Published on August 30, 2017 by Sarah Waller  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRppeUHfcMw 

CHIPOR 2017

Samford University ’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy celebrated the launch of its Center for Healthcare Innovation and Patient Outcomes Research (CHIPOR) Aug. 29. 

CHIPOR serves as a conduit for research and a springboard for innovative practice models among organizations such as hospitals, health care systems, federal and state entities, and others by providing meaningful analyses of data to improve patient outcomes and reduce health care costs. 

“Our vision for CHIPOR is to be a recognized leader for improving health through innovative research,” said Maisha Kelly Freeman, professor and CHIPOR director. “We will implement this vision through our mission of evaluating models of care and developing innovative solutions to improve the health of patients.” 

Formerly known as Samford University Global Drug Information Center, faculty within McWhorter School of Pharmacy restructured the center to adapt to the increasingly complex requests the center was receiving. 

“The drug information center was structured to address questions from individuals, but over time, we began to receive more questions that focused on policies and procedures—questions that focused on a population-approach instead of an individual approach,” Freeman said. 

Through restructuring, CHIPOR was able to expand its services to include the development of innovative research designs for a larger variety of clientele.    

Along with outside clients, CHIPOR serves as a resource for ongoing faculty and student research within Samford’s College of Health Sciences, as well as a training center for pharmacy students and residents. 

“We are excited about the learning opportunities for students as they engage in real-world problems to analyze and improve patient health through research and innovation,” said Michael Thomas, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice. 

Throughout the coming year, the center plans to host events such as webinars and interdisciplinary think-tank discussions focused research and practice models. 

Assistant Professor Georges Adunlin and Sandra Boyken also work with CHIPOR. 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.