(NewsUSA) - Ned Norman is a rancher. Maret Felzien is an English professor. And conventional wisdom says neither is likely to help healthcare research become more meaningful to patients and caregivers.
But Norman and Felzien, and their rural community in eastern Colorado, are doing just that through the High Plains Research Network (HPRN), a partnership of rural hospitals, clinics and primary care practices that are improving the care they provide to patients through research and quality improvement programs.
kAm%96 ?6EH@C< :D @?6 6I2>A=6 @7 E96 !2E:6?E\r6?E6C65 ~FE4@>6D #6D62C49 x?DE:EFE6VD W!r~#xX G:D:@? 7@C C6D62C49 E92E >62?:?87F==J 6?8286D >6>36CD @7 E96 4@>>F?:EJ] %92EVD H9J !r~#x Wk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]A4@C:]@C8QmHHH]A4@C:]@C8k^2mX 2H2C565 E96 w!#} 2 !:=@E !C@;64E 4@?EC24E :? pAC:= a_`a E@ 4@?E:?F6 :ED 4@>>F?:EJ\32D65 677@CE E9C@F89 Qq@@E r2>A %C2?D=2E:@?]Qk^Am
kAm{65 3J w!#} s:C64E@C sC] y24< (6DE72==[ E96 AC@;64E H:== EC2?D=2E6 962=E9 C6D62C49 2?5 C64@>>6?52E:@?D :?E@ =2?8F286 2446DD:3=6 E@ E96 5:G6CD6 4@>>F?:E:6D :? r@=@C25@] %96 F=E:>2E6 8@2= :D E@ :?4C62D6 E96 2H2C6?6DD 2?5 FD6 @7 6G:56?46\32D65 C64@>>6?52E:@?D 2?5 :>AC@G6 A2E:6?E 962=E9]k^Am
kAmQ(96? C6D62C49 86ED EC2?D=2E65 :?E@ =@42= =2?8F286[ 4@>>F?:EJ >6>36CD 2?5 A2E:6?ED 2C6 >@C6 6?82865[Q (6DE72== 6IA=2:?65] Qx? 62DE6C? r@=@C25@[ E9:D >62?D AC6D6?E:?8 :?7@C>2E:@? :? 2 H2J E92E :?4@CA@C2E6D E96 =@42= CFC2= C2?49 2?5 72C> 7=2G@C]Qk^Am
kAm(6DE72==[ 2 72>:=J A9JD:4:2? 2?5 ?2E:G6 @7 *F>2[ r@=@][ 6DE23=:D965 E96 w!#} :? `hhf] $9@CE=J 27E6C[ (6DE72== 25565 2 r@>>F?:EJ p5G:D@CJ r@F?4:=[ 2 F?:BF6 AF3=:4 8C@FA 492C865 H:E9 D6CG:?8 2D =@42= 6IA6CED E@ 8F:56 E96 962=E9 AC@8C2>D 2?5 C6D62C49 w!#} 4@?5F4ED] }@H `a J62CD =2E6C[ 2 5:G6CD6 8C@FA @7 `` >6>36CD[ :?4=F5:?8 }@C>2? 2?5 u6=K:6?[ 4@?E:?F6 E@ D6CG6 @? E96 4@F?4:=]k^Am
kAmQ(6 DA62< 7@C E96 4@>>F?:EJ[Q u6=K:6? D2:5] Qp?5 H96? J@F A2:C @FC 6?6C8J 2?5 @FC <?@H=6586 H:E9 C6D62C49[ E96 962=E9 @7 @FC 4@>>F?:EJ 42? 36 :>AC@G65]Qk^Am
kAm%96 EC25:E:@?2= 962=E942C6 C6D62C49 >@56= 6I4=F56D A2E:6?ED 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ >6>36CD ?@E 3642FD6 @7 A@@C :?E6?E:@?D[ 3FE 7C@> E96 =24< @7 AC@G6? >6E9@5D 7@C 4@>>F?:EJ 6?8286>6?E] %96 w!#} :D 56>@?DEC2E:?8 2 ?6H >@56= E92E 42? 36 252AE65 2?5 FE:=:K65 :? 4@>>F?:E:6D ?2E:@?H:56]k^Am
kAmQ|J G:D:@? 7@C @FC C6D62C49 6?562G@C :D E@ 3F:=5 2 4@>>F?:EJ @7 D@=FE:@?D n A2E:6?ED[ 4@>>F?:EJ >6>36CD[ AC@G:56CD[ C6D62C496CD[ 2== H@C<:?8 E@86E96C E@ 2D< 2?5 2?DH6C BF6DE:@?D :>A@CE2?E E@ E96 4@>>F?:EJ[Q (6DE72== D2:5]k^Am
kAm%92EVD !r~#xVD G:D:@? 2D H6==[ H:E9 E96 9@A6 E92E 677@CED =:<6 E96 w!#} 42? 364@>6 AC@G6? >@56=D 7@C QC6D62C49 5@?6 5:776C6?E=J]Qk^Am
kAm!r~#x 6?4@FC286D A6@A=6 E@ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]A4@C:]@C8^86E\:?G@=G65QmHHH]A4@C:]@C8^86E\:?G@=G65k^2m E@ D66 9@H E96J 42? 96=A]k^Am