Online: COVID-19 Community Research Projects site
The Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine received $6 million to create a rural-focused testing and treatment initiative for the COVID-19 global pandemic as part of the state of North Carolina’s $1.6 billion relief package signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper on May 4.
This week, university and medical school leadership announced the launch of a new web site to report on use of these funds.
“Campbell University and our team at the School of Osteopathic Medicine are working hard to utilize these grant dollars in a way that is consistent with the legislation that authorized the funds to serve the people of North Carolina,” said Britt Davis, vice president for advancement and co-principal investigator on the COVID-19 Community Research Project. “It is a great opportunity for Campbell to be involved with this major investment by the State of North Carolina in medical research, education and community service.”
Campbell is one of five universities included in the “COVID-19 research” portion of House Bill 1043 — joining Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, East Carolina, and Wake Forest. The $6 million allocated to Campbell directly impacts the work and mission of the university, which has been tasked to form a community- and rural-focused primary care workforce response to the pandemic, which has affected millions of people worldwide, nearly 8 million Americans and more than 200,000 North Carolinians.
Through this purposeful funding, medical faculty and students at Campbell will work to:
- Support community testing initiatives
- Provide treatment in community-based health care settings
- Monitor rural populations
- Educate health professionals on best practices for a pandemic response
- Support rural communities through primary care
“The mission of the Campbell University school of osteopathic medicine is to train physicians who will bring primary and specialty care to rural and underserved communities in North Carolina and the southeastern United States,” said Robin King-Thiele, associate dean for postgraduate affairs at the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine and co-principal investigator on the COVID-19 Community Research Project.
“This grant is advancing our mission in partnership with key community service providers and hospitals across central and eastern North Carolina, the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC). The synergy is strong across these organizations to provide healthcare solutions for the people of North Carolina.”