Strategy 2 - Actions

1. Create an inter-college, interdisciplinary Health Sciences Center that collaborates with units throughout USF and with external entities.

• Expand collaborative projects and research initiatives, e.g., bioengineering, international health.
• Increase collaborative teaching of selected courses across HSC units, with other USF academic units, and with other universities, e.g., ethics, bioinformatics, genomics, biobehavioral science, bioengineering, and behavioral health.
• Expand the number of inter-college certificate programs.
• Recruit/hire faculty and administrators key to implementation of strategic plan goals.

2. Promote a nationally distinctive research program with emphasis on such priority public health policy considerations and health areas as: Children; Infectious Diseases and Bioterrorism; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Patient Safety; Hospice, End of Life and Palliative Care; and Cell Therapy/Neurosciences/brain repair, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and stroke.

• Develop research support infrastructure that provides grants resources, grant development, and grant management to facilitate increased HSC research funding.
• Expand opportunities for graduate assistantships and pre-doctoral and post-doctoral appointments.
• Initiate a Research Incentive Program for the College of Public Health and College of Nursing.

3. Promote nationally distinctive educational programs.

• Continue Education Initiative.
• Conduct a statewide needs assessment for a DrPH program.
• Promote recruitment of qualified students by increasing financial support for doctoral students.
• Expand use of distance learning and instructional technology in the delivery of individual courses and complete certificate and degree programs.
• Develop a Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Masters Program
• Develop niche dual degrees such as the Ph.D.+ programs
• Enhance the Nursing clinical consortium project.
• Develop and implement a B.S. in Nursing to Ph.D. in Nursing program.
• Expand enrollment in existing Ph.D. in Medical Sciences program and create additional areas of concentration in this program.
• Expand enrollment in current M.D./Ph.D. program; strengthen the basic science departments to support this expansion.

4. Fully engage the HSC and its programs, faculty, staff, and students in the advancement of health in the community.

• Conclude development of the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Initiative.
• Expand AHEC activities to include increased participation by faculty and students from all three HSC colleges, e.g., collaborative service learning initiative.
• Promote creation and expansion of residency programs, with emphasis on generalist, specialty, and sub-specialty areas in which there is unmet demand.
• Expand CPE offerings to address priorities of community health professionals.
• Expand opportunities for students to train and faculty to teach in community-based clinics.
• Continue COPH participation with DOH and other state agencies in preparation of state plan for bioterrorism
  preparedness and to develop strategies to reduce healthcare disparities in Florida.
• Increase participation of the Chiles Center for Health Mothers and Babies in the development of maternal child health policy in the community and at the state and federal levels.
• Continue collaboration with DOH to establish research, education, and training programs in infectious diseases/bioterrorism.
• Increase joint planning with community clinical affiliates.
• Expand/enhance health professions education and training program in areas of workforce shortages/health care priorities, e.g., nursing.
• Increase the diversity of the faculty and student bodies.
• Establish a systematic process for soliciting and receiving input on community needs and priorities and for enhancing community outreach.

5. Construct and/or renovate facilities that enhance opportunities for collaboration across colleges, disciplines, programs, and external entities.

• Plan, fund, and construct the Health Care and Education Center in collaboration with DOH/CMS.
• Construct the Center for Infant and Child Development.
• Seek additional federal funding for and construct space to support neurodegenerative diseases research.
• Collaborate in the planning and development of the Florida Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute.
• Plan, fund, and construct the HSC Research II/Vivarium expansion.
• Plan, fund, and renovate core lab and classroom space.
• Plan, fund, and expand the Shimberg Health Sciences Center Library.
• Develop state-of-the-art telecommunications/technology, e.g., wireless internet readiness for all classrooms, Blackboard, others.

6. Achieve fiscal self-sufficiency and develop a stable economic base for Health Sciences units.

• Identify funding for endowed chairs
• Increase portion of HSC budget derived from extramural contracts and grants.
• Seek grants which pay full indirect costs.
• Expand participation in efforts that stimulate economic development , e.g., create an office of Biotechnology Development.