Governor Corbett Tours University of Pennsylvania's Translational Research Center

Health Research Key to Healthy Pennsylvania Goal of Quality Health Care

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Tom Corbett continued his four-day tour across the state to roll out his Healthy Pennsylvania plan with a visit to the Smilow Center for Translational Research in the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.

Corbett's Healthy Pennsylvania plan focuses on improving access, ensuring quality, and providing affordability through a variety of initiatives such as promoting primary care and health information technology, convening a Healthy Pennsylvania Summit, and reforming Pennsylvania's Medicaid program.

Through a tour of the research center, Corbett learned about the organization's lifesaving work as a result of grants provided through the Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement Program (CURE).

The Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement (CURE) Program funds grants for health research with the purpose of discovering new scientific knowledge to help improve the health of all Pennsylvanians. The grants must focus on clinical, health services, and/or biomedical research, with a goal of improving health status and access.

"The commonwealth is home to world-class healthcare institutions and research facilities that have allowed us to be at the forefront of medical advancements and scientific breakthroughs," Corbett said. "Each of these projects improves public health and takes us one step closer to allowing Pennsylvanians to live longer, healthier lives."

During his visit, Corbett met with hospital officials and doctors to tour the facility's Cardiovascular Institute, where he witnessed first-hand how the research there is helping to combat cardiac diseases.

While standing among CURE researchers after the tour, Corbett added, "I am humbled to be in the same room with dozens of researchers who work every day to find cures for life-threatening diseases."

The event was a culmination of events around the state highlighting the more than $42 million in grants allocated in the past (2012-13) fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania used more than $7 million in CURE grant funding to support 12 projects ranging from cancer treatment options, to smoking cessation, to Down syndrome research. Since the CURE program's inception, the University of Pennsylvania has received more than $171 million in funding, allowing researchers to work towards a higher level of quality care for Pennsylvanians.

"Penn Medicine applauds Governor Corbett's recognition of the importance of biomedical research to all Pennsylvanians," Dr. J. Larry Jameson, Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine said. "With CURE funding over the past few years, we've been able to make true advances in the understanding of human disease, whether it's through finding cures or improving treatments."  

Corbett was joined by Pennsylvania's Department of Health Secretary Michael Wolf, Physician General Dr. Carrie DeLone, Department of Public Welfare Secretary Beverly Mackereth and Insurance Commissioner Michael Consedine. Also in attendance were representatives of Jefferson Health System, Temple University Health System, Delaware Valley Healthcare Council, Einstein Healthcare Network, Independence Blue Cross and Hahnemann University Hospital.

Corbett spoke briefly to the group about his vision for how health research can help provide access to quality health care in Pennsylvania, a tenet of his new Healthy Pennsylvania plan.

"What I saw at the University of Pennsylvania today is an example of how the Healthy Pennsylvania plan will provide quality care to Pennsylvanians by advancing medical science and furthering our reputation as a global leader in biomedicine," Corbett added.

For more information and to view the full Healthy Pennsylvania plan, visit www.pa.gov.

For more information about the CURE program, visit the Department of Health's website at www.health.state.pa.us/cure.

Media contact:  Lynn Lawson or Christine Cronkright, 717-783-1116
Aimee Tysarczyk, Dept. of Health, 717-787-1783

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor