From mission hospital to medical research hub: the journey of AIC Kijabe Hospital

AIC Kijabe Hospital (AICKH) in Kenya started in 1915 as a small clinic serving the surrounding rural community. In recent decades, it has transformed into a large teaching hospital with growing expertise in healthcare research and training with grant support for large multi-institutional trials, integrated research instruction for students and residents, and more than 40 research projects launched and completed annually. Its progress is unusual due to its rural location and lack of a primary university affiliation, but is instructive to other hospitals and health systems seeking to follow a similar path. The authors reviewed hospital documents supplemented by personal experiences to identify key developmental milestones in the history of research at AICKH including creation of an internationally-recognized ethics review board, pursuit of academic partnerships, establishment of data repositories, dissemination of research training, and formation of a research department. Authors then used these historical milestones to identify themes that have been critical to the success of the research endeavors at AICKH including partnerships that promote bilateral exchange, institutional commitment, educational growth as an accelerator of research, and widespread training in research fundamentals. Challenges common to growing research (generating funding, prioritizing research in a clinical environment, building expertise among staff, identifying appropriate partners) are described with a focus on concerns unique to settings without historical academic ties. The article concludes with a call for other institutions in similar settings to embark on a research journey for the sake of improving knowledge and patient care in areas of need.