Purdue University Department of Public Health: The Rise of the Center for Health Excellence, Quality, and Innovation
Engagement is the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity (Carnegie Foundation, 2008). Engagement can manifest in many ways and is a way to enhance and enrich discovery and learning outcomes with a specific focus on broader impacts. Engagement is one of the mechanisms—in addition to discovery and teaching—through which the land-grant mission is fulfilled and compels universities to serve their state, region, nation, and world.
The examples discussed below highlight engagement done with external partners and communities. Some activities may contribute to engaged scholarships while others may focus primarily on enhancing research broader impacts, student learning gains, or community empowerment. The Power of Engagement Profiles feature community impacts that strengthen trust, build capacity, and increase the university’s relevance among the larger community.
Learn more about the Office of Engagement’s Protocol and Framework.
The History and Mission behind the Center for Health Excellence, Quality, and Innovation
First formed in January 2020, the Center for Health Excellence, Quality, and Innovation (CHEQI) was created within Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy. The center is composed of an interdisciplinary team of faculty, staff, and students who are committed to promoting health access alongside community partners. Since its inception, CHEQI has actively collaborated with both internal and external partners to conduct and support interdisciplinary efforts to mitigate health barriers.
CHEQI focuses on initiatives to improve preventive healthcare, access to care, and overall care optimization. During these initiatives, CHEQI provides consistent volunteers, fellowship, and internship opportunities for Purdue students from a variety of health disciplines, allowing students an excellent opportunity to develop further professional and personal growth.
The need for the center was identified by Jasmine Gonzalvo, current CHEQI director and the College of Pharmacy’s dean, Eric Barker, and department head, Alan Zillich. Due to the timing of the center opening right before the pandemic, community needs were at an all-time high and CHEQI was able to step up and take action to assist.
Along with responding to immediate public health needs, the overarching aim of CHEQI is to address health disparities of populations locally and globally using collaborative community and person-centered approaches with priorities focused on engagement, evidence, and education.
Engagement with the Community: How Collaboration and Public Health Initiatives Create Positive and Lasting Impacts
Collaboration has been monumental in helping CHEQI pursue their mission of engaging with people all around the world. One such organization that has reaped the benefits of collaborating with CHEQI is AMPATH Purdue Kenya Partnership. This organization has been able to grow and establish mental health services for street youth and amplify ways to detect counterfeit medication in Western Kenya. CHEQI’s engagement with community partners has created a reciprocal relationship, allowing partners to reach out with identified needs. CHEQI then engages with community members to assess how they can best answer any proposed needs.
Apart from community partnerships, there have been several initiatives created by the center that help them pursue their mission. Currently, they are working toward implementing The Purdue Charitable Pharmacy, which will be the only standalone charitable pharmacy in Central Indiana. It will provide free prescription and over-the-counter medications and select medical devices to uninsured or underinsured individuals at or below 300% of the federal poverty level.
CHEQI has worked to create health initiatives that serve to promote easy access to health education, testing, vaccines, and other needs-based resources. Healthy Nudge is one that addresses nutrition education to promote healthier food choices by distributing healthy recipe cards at food pantries and providing clients with information on healthier substitutions. Through a partnership with the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, over 607 healthy recipe cards were distributed.
The Pharmacist-Community Health Worker Model pairs a pharmacist with a community health worker in a free clinic to provide cardiovascular risk reduction and simultaneously managing health related social needs. Between February 2023 to May 2025, there were 85 patients who completed 379 visits to these clinics.
The Community Health Access Model Program (CHAMP) was a partnership between CHEQI and a pharmacy, as well as community-based organizations to provide additional health services during COVID-19. Together, all parties involved enhanced vaccine availability, tobacco cessation, blood pressure screening, and pre-diabetes screening. Overall, 1,807 COVID-19 vaccines and 1,508 flu vaccines were administered.
The evidence of these positive impacts from CHEQI’s initiatives and partnerships are undeniable, as there have been more than 92 peer-reviewed publications pertaining to them. Through the center’s work on the Pharmacist-Community Health Worker Model, CHEQI has helped expand Indiana’s community health worker workforce by creating jobs and professional development opportunities. At the core of this expansion is the Community Health Worker Sustainability Task Force, which aims to champion practices that strengthen the economic landscape and health systems. As a result of this task force, one summit has occurred, allowing health professionals to collaborate and advocate for one another.
The Aspect of Education in the Center for Health Excellence, Quality, and Innovation
Within CHEQI, there are two advisory parties. The CHEQI advisory council is made up of 15 faculty members from pharmacy and public health, while the CHEQI student advisory board consists of 15 active members. This advisory board exposes students to engaging opportunities in work addressing drivers of health. They participate in various CHEQI initiatives and volunteer opportunities throughout Tippecanoe and Marion counties.
CHEQI has sought to make health opportunities available to everyone in the United States. Due to a lack of language concordant health professionals, combined with a growing Spanish speaking population, CHEQI created a Spanish-learning track to increase pharmacy student language proficiency. Students can complete an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) in a Spanish-speaking community during their fourth year of pharmacy school in Colombia with the Universidad de Antioquia. In total, there have been 21 students involved since the program started, with three visiting clinician scholars coming back to lead sessions.
Purdue pharmacy students are also being trained by CHEQI faculty on how to use Medication Access Resource Tool (MART), an algorithm designed to enhance medication adherence, improve chronic disease management, and increase healthcare utilization.
Furthermore, CHEQI has created 2-year postgraduate training opportunities for recently graduated pharmacists and 1-semester internships to develop future health leaders to be able to address challenges that patients and communities may face. Overall, there have been nine total fellows and 11 interns.
The Future of the Center for Health Excellence, Quality, and Innovation
CHEQI has no plans of slowing the momentum of their work for those who rely on it. The center will continue to support emerging community needs. They are eager to see the upcoming Charitable Pharmacy open and serve eligible community members in Indianapolis and allowing the impact of their work to reach those who need it most.
Other Engaged Case Studies