi-faceted approach that a) engages other organizations having a wealth of experience in the target communities, b) engages and activates the informal leadership of ethnic communities, and c) engages health care systems, providers and patients. 

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (SCCC): All SCCC physicians are on the faculty of the Miller School of Medicine, South Florida’s only academic medical center. SCCC physicians annually handle 1,500 inpatient admissions, perform more than 2,400 surgical procedures, and treat 6,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients. In addition, SCCC supervises the care of more than 2,500 new cancer patients at Jackson Memorial Hospital. This represents the largest experience of any hospital or health system in the counties that make up South Florida. SCCC physicians and scientists are engaged in approximately 112 therapeutic clinical trials and receive more than $28 million annually in research grants. Research is organized around three multidisciplinary research programs and multiple shared resources, ensuring access to the most innovative techniques across a range of cancer specialties.

UM operates shared resources that facilitate research, including: Behavior & Community Research Shared Resource (BCSR):  The BCSR provides services to support community-based and disparities-focused research. The BCSR works with researchers from a wide range of academic disciplines including epidemiology, genetics, gynecology, medicine, oncology, psychology and sociology/anthropology. UM also provides services that assist researchers in identifying communities at increased risk of adverse health outcomes and in networking effectively with these communities toward mutually beneficial research aims. Services include consultation on research design and study implementation, development of community research partnerships, and project coordination and management.