The Drexel University School of Public Health was recently awarded a $15,000 grant from Pfizer Inc. to lead a Grand Rounds lecture series that focuses on leadership in core areas of public health. The School of Public Health was one of only twelve schools nationwide to receive the grant from Pfizer Inc.
To carry out the grant, the School of Public Health will partner with Drexel University’s College of Medicine and School of Law, as well as St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, to create a forum that highlights multidisciplinary approaches to leadership in public health across the Philadelphia and Delaware Valley region. Leaders from the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Departments of Health will also assist in the planning and execution of the Grand Rounds series. Together, the organizations will create a "Preventive Medicine Grand Rounds" series that builds off of Drexel University's unique strengths in public health leadership, and complements the themes explored in Pfizer's book, Moments in Leadership: Case Studies in Public Health Policy and Practice.
"Preventive medicine is the nexus between public health and clinical medicine. Therefore, this series will explore and promote leadership in five core areas of preventive medicine, including primary care, health disparities and human rights, quality improvement and patient safety, access to health care and insurance, and global health," said Dr. Renee Turchi, a faculty member at the Drexel University School of Public Health and principal investigator of the grant.
The speakers and lecture dates at the partnering institutions will be announced in early 2009. The Grand Rounds series will be designed to engage students and faculty from various disciplines, backgrounds and experiences in medicine, public health and law.
"The series will create a sustainable forum that brings together faculty, students and trainees from three schools at Drexel University and the St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in an integrated program that will feature nationally revered speakers and resources integral to the practice of public health, medicine and law," said Dr. Turchi.
The "Moments in Leadership Grand Rounds" series will support and complement the School of Public Health's existing Public Health Grand Rounds lecture series, which is funded by a grant from Health Partners, Inc.