Dr. Courtney Perry, assistant professor of internal medicine, who is also associated with the Appalachian Center and whose research is focused on health outcomes and disparities in Appalachia, has been awarded the Qorus Pfizer Health Equity Award.

Qorus is a national Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) quality improvement initiative including 50 academic and private practices.  The goal is to streamline IBD care to improve patient outcomes; to keep patients in remission, out of the ER and out of the hospital. 

Qorus members meet monthly to discuss clinical updates in the field and SMART goal-based initiatives aimed at improving patient care at each enrolled site. Each site enrolls patients and prospectively collects data surveys to gauge clinical symptoms and recent hospitalizations/ER visits. This work enables meaningful outcome measurement for patients.

The Pfizer/Health Equity Award provides financial support for a nurse navigator and study coordinator. It is a challenge to closely monitor many of our Appalachian IBD patients who often have more severe disease and have the most to lose from hospitalizations and surgeries. Historically, Appalachians are underserved in national clinical trials. Our full participation in Qorus (data collection) will enrich and inform the broader IBD community as we work through the challenges of managing a remote population of a region with great economic challenges.

For more information, please visit IBD Qorus | Crohn's & Colitis Foundation (crohnscolitisfoundation.org)