The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) was originally founded in 1996 as an initiative of the Adelaide Hospital at the University of Adelaide in South Australia. Their mission was to develop and disseminate a collaborative approach to improving health care through the evaluation of evidence from diverse sources.  Not limited to randomized controlled trials, the JBI approach incorporates the “best evidence,” in a variety of forms to answer clinical questions.  Rosalind Franklin University (RFU) joined this collaboration in 2016. Together, our mission is “to facilitate the synthesis, transfer and implementation of the best available evidence to ensure the feasibility, appropriateness, meaningfulness and effectiveness of health policy and practice.”

The RFU team achieved JBI Centre of Excellence status in 2022 through the hard work of the faculty, staff and student collaborators. Evidence of the synthesis work and translation of evidence to practice can be found in our list of manuscripts and project abstracts. The RFU faculty and students are part of an international collaboration with more than 80 entities across the world, working to accelerate the linkage of scientific evidence to policy and practice. The JBI also collaborates with the Cochrane Review, to promote robust systematic review methodology for many types of primary research. JBI has significantly expanded the potential for systematic reviews to influence practice, by developing numerous systematic review methodologies for non-experimental quantitative research designs and qualitative research designs. 

What We Do

At RFU, our faculty scholars and health profession students focus on evidence synthesis, transfer, and implementation of best practice to support our clinical partners. These research contributions to evidence-based practice enhance the educational content of our curriculum and inform continuing education opportunities offered to our clinical partners.

• Conduct and facilitate systematic reviews of timely and impactful research.
• Collaborate with clinical partners to implement best practices.
• Promote the utilization of JBI tools and methodologies throughout the curriculum at RFU.
• Promote broad dissemination of synthesis and implementation research to ensure that the findings are accessible to our clinical partners and all areas of healthcare delivery. 
• Conduct training in evidence synthesis and evidence implementation for students, clinicians, managers, and researchers.

RFUMS Center for Interprofessional Evidence-Based Practice
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
3333 Green Bay Road
North Chicago, IL 60064
847-578-8700, ext. 3678
Email: jbiaffiliation@rosalindfranklin.edu

Director
Jennifer Greenwood, PhD, CRNA, APRN
Associate Professor, Department of Nurse Anesthesia

Assistant Director
Sandra Larson, PhD, CRNA, APN, FNAP
Founding Dean, College of Nursing
Vice President of Clinical Partnerships
Associate Professor, Department of Nurse Anesthesia

Administrative Staff
Anthony Cunningham, MSEd
Director of Partnerships

Core Staff
Lori Anderson, DNP, CRNA, APN
Charlotte Beyer, MSIS, AHIP
KatieRose McEneely, MSLIS
James Carlson, PhD, PA-C, CHSE
Frank Hughes, PharmD
Franklin McShane, DNP, CRNA, APNP
Kristin, Schneider, PhD
Lori Thuente, PhD, RN