Safety Net Research Infrastructure Initiative

Safety Net community health centers (CHCs) serve our most vulnerable populations and play an important role in improving public health. These CHCs serve Massachusetts residents who are not eligible for health insurance or who have limited insurance. Safety Net CHCs are a critical component of the health care system and have the potential to benefit greatly from participation in research and translation of evidence into practice. This is especially true following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the transformation of primary care systems. However, CHCs often lack the infrastructure, resources, and time necessary to lead or collaborate in research.

Through the Community Health Innovation and Research Program (HC-CHIRP), the Safety Net Research Infrastructure Initiative seeks to engage Safety Net CHCs in a collaborative process to enhance infrastructure for primary care research. The primary aim of this initiative is to develop a learning health care system.

Elements of the Initiative

Based on a pilot program through the Cambridge Health Alliance, an integrated health system serving multiple communities in metro Boston, this initiative is engaged with three Safety Net CHCs in Massachusetts providing participating staff and clinicians with:

1. protected time to engage in research activities
2. training to facilitate engagement in primary care research, and
3. mentors to provide guidance in areas including developing research partnerships, research methods and design, data analysis, proposal development, dissemination, and the translation of research evidence into clinical practice

In addition, academic collaborators and graduate students from Harvard will be linked to the CHCs to provide mentorship, research support, and collaboration on research projects.

The Safety Net Initiative is also partnering with the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (Mass League) to conduct a state-wide survey to assess knowledge, interest, and application of primary care/clinical research into practice among all Massachusetts CHCs. Findings from this survey will inform future provider training needs.

For more information on HC-CHIRP's Safety Net Research Infrastructure Initiative, please contact Karen Hacker, MD, MPH.