Implementing Johns Hopkins AMP program
within Boston Medical Center
Overview
Johns Hopkins Medicine is partnering with LeaRRn to support a Learning Health System (LHS) Scholar to design and conduct a study evaluating the implementation and/or effectiveness of the Johns Hopkins Activity and Mobility Promotion (AMP)™ approach to hospital mobility within Boston Medical Center (BMC), a non-profit academic medical center in Boston, Massachusetts and the largest safety-net hospital and Level I trauma center in New England.
During this 2-3 year commitment, the scholar will collaborate with data administrators, researchers and clinicians from Johns Hopkins Medicine (the AMP team) and take advantage of valuable training and implementation resources. By assisting with and evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of AMP at BMC, the scholar/pilot awardee will gain insight and experience with translating knowledge to practice. The scholar will have regular mentorship from the AMP team and LeaRRn mentors throughout the program.
In Year 1, the scholar will establish relationships, learn about the AMP program, and work with their LeaRRn mentor, the AMP team, and BMC to develop a pilot study proposal. Upon successful submission and approval of the pilot study proposal, the scholar will transition to a LeaRRn Pilot Study Award. Years 2 and 3 will be used to conduct the pilot study and disseminate findings.
Johns Hopkins Activity and Mobility Promotion AMP™
Whether in the ICU or other hospital units, immobility and its associated negative consequences (e.g., increased length of stay and hospital-acquired harms), lead to poorer patient outcomes and increased total costs of care. Johns Hopkins Activity and Mobility Promotion (AMP) ™ approach is an inter-professional program aiming to support hospitals and health care providers that want to change the culture of patient immobility. The AMP program provides frontline caregivers and hospital leaders with the tools and support needed to design and implement structured quality improvement processes to successfully increase patient activity and mobility. AMP firmly establishes the concept that a systematic approach is beneficial in combating the harms of immobility in the acute care hospital.
About Johns Hopkins Medicine
Johns Hopkins Medicine has six academic and community hospitals, four suburban health care and surgery centers, over 40 patient care locations, a home care group and an international division and offers an array of health care services. The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation has 8 inpatient rehabilitation locations that form the Johns Hopkins Rehabilitation Network and provide comprehensive rehabilitation services and continuum of care to patients throughout Maryland and provide rehabilitation therapy (PT, OT, Speech) in 13 outpatient locations. The Johns Hopkins Rehabilitation Network offers a variety of hospital-based services that include comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation, rehabilitation consultation, and nurse liaison services. Inpatient rehabilitation is provided at the 18-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Additionally, PM&R operates a 28-bed unit at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center with specialization in geriatric and stroke rehabilitation. Inpatient rehabilitation for children is provided at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Eighteen rehabilitation programs address a wide variety of clinical conditions through aquatic therapy, pelvic floor therapy, prosthesis and orthotic rehabilitation, vestibular therapy, swallowing rehabilitation and other offerings. Johns Hopkins offers other rehabilitation services such as rehabilitation psychology and neuropsychology
About Boston Medical Center (BMC)
Boston Medical Center (BMC) is a private, not-for-profit, 514-bed, academic medical center and is the primary teaching affiliate for Boston University School of Medicine. BMC is the largest safety net hospital and busiest trauma and emergency services center in New England. BMC is dedicated to providing accessible healthcare to everyone; 57% of patients are from under-served populations and 32% of patients do not speak English as a primary language. Through a commitment to serve everyone, BMC offers numerous outreach programs and services. The department of Rehabilitation Services provides skilled intervention in both the Inpatient and Outpatient hospital setting with a staff of 100+ employees. Approximately 80,000 patient visits were completed last year. BMC works with students and faculty from the BU Sargent College, providing placement for capstone work and clinical internship. Primary areas for potential collaboration between Rehabilitation Services and LeaRRn include the following: improvement of transition of care, building relationships with post-acute partners, improving mobility in the acute setting, reducing re-admission by ensuring correct discharge disposition, improvement of patient flow, and promoting adoption of evidence-based practices.
LeaRRn Mentorship
LeaRRn has identified a strong, interdisciplinary group of potential mentors with depth and experience across the LHS research competency areas. To facilitate mentor-applicant matching we ask that each applicant clearly identify priority areas in need of mentorship for the successful planning and completion of the pilot project. We have developed a survey instrument which delineates LHS competency areas. This survey (document will download automatically) should be completed and submitted as part of the LOI, and will be used to help the leadership identify and match applicants with potential mentors.
Funding and Time Frame
In Year 1, the Scholar will receive $15,000 (inclusive of indirects) to conduct the preparatory work needed to develop the pilot study proposal. These funds can be spent over a 12-month period and can be used to support travel to the healthcare system, stakeholder engagement activities, preliminary data extraction and analysis, systematic literature review, didactic activities for the Scholar’s skills development, and salary support if necessary. The Scholar’s home institution is expected to provide most of their salary support during this time.
In Years 2 and 3, pilot study funds of up to $40,000 (inclusive of indirects) are available. These funds will come from both LeaRRn and Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Applicant Requirements
The LHS Scholar program is open to rehabilitation researchers with doctoral level or equivalent training who are at any stage of their career. Applicants from diverse backgrounds or interested in health disparities are particularly encouraged to apply: we encourage candidates to avoid self-selecting out of the pool and welcome applicants from any academic location or setting.
Application Process
The LHS application process occurs in two steps. First, solicitation of letters of interest (LOIs) and second, the invitation of selected applicants to participate in a scholarly presentation and interview with the Hopkins team.
Consultation: Interested parties should submit a curriculum vitae and brief statement of interest to LeaRRnNetwork@gmail.com. The LeaRRn Mentored Collaboration Component team will assist in identifying fit and potential LeaRRn mentors.
Application: January 15, 2021
Applicants should submit a 1-2 page application (1” margins, Arial 11 font) that includes the following:
1. Discussion of background, skills and research interests.
2. Promise and potential of the candidate to develop and lead a successful pilot study to completion.
3. The identification and fit of a LeaRRn faculty mentor (including a letter of support from the mentor).
Scholarly Presentation and Interview:
Initial applications will be reviewed by the Hopkins AMP team and LeaRRn leadership. Selected applicants will work with LeaRRn to discuss the interview process and schedule a time for the presentation and interview.
Applications will be reviewed based on:
1. Their scholarly presentation and its alignment with Johns Hopkins’ goals
2. Their preliminary plan for the initial year-long Scholar opportunity
3. Availability of LeaRRn mentorship and training resources to address any gaps in the Scholar’s knowledge or projected research plan
4. Likelihood of the Scholar’s successful pilot proposal application
5. Confirmed commitment of both the identified mentor and Johns Hopkins
Notification of award: April 1, 2021
Funding will be issued in two phases: Scholar phase and Pilot phase. The proposed pilot study will go through an expert review and IRB approval will need to be obtained prior to release of funds.
Earliest start date would be June 1, 2021
Please submit all inquires and materials to:
Margarite Whitten via email at: LeaRRnNetwork@gmail.com