Thanks for your interest in the Research Division of the UNMC Department of Family Medicine!
The Department of Family Medicine has a long-standing commitment to primary care research. In 1993, with support from the UNMC 
College of Medicine, the Research Division was established. In 1994, we were able to expand our efforts with a three-year program grant from the Health Resources Services Administration.
Our first director, Benjamin Crabtree, Ph.D., was very successful in bringing together a hard-working, productive team of individuals dedicated to generating new knowledge relevant to the delivery of primary care. Dr. Crabtree’s six-year tenure ended in 1999 with the successful completion of the department’s first R01 grant from the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, “Prevention and Competing Demands in Primary Care Practice."
In 2000 I accepted the position as Research Director. Since then we have worked steadily to continue our growth and contributions to Family Medicine research. Our vision is to become nationally recognized for Family Medicine research. We explore the areas of smoking cessation, preventive service delivery, depression, physician/patient communication, and practice behavior change using both qualitative and quantitative methods of inquiry.
Cooperation and teamwork have always been important and defining values in our division, partially because our areas of interest and research methods overlap. Whether you are the director, faculty, or staff, you have a voice in our division – the importance of your contribution to our mission is valued.
We hope this website will help you get to know us and our work better. Please contact me or any of the individuals listed if you have further questions.
Thanks again!
Helen E. McIlvain, PhD
Helen E. McIlvain, PhD
Professor and Research Director
University Nebraska Medical Center
Department of Family Medicine