The Health Thought Leadership Network (TLN) at Bentley has already engaged more than 50 faculty and staff from 22 departments and centers in applying multidisciplinary perspectives to relevant issues in health care. A new relationship with Alkermes, a global leader in developing medicines for people with serious diseases, is boosting the Health TLN and its reach within the university.

A grant of $200,000 from Alkermes will support faculty and student research, provide more opportunities for guest lecturers on campus, and create the course Multidisciplinary Studies in Healthcare Delivery.

  

With support by Alkermes, students study topics such as the patient experience and hear from leading thinkers.

With a curriculum focused on the complex organization, function and delivery of health care, Multidisciplinary Studies brings wide-ranging topics to the classroom, for example, the patient experience and challenges to innovation. Students gain an additional dose of insight from leading thinkers — the first being Alan Sager, professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University School of Public Health.

“Without anything close to a competitive free market or competent government action, chaos explains United States health care,” he told students and others in a packed classroom this fall.

Sager’s talk upended traditional ideas of health care, which was exactly the point, according to Danielle Hartigan and Christopher Skipwith, both assistant professors of natural and applied sciences. They coordinated the course around issues of high interest at Bentley.

“Many of our faculty are doing cutting-edge research in health care,” explains Hartigan. “And our students are preparing to lead organizations in the health care industry or assume decision-making roles about employee health and wellness.”

Adds Nikki Levy, vice president of patient engagement at Alkermes: “Health care is changing and the ecosystem needs people with a new set of complex skills to ensure that patients and families get high-quality, innovative care. We’re proud to support Bentley’s efforts to educate a new generation of leaders.”