October 3, 2007

Technical Assistance Program launches new programs, adds offices

According to the program's recently released annual report, TAP served 413 companies and health-care providers in 69 counties during that fiscal year. Its efforts led to the creation of 547 jobs and nearly $70 million in sales.

The program, which works with companies and health-care providers to improve performance and enhance the quality of life for Indiana citizens, is a partnership among Purdue, the state and local communities. TAP director Dave McKinnis said growth continues in the current fiscal year.

"In the past two months alone, we've also added offices in Jasper and Columbus and doubled the size of our Energy Efficiency Services Program," McKinnis said. "Thanks to increased funding from the Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development, this program can help even more of Indiana's largest energy users identify and reduce the amount of energy they use."

The Purdue College of Pharmacy and TAP also established PharmaTAP to help hospitals and community pharmacies improve performance and medicine safety procedures. The initiative is funded through a $25 million Lilly Endowment grant to Purdue's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

"In addition to increasing quality and efficiency of services, this pioneering program places an emphasis on patient safety," McKinnis said. "With Purdue's top-ranked pharmacy program, along with our experts in science, engineering and management, pharmacies and health-care providers have a wealth of resources to which they can turn."

Other TAP programs that have experienced steady growth include Healthcare TAP, which was launched in May 2005. A partnership with the Indiana Hospital&Health Association and Purdue's Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, Healthcare TAP sends interdisciplinary teams from the College of Engineering and the School of Nursing to Indiana's 166 hospitals to offer operational improvement assistance.

The Indiana State Department of Health also asked Healthcare TAP experts to help 20 Indiana counties evaluate their public health service needs. TAP facilitated the Indiana Public Health System Quality Improvement Project, through which county representatives met at the Howard County Public Health Department to assess their top priorities, such as addressing childhood obesity.

Another recently established partnership enables TAP to assume responsibility for the Indiana Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center, which helps manufacturers implement lean manufacturing, quality systems, marketing and other initiatives to improve their operations. The center is a partnership with the National Institute for Standards and Technology and the state of Indiana. In 2007 the center trained more than 2,800 employees throughout Indiana, and clients reported that projects produced record economic impacts.

TAP also plays a key role in administering the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) program in north-central Indiana, through which Purdue was awarded a U.S. Department of Labor Work Force grant. TAP uses a portion of the grant funding to help manufacturers improve operations, control health-care costs, expand energy efficiency technical skills and refine the agribusiness supply chain.

Ford Meter Box Co. Inc. of Wabash, Ind., for example, turned to TAP experts to help with the technology transfer of nanostructure coated cutting tools that they can apply to produce products for the waterworks industry.

"By prolonging the life of our tools, we should be able to reduce costs, allowing us to remain competitive long into the future," said John Andersen, the company's manager of plant engineering. "We're excited about the opportunity to work with Purdue faculty like Mark Jackson (associate professor of mechanical engineering technology), who understands the latest technology and can help us apply it."

McKinnis said the combined success of all TAP initiatives is having a positive impact throughout Indiana.

"Whatever goal a company is striving for, whether it's greater competitiveness, higher profits or enhanced customer satisfaction, TAP is here to assist," McKinnis said. "Our mission is to help Indiana companies and health-care providers function more efficiently and effectively, ultimately enhancing Indiana's economic development. When that happens, we all win."

Writer: Marydell Forbes, (765) 496-7704, mforbes@purdue.edu

Sources: Dave McKinnis (765) 494-6258, mckinnis@purdue.edu

John Andersen, (260) 563-3171, JAndersen@fordmeterbox.com

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: To obtain a copy of the Technical Assistance Program 2006-07 annual report, contact TAP staff at (765) 494-6258, tap@purdue.edu

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