Strategic Collaboration Intro

The first institution of higher learning in Boston, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) grew up in a burgeoning hub of healthcare innovation. Premier academic medical centers – including Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute – opened their doors in the city throughout the 1800s and 1900s. Hallowed educational institutions such as Harvard Medical School also established a footprint, creating a vibrant ecosystem for healthcare professionals.

Collaboration fueled the ecosystem. And MCPHS – formerly called Massachusetts College of Pharmacy – forged connections with all of the major players in the community from its earliest days. Later, the innovation hub expanded to include other parts of the state and region, and we continued to grow our network of partners. We have always recognized the power of bringing people together to learn, exchange ideas, and innovate.

Why is collaboration so important?

As we proudly celebrate our Bicentennial, we recognize that a lot has changed since our founding. For example, we now operate campuses in Worcester and in Manchester, NH in addition to our flagship campus in Boston. But we can’t help looking back and reminding ourselves how much our success still depends on our relationships with other talented people and establishments outside of our own.

Of course, getting started in an area that would become a health and life sciences hub was a huge advantage. As we enter our third century, our collaborations have grown to include hundreds of universities, medical centers, community health organizations, and industry partners in the region and around the globe.

It just goes to show that when you make the effort to connect with others who care deeply about advancing healthcare, anything is possible.