Digital Commons Network^™

Managing Medicaid Managed Care, Lance Plunkett Jd, Llm

The New York State Dental Journal

There is a system in place to ensure Medicaid managed care organizations operate properly. How effective these controls are is a different issue.

N Y State Dent J August-September 2024

The New York State Dental Journal

In the August-September 2024 issue, the reader will find the following feature articles:

• Success of Implant Placement in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• Effects of Mandatory COVID-19 Testing Policy on No-Show Rates for Aerosol-Generating Procedures
• Heterotopic Bone Formation after TMJ Surgery
• Rural Oral Health Access Disparities in New York State

This issue includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New York membership including editorial and perspectives columns, legal, association activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

Reimagining Health: Calling For Reform Of The Canadian Healthcare System Through Afrofuturism And Speculative Design, Diane Oyedeji Ms, Stephanie J. Kiggundu Ms

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

This exploratory essay addresses the health inequalities currently affecting the African/Black diaspora in Canada and proposes a healthcare system reform to address the inequalities. Despite the Canadian healthcare system’s goals of being universal and accessible, there are disparities in African/Black patient representation. This essay proposes a healthcare system reform through incorporating African/Black patient input through the implementation of collaborative design through the lens of Afrofuturism and its values such as inclusivity and empowerment. The goal is to implement a Canadian healthcare system that is equitable, and patient-centered through emphasizing African/Black voices in technological design, clinical practices, and promoting a more …

Comparison Of Health-Related Fitness And Modifiable Lifestyle Behaviors Between Swat Officers And Professional Firefighters: An Exploratory Study, Joel Martin, Anne Akagi, Michael Toczko, Megan Sax Van Der Weyden, Kayleigh Newman, Joseph Hahn, Marcie B. Fyock-Martin

Health Behavior Research

Emergency responders engage in occupations that benefit from living a healthy lifestyle to ensure physical and mental preparedness. We compared fitness and healthy lifestyle behaviors between special weapons and tactics (SWAT) officers and firefighters. We analyzed data from 14 SWAT officers and 17 firefighters. Self-reported healthy lifestyle behavior measures included physical activity, sleep quality, and dietary behaviors. Fitness measures included body composition, flexibility, muscular strength, and endurance. Firefighters had higher (p < .05) body mass, body mass index, body fat percentage and fat mass than SWAT officers. SWAT officers performed better (p < .05) than the firefighters on vertical jump, push-ups, and a maximum plank hold. We found no difference regarding sleep quality or dietary behaviors; however, SWAT officers reported more minutes of vigorous (p = .006) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (p = .035). Our findings suggest that fitness and lifestyle behaviors vary among different emergency responder populations and public …

Some Kind Of Unfolding: A Micro- To Macrosystemic Exploration Of The Emic Experiences Of Formerly Incarcerated Mothers, Mary Anne Gunter Phd Lpc Lmft

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Problem

The incarceration of women has increased exponentially in the past 40 years. Over 80% of incarcerated women are mothers separated from their children. A mother’s incarceration can impose a destabilizing influence upon an already fragile family system.

Significance

Incarcerated mothers have been inconsistently provided supportive rehabilitative programs, which have demonstrated a correlation to decreased recidivism.

This qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews that explored the phenomenological experiences of eight disenfranchised incarcerated mothers who were separated from their children, as well as of their experiences of a carceral setting and involvement with prison programs.

Implications

Thematic analysis of the data revealed …

Deconstructing Drugs: Addressing The Stigma, Harm Reduction, And Policy Solutions, Charlotte Theriault

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Black and homeless people who struggle with substance use disorder (SUD), especially opioid use disorder (OUD), have experienced unique obstacles due to inequalities relating to their social determinants of health (SDOH). Historical context and peer-reviewed research were used to evaluate racial bias and expand upon the factors that contributed to the opioid crisis, the effects of COVID-19 on drug overdoses, and the presence of fentanyl in illicit drug supplies. Various studies combat the stigma surrounding substance use disorder (SUD) by acknowledging the disease as a chronic health condition. Research showed that the most effective way to combat these inequalities and …

Drivers Of Being Unhoused And The Prevalence Of Health Conditions Among Unhoused Individuals In Asheville, Nc, Andrea K. Yontz, Amber Beane, Tessa Frank, Amy Upham, Dustin V. Patil, Dan Pizzo, Steve Buie, Jacqueline R. Halladay

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the number of unhoused individuals in Asheville, North Carolina resulting in more tent encampments.

