RMH and JMU get together
By Jessica Coffin, contributing writer
Posted on January 29, 2007

A group of 90 JMU and Rockingham Memorial Hospital members joined together Friday to discuss the beginnings of collaborative efforts between the two organizations. 

It was a “mark in time for a new effort to begin,” JMU President Linwood Rose said. The two institutions have never before had such a meeting, bringing members from both the College of Integrated Science and Technology and RMH together to discuss what can be done to create a better collaboration.

The basis of the efforts were on bettering both the hospital and the college by working together in areas such as geriatric assessment, radio frequency identification and environmental sustainability.

ISAT Dean Jerry Benson and RMH Acting Dean Jim Krauss looked at present and future goals of the RMH-JMU partnership during the conference. Both institutions want to keep improving themselves while making the Harrisonburg community better as a whole.

“Two good things mixed together may make something even better,” Benson said.

In addition, Krauss said he believed the opportunity to work together in research analysis in these and many other fields would provide numerous benefits.

Associate Dean of CISAT Sharon Lovell, as well as one of the directors of the event, said she believed with the new technologies being made in the health field, there could not be a better time for the beginnings of an alliance between the two organizations. 

The conference allowed the participants to suggest ideas for future collaboration. While there are not any long-term goals set, Lovell said she saw the meeting as the first step in the collaborative effort in which goals can be set along the way.

The group will also be able to receive feedback from members of the JMU and RMH communities.

The continued effort toward more effective communication will be carried about by Lovell and a group of people from both institutions on a “Collaboration Team,” which will strive to think of new ideas and help carry out the goals which will be set.