Bringing Science Home FAQs

1. How does Bringing Science Home honor the Patterson legacy?
   Dorothy Patterson’s husband Jim had diabetes for many years. To honor his legacy, The Patterson Foundation has embarked on a $5.6 million collaborative partnership with the University of South Florida called Bringing Science Home.
2. Why is this initiative called Bringing Science Home?
   Chronic disease impacts patients and families living with the disease in the context of their daily lives. The solutions developed through this partnership with USF will embrace the reality of everyday living with a chronic condition.
3. What is the mission of this initiative?
   Bringing Science Home exists to transform chronic disease care and management by developing new ways of educating, training and caring for people with chronic disease. The project has first concentrated on how to help young adults with Type 1 diabetes and their parents optimize their daily living and transition through important life stages, such as the change from high school to college. The project also has placed a focus on Asthma, Obesity and Emotional Intelligence in medical education.
4. How does this initiative align with The Patterson Foundation’s values?
   The initiative will approach chronic disease care and management through a transformational lens. This approach is fueled by creating Connective Tissue, which can be defined as promising practices, models or methods created through cross-sector collaborative efforts that will lead to New Realities in chronic disease management.
   
   Through the use of technology and collaborative partnerships among families, the medical community and the educational continuum that trains the medical community, Bringing Science Home will create promising practices for managing chronic disease through life stages. The initiative will also create a financially sustainable model of exploration.
   
   Those with diabetes and their care networks are essential in transforming how chronic disease is managed and will be engaged in developing the concepts and approaches for change. Through this collaboration, The Patterson Foundation is committed to communicating what is learned throughout the process.
5. What is the project plan for this initiative?
   Empowered by informed research and critical analysis of programs nationwide, Bringing Science Home will co-design solutions to chronic disease education and care with patient audiences. The initial investigation and process implementation will span three years.
6. Why is the initiative focusing on chronic disease and not just diabetes?
   The exploration into diabetes will have an impact on education and care strategies for numerous other chronic conditions. The initiative will create New Realities through the work USF is doing. The transformative ripple effects will be vast and broad as those with the disease, those who treat the disease and those who teach medical professionals who treat the diseases will be engaged.
7. Will The Patterson Foundation offer grants and/or fund other diabetes projects?
   The Patterson Foundation has selected USF as its strategic partner for Bringing Science Home. No additional partners or proposals will be accepted or pursued. Findings, conclusions and recommendations will be widely shared to inform the work that others are doing.
8. Are there opportunities to work with USF on this initiative?
   To determine if you or your organization are a good fit for the Bringing Science Home initiative, please contact Executive Director Nicole Johnson - nicolej@health.usf.edu.