Health Services Research & Administration Department
Organization:
The Department is organized into
autonomous but related research centers:
1.
The Nebraska Center for Rural Health Research
The staff of the Nebraska Center for Rural Health Research
conducts projects related specifically to the state and communities in Nebraska, including
the urban centers. Most of this Center’s work is performed under contracts with public sector
organizations in Nebraska.
2.
The RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
RUPRI (Rural Policy Research Institute) is a consortium of land-grant
universities in Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska. The Coordinating Center is located at the University
of Missouri campus. The RUPRI Center receives core funding from the Federal Office of Rural Health
Policy and additional funding through competitive grant awards and contracts. Faculty from other
universities support the projects of the RUPRI Center, for example one principal investigator for
RUPRI Center projects is on the faculty of the St. Louis University. The RUPRI Center is the administrative
entity through which Section faculty are engaged in collaborative projects of national significance that
often include faculty from other universities. It is also the venue for publishing and disseminating work
that is targeted directly toward national policy makers.
3. The RUPRI Great Plains Center for Health Statistics
The Great Plains Center is the newest center within the section, having
been established by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents in May, 2002. With support from RUPRI,
this Center initially includes representative researchers from Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North
Dakota. The staff of the Great Plains Center will aggregate data from participating states to develop
comprehensive reports and studies that benefit from including larger population sizes than could be accrued
in any one state.
4. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a program initiated
by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
in which all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories participate. The survey responses are
important for formulating intervention strategies, justifying resources to support these strategies, and
proposing new policies or legislation. Risk factor data also allow monitoring of trends in health behaviors
in relation to the Year 2010 Goals and Objectives.
In addition to the BRFSS, the program also contracts for related surveys (Pregnancy Risk Assessment
Monitoring System [PRAMS], Minority BRFSS, Tobacco surveys, and other special surveys for local health
departments and public health programs).
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