• Bridge and partner with academic institutions
• Expand research capability
• Become a nationally recognized and accredited physician assessment center
• Increase national recognition as a PSO
• Expand patient safety and quality of care research capabilities

The Computer Assisted Diabetic Retinopathy Photo Screening is a research project that has been ongoing between the Texas A&M University Health Science Center Rural and Community Health Institute (RCHI) and the Texas A&M Computer Sciences department. It is funded by The Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The object of the project is to utilize a combination of digital photography and computer technology to improve access to retinopathy (eye) screening for high risk diabetic Medicaid patients. Currently cameras sites include the following locations: Conroe, Mineral Wells, Laredo, McAllen, Paris, Brenham, Eagle Pass, Georgetown, Round Rock, Austin and Waco.

The U.S. Army 75th Ranger Regiment, Altarum Institute and TAMHSC RCHI have collaborated to develop the Pre-Hospital Trauma Registry (PHTR) to track the treatment of casualties from the point of injury until the time that the Ranger casualty enters the hospital system. This tool provides the ability to continue to track the casualty’s progress until a final disposition for the injury and care related to the injury is reached. This tool will allow research on type of injury, mechanism of injury, treatments, outcomes, trends, etc. and provide close to real time feedback to commanders that will allow for better decision making, treatment and best practices for the Ranger medics and first responders. Unique to this tool is that it is developed “by the medic, for the medic.” RCHI is hoping the capabilities of the tool in gathering pre-hospitalization data may be useful to rural Emergency Medicine Services (EMS) in the future.