ABSTRACT
This chapter starts with the definition of Academic Health Centers (AHC) as accredited, degree-granting institutions that educate a wide variety of healthcare professionals and at the same time conduct a broad spectrum of biomedical and health services research. The high-level significance of AHC within the context of engineering-medicine is discussed next. In particular, the chapter presents the most significant contributions of AHC in (1) system leadership in facilitating inter-disciplinary collaboration, (2) undergraduate and graduate medical education through collaboration among medicine, engineering, and all health professions, (3) economic development through substantial employment within AHC and affiliated business incubators and research parks, (4) research with funding raising and infrastructure development, (5) health profession workforce with future engineering-medicine skills, (6) healthcare delivery advancement with innovation and efficiency, and (7) advocacy for public policy changes in education, regulation, clinical service, and research. The chapter concludes with the observation that AHC must continue to lead innovation and implementation of engineering-medicine by vigorously pursuing much enhanced partnerships with private industry and government policymakers to stimulate multidisciplinary approaches to health and biomedical sciences.
