East Alabama Health and VCOM-Auburn Award First REACH Grants to Support Local Medical Research

East Alabama Health, in partnership with the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine–Auburn (VCOM-Auburn), is proud to announce the first recipients of the Research and Education Advancing Community Healthcare (REACH) grant program.

The REACH program is a joint initiative that provides funding for collaborative research between East Alabama Health and VCOM-Auburn, with the goal of advancing medical knowledge and improving patient care in the east Alabama region and beyond. Both institutions contribute matching funds to support this effort, reflecting a shared commitment to better health outcomes in our community.

Two projects have been selected for funding in the program’s first round:

• Microbial Signatures of Preeclampsia: Insights from the Small Intestine and Stool Using a Minimally Invasive Capsule (SIMBA)
  • Principal Investigators: Kenneth Harris, M.D., Andrew D. Frugé, PhD, Kari Dugger, PhD
• Beyond A1c: The Role of Continuous Glucose Monitors in Improving Cardiometabolic and Renal Health
  • Principal Investigators: Rekha Lall, M.D., and Melanie Hyte, PharmD, BCIDP

These projects mark the beginning of what East Alabama Health and VCOM-Auburn hope will be a long-standing partnership to advance healthcare through locally driven research.

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About East Alabama Health

East Alabama Health encompasses East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital in Valley, the Spencer Cancer Center in Opelika, the Auburn Medical Pavilion and a host of other key medical clinics and practices that help provide a continuum of care to patients throughout an 11-county area. EAMC is a 314-bed regional referral hospital that is currently under construction to add 30 critical care beds. EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital provides emergency and outpatient services while its campus also features a nursing home and an ambulatory surgery center. East Alabama Health employs about 3,800 people and is the second largest employer in the region, trailing only Auburn University. For more information, visit www.eastalabamahealth.org.