JPS Health Network proudly hosted its 2025 Research & Quality Symposium (RQS), an annual celebration of innovation, collaboration, and academic excellence in healthcare. Held on Wednesday, May 14, the event brought together researchers, clinicians, educators, and community partners for a dynamic day of poster sessions, rapid-fire presentations, topical breakout discussions, and awards recognizing exceptional contributions to research, education, and quality improvement.
The JPS Research & Quality Symposium is an annual event that highlights JPS as a learning health system, builds research capacity, and promotes innovations that benefit patients in Tarrant County. The symposium offers a platform for researchers and quality leaders to share their work in a collaborative setting. By engaging students, residents, faculty, and community stakeholders, the event underscores the commitment JPS has to building healthy communities through research, quality, and patient experience.
“The event is not only a celebration of science and quality improvement, but a testament to the culture of curiosity and commitment at JPS,” said Tricia Elliott, MD, Senior Vice President, Academic & Research Affairs and Chief Academic Officer. “The enthusiasm and initiative shown by trainees, faculty, and community partners demonstrate our shared mission to continuously enhance patient care and population health.”
2025 symposium by the numbers:
- 336 abstract submissions
- 120 live poster presentations
- 16 rapid fire research sessions
- 171 gallery posters
- Participation from both internal and external institutions, including TCU, UNTHSC, and Cook Children’s
Notably, nearly half of the presentations were from organizations outside of JPS, reinforcing the symposium’s reputation as a regional hub for academic medicine and collaborative discovery.
Breakout sessions tackled pressing issues in behavioral health, maternal health, and oncology clinical trials, while poster and research presentations addressed key clinical and operational issues. The evening program featured a keynote address by Dr. David Gerber, Professor of Hematology-Oncology and Public Health at UT Southwestern, whose impactful work focuses on improving clinical trial design and implementation. His presentation highlighted systemic barriers to clinical trial participation, particularly overly restrictive eligibility criteria and operational challenges that limit patient access and offered insights into how trial design and enrollment practices can be improved to increase participation and streamline implementation.
2025 Academic Excellence and RQS Award Winners - Resident of the Year: Dr. Timothy Benage (Orthopaedic Surgery)
- Fellow of the Year: Dr. Caitlyn McGue (Oral Maxillofacial Surgery)
- Intern of the Year: Dr. Larson Bergquist (Podiatry)
- Excellence in Teaching, Research, & Scholarship: Dr. Caroline Fryar (Sports Medicine)
- Humanitarian Award: Dr. Brionne Thompson (Emergency Medicine)
- Collegiality Award: Dr. Anna Zurek (Oral Maxillofacial Surgery)
- Faculty Award for Excellence in Medical Education: Dr. Lynn Roppolo (Emergency Medicine)
- Program Director of the Year: Dr. Russell Wagner (Orthopaedic Surgery)
- Coordinator of the Year: Glenn Russell (Clinical Experience)
Each presentation exemplified the curiosity, compassion, and commitment that embody the JPS mission. As the Research & Quality Symposium continues to grow, it plays a pivotal role in shaping is the future of healthcare – locally and beyond.