Understanding the physical, mental, and socially determined health characteristics associated with being unhoused can help guide stakeholders with policy development, healthcare program planning, and funding decisions to support unhoused individuals.

Methods

In this study, we used an observational cross-section methodology. Using a convenience sample approach, we interviewed 101 participants who were receiving services from 2 emergency hotel shelters, a day center, and a resource center. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended responses were collected …

A Responsible Parrhesia? A Review Of The Price Of Secrecy, Sara Tafakori

RadioDoc Review

The Price of Secrecy immerses the listener in stories of individual trauma, of child abuse and rape, yet also draws lessons from them of wider social significance. It includes moments of narrative catharsis, interspersed with repeated reminders that the stories are unfinished and open-ended—that the solutions lie out there, in social action, rather than in the stories themselves. The series also gestures towards structural critique, especially of ‘the legal constraints’ it identifies, yet it places greater importance on changing the wider culture through challenging the culture of secrecy and shame around victims’ stories of rape and abuse. This centrally means …

Barriers To Escape: How Homelessness And Drug Addiction Prevent Women From Escaping Sex Trafficking And Commercial Sex, Laura J. Lederer, Mckamie J. Chandler, Stanley Stinson

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Victims of sex trafficking and women purportedly involved in prostitution voluntarily face a complex web of interconnected challenges when attempting to escape their current circumstances. By analyzing the shared and distinct challenges faced by these women, the paper aims to inform policymakers and service providers, offering recommendations to empower women seeking to escape exploitation through multidisciplinary and interconnected networks of providers. This study surveyed 74 women in Detroit, Michigan, using nonprobability convenience sampling over a 10-month period in 2020. It compared three groups of women who self-reported as victims of sex trafficking, women who voluntarily engaged in some form of …

A Global Perspective On Intersecting Social And Systemic Barriers Experienced By Grandparent-Caregivers: A Qualitative Systematic Review, Schola N. Matovu, Deborah M. Whitley, Heather M. Young

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Globally, many grandparents are taking on the caregiving role for their grandchildren without public or government interjection of support, particularly financial assistance for basic needs such as housing, health care and living expenses. This paper aimed to broaden understanding of social and systemic barriers experienced by grandparent-caregivers across the globe. Of the 2,828 relevant grandparent caregiving studies identified in the literature, 34 representing eight countries met our inclusion criteria to answer the research question and the focus of this paper: What are the social and systemic barriers experienced by grandparent-caregivers across the globe? We utilized Noblit’s and Hare’s (1988) meta-ethnography …

The Hiv/Aids Epidemic In Miami: Perspectives Of Stakeholders And Frontline Providers, Tracy Pugh, Carrigan L. Parish, Pedro C. Castellon, Allan Rodriguez, Michael A. Kolber, Lisa R. Metsch

Florida Public Health Review

Background: Miami, Florida persists as an epicenter of HIV/AIDS nationally and has been more delayed than other areas with high HIV burden in implementing public health measures that mitigate transmission risk. These issues among other social and structural-level determinants have complicated progress in addressing HIV/AIDS in Miami.

Purpose: The stagnated progress in improving HIV outcomes in Miami necessitated a more comprehensive understanding of the experiences and insights of stakeholders within the system. We used a stakeholder analysis approach to understand the complexity of driving factors and key challenges facing this HIV epidemic.

