Melinda Davis appointed ORPRN Director

Professional portrait of Dr. Melinda David, OCTRI Community Research Hub Co-Director.
Melinda Davis, PhD

Melinda Davis, Ph.D., has been appointed Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network (ORPRN) .

Davis, who began at ORPRN as a practice facilitator based in La Grande in 2007, has been serving as Interim Director since July 2022.  During her time as interim director, Dr. Davis helped strengthen the network’s collaborations inside and outside of OHSU in alignment with its three core programs of research, health policy and education.

Examples of these accomplishments include:

  • Ongoing partnerships with the Oregon Academy of Family Physicians and Oregon Pediatric Society, which spotlighted work by medical students and residents at their annual meeting.
  • Projects with OCHIN, Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI) and the Knight Cancer Institute to build capacity for regional engagement in pragmatic trials.
  • Work with the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health and Coalition of Local Health Officials to support professional workforce development.
  • Collaborations with the Oregon Health Authority to support the health plan and clinics in addressing unmet social needs and improving preventive and chronic care.
  • Multiple federally funded research initiatives partnering with clinics and community-based organizations to improve access to and quality of care for people living In rural areas or with low income.
  • Numerous ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) programs reaching primary care and health system partners across the state.

Dr. Davis credits these successes to the support and hard work of ORPRN’s Associate Director Anne King, MBA, Director of Education Maggie McLain McDonnell, M.P.H., and outgoing Director of Clinical Trials LeAnn Michaels.

In 2021, the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) awarded Dr. Davis its Mid-Career Researcher Award for her history of collaborating with community and academic partners to craft research teams that blend academic and lived expertise to improve primary care and community health care delivery in rural and low-resourced settings. She is also recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in participatory implementation science, practice facilitation and practice-based research.

Altogether, Dr. Davis is well positioned to lead ORPRN into the future and advance the network’s mission and impact on health outcomes and equity for all Oregonians.