Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

Updated: February 18, 2021

MaineHealth gets $12.8M grant to study rural health disparities

MaineHealth building exterior in Portland File Photo / Renee Cordes MaineHealth, headquartered here in Portland, has been awarded a five-year, $12.8 million Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence grant by the National Institutes of Health.

MaineHealth, the state's largest health care system, will use a $12.8 million federal grant to support clinical research aimed at reducing health disparities among people in rural areas.

The funding for MaineHealth's Maine Medical Center Research Institute is a five-year Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence grant from the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C., according to a news release Wednesday.

MaineHealth said the funding will be used to develop a statewide research and care network in the state, addressing barriers associated with limited resources, expertise and access in rural areas. The project will begin with support of four clinical studies.

They include research into whether MaineHealth can improve rural patient outcomes after cardiac arrest by creating a best practice protocol for care, and into the use of telemedicine by rural hospitals to rapidly identify newborns who need therapeutic hypothermia to protect the brain. 

“This grant will not only help establish the infrastructure necessary to better serve rural communities, it will support MaineHealth engagement with community members to understand  their needs, and how best to focus future research,” said Dr. Doug Sawyer, chief academic officer of Maine Maine Medical Center and MaineHealth, and the grant's principal investigator.

"When research works hand in glove with community needs and patient care, we impact health," he added.

The grant will allow investigators to receive mentoring and logistical support for their projects. Project leaders will also connect with community members to better understand the health care challenges they face.

Sign up for Enews

Related Content

0 Comments

Order a PDF