Methods: A stakeholder analysis was conducted …

Free For All: Proposing Legislation To Eliminate Food Insecurity In Arkansas Public Schools, A. Mills Bryant

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Schools serve millions of students daily as one of the largest food distribution sites in the United States. However, more than 13.1 million children in the United States, and almost 150,000 in Arkansas, are food insecure. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most Arkansas schools offered free and reduced lunch to students at or below the poverty line through participation in the National School Lunch Program (“NSLP”). During COVID-19, Congress passed The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) and The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES”) (hereinafter “The Acts”). This legislation effectively eliminated food insecurity in participating American public schools, …

Fostering Entry Level Practitioner Knowledge, Confidence, And Competence In Trauma-Informed Care Application, Mollie Keyser, Mary A. Barnes

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Trauma is pervasive worldwide and is associated with poor health outcomes if left unaddressed, however, a gap in practice continues to exist in the implementation of trauma-informed care (TIC). Occupational therapy practitioners will encounter individuals, communities, and populations influenced by trauma, which warrants the need for TIC to improve overall service delivery across the lifespan. However, TIC is currently not systematically integrated into any Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) occupational therapy educational standards. The purpose of this study was to design, implement, and evaluate a TIC application-based workshop for a sample of entry-level occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) students. …

N Y State Dent J January 2024

The New York State Dental Journal

In the January 2024 issue, the reader will find the following feature articles:

• When One Door Closes, Another Opens
• Oral Manifestations of Metastatic Diseases: A Clinical and Histologic Analysis of Seven Cases
• Dentistry Transformed: An Overview of Artificial Intelligence’s Role in Dental Care
• Unlocking the Future of Dentistry: A Summary of AI and Augmented Intelligence in Dentistry from ADA’s White Paper
• Diagnostic Detail: Understanding the Impact of Tooth Rotation in Correcting Mucogingival Defects

This issue includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New York membership including: editorial and perspectives columns, legal, association activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and …

Harnessing The Power Of Ai, Lance Plunkett Jd, Llm

The New York State Dental Journal

Federal government steps in to ensure safe, secure and trustworthy development of artificial intelligence.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Students’ Perceptions Of Using Standardized Patient Encounters As A Replacement For Traditional Level I Fieldwork, Tiffany L. Benaroya, Deborah Mckernan-Ace, Sandra L. Rogers, Meredith Cimmino

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Standardized patient encounters are being utilized more often in occupational therapy education as a replacement for traditional fieldwork. While there is a growing body of research to support the use of this model in developing student skillsets and confidence, there remains limited information on the topic, and no studies which look at its use with occupational therapy assistant students. Twenty-four occupational therapy assistant students participated in standardized patient encounters which served as a replacement for traditional Level I fieldwork. All students completed an anonymous supplementary course evaluation regarding their experiences. A secondary analysis of the data looked at their perceptions …

The Unequal Distribution Of Social Risk For Black Men Across The Life-Span. A Novel Framework., Waleed Y. Sami

Adultspan Journal

This conceptual overview offers a comprehensive overview of systemic pathways that negatively impact the mental health of Black Men throughout their lives. Our argument highlights the importance for counselors and mental health professionals to utilize a thorough social risk assessment that considers these pathways in order to effectively address the mental health needs of Black Men while fostering positive working relationships. This overview strongly advocates for the use of context and structural determinants when evaluating mental health symptoms. Without an appropriate understanding of social risk and determinants, counselors may inadvertently perpetuate disparities by decontextualizing symptomology, and reproducing racist discourse.

Review Of: Coal, Cages, Crisis: The Rise Of The Prison Economy In Central Appalachia, Ted Olson Phd

Journal of Appalachian Health

Ted Olson, PhD, is a professor of both Appalachian Studies and Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies at East Tennessee State University. In this piece, he reviews Professor Judah Schept's Coal, Cages, Crisis: The Rise of the Prison Economy in Central Appalachia and discusses the impacts of incarceration on the health of Appalachia and on its residents more broadly.

