Clinical and translational science award hub portfolio analysis and interorganizational collaborations with Los Angeles County to improve population health and health care delivery (ID 1565096)

Demonstrating impact in the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program is crucial to continue governmental, taxpayer, institutional, and donor support and investment. We present an innovative portfolio analysis to summarize the Scientific Achievement Translational Science Impact at the hub level. Additionally, a unique feature of the UCLA CTSA hub includes the many interorganizational collaborations with Los Angeles County (LAC). This is the first study to examine the Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM) impact on projects with CTSA hub-county interorganizational collaborations. A Framework for Evaluating Scientific Achievement Translational Science Impact (SATSI) was used to guide the analyses, with impact indicators derived from the TSBM: (i) clinical and medical, (ii) community and public health, (iii) economic, and (iv) policy and legislation. Two major data sources were used for the evaluation: (i) The CTSI's Longitudinal Scientific Achievement and Impact survey (LSAS-I), and (ii) longitudinal interviews with principal investigators who reported high-impact projects in hub-county collaborations. We reported baseline data from 2 years of LSAS-I data showing <i>n</i> = 507 new CTSA-assisted grants and the associated demonstrated and potential impact using the hub portfolio analysis. Eighteen (<i>n</i> = 18) of these grants involved a hub-county interorganizational collaboration. Among these, we identified the highest impact projects and developed impact stories and vignettes describing improvements in health care delivery and population health. Our research offers a model for other CTSA hubs to summarize impact using the hub portfolio analysis, and to partner with local public health departments and governmental agencies to address health concerns in low-income and at-risk populations. This research directly addresses the mission of the UCLA hub, "to produce and implement innovations that impact the greatest health needs of Los Angeles and the nation."