Sharon Reif, PhD¹, Vanessa Azzone, PhD², and Terri L. White, BS¹. (1) Schneider Institute for Health Policy, Heller Graduate School, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, MS 035, Waltham, MA 02454, 781-736-3924, reif@brandeis.edu, (2) Dept of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, 180 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115

By virtue of sharing knowledge and resources across institutions, we can create a whole greater than its parts, enhancing our ability to conduct high-quality health services research, as evidenced by the NIDA-funded Brandeis/Harvard Center on Managed Care and Drug Abuse Treatment. Each organization brings a unique set of substantive skills, which may overlap or be complementary, that strengthen the collective expertise. Considered together, they constitute the structure required to conduct coordinated and comprehensive research. This poster focuses on our synergistic structure and shared resources. Under joint Brandeis/Harvard leadership, the Center’s Core provides the organizational and administrative structure conducive to enhancing synergy among the projects, fostering innovation, and promoting productive interaction among researchers. An Internal Advisory Board (IAB) is the main focus of the Center’s coordination, complemented by an External Advisory Board. The IAB is supported by four standing committees: (1) Research Support augments and enhances the researchers’ statistical, methodological and clinical expertise, and provides cross-fertilization opportunities; (2) Quality Assurance reviews all projects and products, enhancing quality and contributing to the sharing of ideas; (3) Training/Mentoring (including pilot projects) fosters the development of students and junior investigators; (4) Dissemination directs the external sharing of information learned from the Center, via multiple outlets. The IAB maximizes potential for sharing methods, analyses, and results; encourages synergy; ensures that we are continuously and substantively informed of each other's work; and ensures research and training quality. Thus we emphasize and continually reinforce the recognition that our strength resides in the synergy among our members.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify ways to work effectively across institutions, and ways to create synergy while doing so.
• Discuss the benefits of the cross-fertilization of ideas and knowledge that occurs via shared resources.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.