Bi-Negativity: An Assessment Of Negativity Surrounding Bisexuality From The Lgbtq+ And Heterosexual Communities, Whitney R. Ford

The Confluence

This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that negative attitudes towards bisexual people (bi-negativity) exists within the LGBTQ+ and heterosexual communities and to determine if levels of bi-negativity are higher within the LGBTQ+ group. I administered the Gender-Based Attitudes Towards Bisexuality (GBAB) Scale by Nielsen et al. (2022) to measure bi-negativity using an online survey. The results, obtained from 87 participants who identify as LGBTQ+ and 121 participants who identify as heterosexual between the ages of 18 and 80, support my hypothesis that bi-negativity exists within both groups. However, contrary to my second hypothesis, higher levels of bi-negativity were …

Criminal Justice Interventions For Individuals With Mental Health Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review, Fidelis Azeke, Nassrine Noureddine

Pacific Journal of Health

In the criminal law, with few exceptions, for a finding of guilt, the physical act and the state of mind to commit the offense must be present at the time of the commission of the offense. People with mental disabilities often lack the state of mind required to commit the offense for which they are eventually charged for and or convicted. This paper examines the effectiveness of some past and present criminal justice system interventions that addresses the mental health disabilities of criminal offenders pre-adjudicative proceedings. A systematic review of the literature was used to examine past and present criminal …

Class Standing Differences In Bystander Intervention Intentions To Prevent Sexual Assault: A Reasoned Action Approach, Sarah E. Rush Griffin, Christine Hackman, Paul Branscum, Neha Gautam

Health Behavior Research

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in determinants of bystander intervention (BI) participation based on undergraduate students' year in school using the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA). Students (n = 291) were recruited from general education courses at two universities in the United States and completed an online survey evaluating intentions, attitudes, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) associated with engaging in BI. Next, attitudes, perceived norms, and PBC were used to predict intentions using separate linear regression models – one model with upper-level students and another model with first-year students. Both models significantly predicted intentions, with …

Understanding Occupational Injury And Substance Use Issues Among Workers In The Shellfish And Lobster Industries, Tora Johnson, Katherine Weatherford Darling, Debra Kantor, Joseph Spiller, Oliver G. Jones, Lois-Ann Kuntz, Tara Casimir, Amy Dowley, Greyson Kurtz, Lauren Sachs, Linda Silka, Bridie Mcgreavy

Maine Policy Review

In 2022, American lobster (Homarus americanus) and softshell clam (Mya arenaria) harvests contributed $283 million to Downeast Maine’s economy, employing thousands of harvesters. Harvesting is grueling work. Pain from work-related injuries precedes most opioid deaths, and workers in fisheries are disproportionately at risk. Harvesters are typically self-employed and often uninsured or underinsured, complicating access to care. Prior studies have focused on injury risk or drug use among harvesters without revealing how injury, pain and substance use intertwine with cultural, social and regulatory factors. This study examined the socio-ecologically embedded injury/ pain/ substance use process with surveys of harvesters (n=106) and …

Trauma-Informed Youth Sport: Identifying Program Characteristics And Challenges To Advance Practice, Kayla Hussey, Lindsey C. Blom, Zenzi Huysmans, Dana Voelker, Matt Moore, Thalia M. Mulvihill

Journal of Youth Development

This purpose of this qualitative study was to explore shared characteristics and local challenges of trauma-informed youth sport program design and implementation through the voices of ten program facilitators (e.g., director, trainer; 8 women, 2 men; average age of 36.2 years, SD = 6.03) across four U.S. regions. Within a postpositivist approach and through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews (average length of 53 minutes), shared characteristics identified by facilitators included promoting a safe and supportive environment, cultivating healthy relationships among adults and peers, and intentional psychological and social skill-building (e.g., attentional cues). Facilitators also explained the importance of understanding the …

The Parenting Education Needs Of Aboriginal Women Experiencing Incarceration, Belinda J. Lovell, Mary Steen, Angela Brown, Karen Glover, Adrian Esterman

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

The aim of this study was to listen to the voices of women experiencing incarceration and understand their parenting education needs. This paper reports on data from focus group interviews with 13 Aboriginal women in prison. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, creating five themes: (1) working towards a positive self; (2) communication (3) parenting from a distance; (4) jumping through hoops to get connected; and (5) connecting with Aboriginal cultures. The women were seeking guidance and clarity about the Child Protection system and how to regain child custody. Many women were wanting to invest in self-care and …

Experiences Of Kinship And Connection To Family For Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Young Men With Histories Of Incarceration, Shelley Joy Walker, Michael Doyle, Mark Stoové Professor, Troy Combo, Mandy Wilson

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

Epidemiological approaches have brought important attention to the issues surrounding the over-incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, and the enormous health and socio-economic disparities they face. An implicit discourse often exists within the construction of this “knowledge”, however, that situates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in deficit terms.

