The U-M Medical School Department of Urology’s Dow Division of Health Services Research was established with a generous award from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation in 2008. “The Dow”, as it is affectionately known, plays a central role in training leaders in the field through its federally funded fellowship programs — the first of their kind in urology.
The Department of Urology's Dow Division of Health Services Research is also an integral part of the University’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI), and as such, it is poised to tackle the spectrum of challenges facing patients with urological diseases in the 21st Century.
The Dow Health Services Research Division offers an unparalleled opportunity for fellowship training in Urological Health Services and Outcomes Research. We have a strong faculty with expertise across all domains of Health Services Research, including health care policy, biostatistics, epidemiology, clinical trials, implementation science, and quality improvement. Fellows have the opportunity to receive committed mentorship from several established clinician-scientists in the Department of Urology.
We place a significant emphasis on the personal and professional development of our fellows, including acquiring expertise in study design and research methodology, data management and programming, and drafting and submitting manuscripts and grants. Many of our previous fellows have successfully competed for external funding — both during and after fellowship. Prior graduates also have transitioned to prominent academic positions in Urology and have successfully competed for NIH Career Development Awards and other external funding. We offer three training opportunities outlined below.
We also enthusiastically consider alternative training opportunities for potential fellows with an interest in starting their fellowship during their home program’s dedicated research year. We have a well-established track record of preparing both urologists and non-urologists for successful academic careers that combine outstanding clinical care with cutting-edge health services research.
The weekly HSR meeting brings Dow Division members and guests together to develop our own work including works in progress, presentations, manuscripts and grants with rich feedback and discussion from our peers. Additionally, we use this time to add breadth and depth to our expertise with visiting professors, journal clubs and methodologic lecture series. For information regarding schedule or interest in attending or presenting, please contact Joy Kaopuiki at [email protected].
The Dow HSR Annual Retreat brings together University of Michigan Urologists to discuss issues facing the field, build camaraderie and emphasize the importance of teamwork.
The Ann Arbor Health Services Research Symposium is a biennial event uniting clinicians, researchers, students, and fellows to explore cutting-edge topics in health services research.
With 13 physician-scientists, four doctoral-level scientists and an analytic core, the Dow Division of Health Services Research is among the largest and most comprehensive such enterprises in the nation. Our research portfolio is thematically broad but unified by the singular goal of ensuring that every patient gets the right care, in the right place, at the right time. This agenda is facilitated by the generous financial support of our numerous research partners, including the National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Veterans Health Administration, American Cancer Society, and Blue Cross - Blue Shield of Michigan.
Over the last 10 years, Dow Division of Health Services Research investigators and collaborators have published more than 800 papers in peer-reviewed medical journals including New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Health Affairs, European Urology, including Journal of Urology.
Collaboration is the key to innovation. Dow Division of Health Services Research investigators collaborate with multidisciplinary scientists from:
The Dow Division of Health Services Research provides investigators with extraordinary resources to tackle complex research questions. These resources include datasets for secondary data analysis, methodological experts, and grant writing mentorship.
Large population level datasets
- Medicare
- SEER-Medicare
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
- Blue Care Network
- Optum
- Truven Marketscan
- Veterans' Health Administration
Methodological Expertise
- Secondary data analysis
- Advanced econometric techniques such as difference-in-differences and instrumental variable analysis
- Implementation Science
- Mixed methods research
- Qualitative research
- Survey research
Grant Writing
- HSR weekly meeting
- CHOP Seminars and Mock K sessions
- R01 Bootcamp
Weekly one-on-one mentorship meetings for fellows and junior faculty
The Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative continues its effort to make Michigan #1 for urologic care. Our prostate-related quality improvement objectives include improving patterns of care in the radiographic staging of men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer, reducing prostate biopsy-related hospitalizations, optimizing patient outcomes after radical prostatectomy, and enhancing the appropriateness of treatment decisions including the role of patient-centered decision making.
In 2016, MUSIC expanded its scope of work to kidney stone surgery and in 2017 to small renal mass.
MUSIC’s primary aims related to these two urologic diseases include reducing operative complications from kidney stone surgery, particularly those resulting in costly ED visits and hospitalizations, as well as examining and improving the quality of care provided to patients in Michigan with small renal mass diagnoses.
Our collaborative program focuses on improving patient outcomes, reducing complications, and shaping the future of urologic care in Michigan. Join us in advancing clinical practice through innovative research and shared expertise.
Urology Section Head
Dow Division of Health Services Research Assistant Dean for Research Faculty
Medical School Research Professor
Epidemiology, School of Public Health
Professor of Internal Medicine
Professor of Urology
Medical School
- Tudor Borza, MD
- Kristin Chrouser, MD
- J. Quentin Clemens, MD
- James Dupree, MD
- Chad Ellimoottil, MD
- Khurshid Ghani, MD
- Lindsey Herrel, MD
- Brent Hollenbeck, MD
- Giulia Ippolito, MD
- David C. Miller, MD
- Kristian Stensland, MD
- Courtney Streur, MD
- John Wei, MD
- Brian Denton, PhD
- James Montie, MD
- Hal Morgenstern, PhS
- Daniela A Wittman, PhD, LMSW
