South Carolina and North Carolina are two states with rich heritages and excellent academic institutions and health systems. Health leaders in both states are now determined to share resources and collaborate across state lines to address the region’s health and disparities issues, including stroke, diabetes, obesity, and cancer.
In 2013, leaders from HSSC and its member organizations met with the leaders from Duke University, the University of North Carolina (UNC), and Wake Forest University Medical Center to form an interstate health improvement and research collaborative aimed at creating an active learning health system across the two states. Since then, the Carolinas Collaborative has created an organizational structure and plan of action for improving health and reducing disparities in the Carolinas. Plans include building a comprehensive infrastructure that supports improvements in health system efficiency and safety, patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR), and allows the Carolinas Collaborative to compete more successfully for federal grants.
The Carolinas Collaborative’s purpose is to create a system that allows clinicians and researchers from HSSC, Duke, UNC, and Wake Forest University Medical Center to share data for developing and implementing health research projects, increasing the capacity and efficiency of our health systems; to make the Carolinas more competitive for research funding; and ultimately to improve public health in the Carolinas.
