Washington University Pediatric and Adolescent Ambulatory Research Consortium (WU PAARC) is a practice-based research network (PBRN) of community pediatricians founded in 2002 by Dr. Jane Garbutt. The network was founded to improve the health of children and adolescents in the community by addressing gaps in knowledge about prevention, diagnosis, and management of pediatric diseases cared for in the primary care setting.

Engagement of the participating community practitioners is an important element of WU PAARC’s activities. Information about study ideas and study findings are solicited and disseminated to all WU PAARC participants through site visits, an annual dinner meeting, email, mailings, presentations and publications. We estimate this group of pediatricians provides access to almost 150,000 children from diverse socio-economic groups.

Since 2007, WU PAARC is a core of the Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS) and part of the Integrating Special Populations function, WU PAARC continually fosters partnerships between academic institutions, health providers, and the community.