Using narrative inquiry, a methodological approach congruent with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and ways of knowing, we aim to challenge this dominant discourse, via an examination of the narratives of eight Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander young men (aged 19-24 years) involved in the criminal justice …

Establishing Initial Content Validity, Interrater Reliability, And Intra-Rater Reliability Of The Revised Visual Activity Sort For At-Risk Adolescents And Young Adults, Sharon Gutman, Katie O'Day, Ashley Choi, Alexis Kearney, Sandra Rogers

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The purpose of this study was to establish the content validity and inter- and intra-rater reliability of the revised Visual Activity Sort, which is a card sorting assessment designed specifically for at-risk adolescents and young adults.

Method: Six content experts were selected and asked to rate the relevancy of each of the 121 Visual Activity Sort cards. Two trained raters participated in the establishment of inter- and intra-rater reliability with 30 high school students attending a charter school for at-risk adolescents and young adults in a socioeconomically disadvantaged urban area.

Results: Based on the content experts’ …

Locked Up: A Look Into Healthcare Behind Bars, Ella Davis

BUHealth

The United States incarceration rate is the highest in the world. Incarcerated individuals are guaranteed a right to healthcare but, it falls short in many correctional facilities, as systemic barriers and inadequate funding often result in substandard care and poor health outcomes. There are multiple challenges that come with providing healthcare in prisons such as limited resources, lack of funding, and staff shortages. Prisoners at every level of the correctional system are known to be less healthy than the general population, and despite multiple efforts to improve healthcare, many prisoners still receive inadequate healthcare. Improving prison healthcare and increasing funding …

Impact Of An Opioid Harm Reduction Consortium: Emergency And Justice Engagement, Maren Wright Wright Voss, Gabriele Ciciurkaite, Matthew Huntington, Melissa Flint, Emily Hamilton, Jennifer Peatross

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah State University Extension engaged first responders and law enforcement officials in a consortium to identify local needs related to opioid use disorder (OUD). To this end, the Tooele Opioid Response Network (TORN) conducted three first-responder harm reduction summits to meet local overdose prevention needs. The initiative trained over 200 personnel, which resulted in an 87.5% increase in knowledge related to harm reduction. TORN also facilitated the acquisition of $90,000 in funding for jail-based opioid medication and the disbursement of 400 naloxone kits and training to incarcerated persons at discharge.

The Social Determinants Of Health And Reentry: An Exploratory Study, Makayla Lewis, Brian Schaefer, Heather Ouellette

The Cardinal Edge

Being released from jail affects a person’s ability to secure basic needs such as health, housing, and employment. Compounding these barriers are issues related to returning to impoverished communities, complicated relationships with families and support systems, and minimal reentry opportunities within jails and upon release. This study explores how the Opportunity Network’s reentry workbook is working to address the social determinants of health and improve perceptions of successful reentry outcomes.

(2011) Batterer Intervention Programs: The Relationship Between Session Completions And The Batterer’S Perception Of The Abusive Relationship, John P. Muldoon

Louisiana Journal of Counseling

The purpose of this study is to investigate the male batterer’s perception of his relationship with his partner and the impact the relationship has on session attendance and program completion in a batterer intervention program. The study investigated 198 male participants enrolled in a batterer intervention program in the southeastern United States. The findings suggest a complex interaction among the three variables of (1) the participant’s perception of the referral incident, (2) the batterer’s emotional commitment to the victim, and (3) the total number of sessions completed in a batterer intervention program. The implications of demographic and psychological variables affecting …