Digital Commons Network^™

Robotic Vs. Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery, Chloe Aiken, Abigail Reera

Nurse Residency

Background: As OR nurses, we have seen an increase in the number of robot-assisted bariatric surgeries instead of being performed laparoscopically. In the United States, the first surgical robotic telepresence system became available in 1987. From there, IntuitiveSurgical, Inc. reworked that system to create numerous prototypes leading to the DaVinci series that we utilize at SMHC.

Initiating Chlorhexidine Wipes For Infection Prevention In The Icu, Samantha Carey

Nurse Residency

Background

• Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) result in approximately 28,000 deaths and approximately $2.3 billion in added costs to the U.S. healthcare system each year, and yet, many of these infections are preventable (Reynolds, 2021).

• Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) is an antiseptic that can be used for skin cleaning and has been shown to be effective against a wide range of organisms, including some antimicrobial-resistant organisms.

• The primary objective of this study was to assess the incidents of CLABSI’s when CHG wipes were implemented compared to traditional bathing soap and water for patients with a central line in …

Implementation Of Frequent Skin Assessments, Tiffany Gagnon

Nurse Residency

Background:

The current skin assessment policy at the Behavioral Health Unit at Southern Maine Health Care requires more frequent skin checks for patients who are immobile in a mental health department.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reports “hospital-acquired pressure injury rates continue to rise across the United States” (Pittman et al., 2022).

Smoking Cessation Post-Discharge For Medical Surgical Patients, Jessica Francis, Julie Lavery

Nurse Residency

Introduction: Does the combination of behavioral counseling coupled with medication (vs medication alone) result in greater smoking cessation for our patients after discharge?

The Registered Nurse, Fall Prevention, And Mobilization Alarms, Anna Williams

Nurse Residency

Background:

Current Maine Health policy requires response to a mobilization alarm within 5 minutes by a RN, CNA or other clinician. Fall risk assessments are required upon arrival and admission, at the beginning of each shift, transfer between units, changes in patient condition and after a fall.

Current practice involves the TIPS tool.

How Important Are Regular Breaks For Bedside Nursing Staff?, Gabriel Wohl

Nurse Residency

Background: A career in nursing can be a challenging one and a rewarding one. Nurses work directly with patients in need, in a way that their efforts have an immediate and tangible impact. Due to the nature of the work itself, nursing is also a physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding career that often leads to exhaustion, burnout, and in many cases, a departure from the profession altogether. It is well known that nurses work long hours and often receive little to no breaks. Is this lack of proper breaks a chief accessory to the overall dissatisfaction and burnout that nurses …

Comparing Two Telehealth Approaches For Treating Psychiatric Disorders In Primary Care, Handout By The Reach Research Dissemination Committee

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are community clinics that provide primary care in rural and other underserved areas. FQHCs often don’t have enough mental health specialists to treat patients with complex mental health conditions.

Testing A Standard Approach To Match Patients With Addiction On To Treatment Based On Their Needs, Handout By The Reach Research Dissemination Committee

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

The study suggests that use of the ASAM standard of care approach to match patients to treatment may result in improved retention in residential treatment and better patient information and shared decision-making about level of-care decisions.

Comparing Ways To Ask Patients About Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity In The Emergency Department (Ed), Handout By The Reach Research Dissemination Committee,

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Sexual and gender minority patients report higher satisfaction and comfort with ED encounters when SO/GI is collected along with other demographic information via a nonverbal, written method during patient registration.

Does A Program That Focuses On Lifestyle Changes Reduce Heart Disease Risk Factors In A Rural Community?, Handout By The Reach Research Dissemination Committee

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Interventions like HeartHealth—that focus on self-care of heart disease risk factors and that are driven by collaboration with the community of interest—are effective in medically underserved, socioeconomically distressed rural areas.

Effect Of Preoperative Skin Cleansing On Instances Of Surgical Site Infections, Katie Armington, Jessica Blank, Madison Waterhouse, Cynthia Gavett, Hailey Tofflemoyer, Rachelle Cassidy, Lindsay Bushnell, Jennifer Barriere, Anastasia Colbath

Nurse Residency

Background

• On a single square centimeter of skin, there can be as many as 10 million aerobic bacteria

• Bacteria on a patient’s skin is the leading cause of infection related to surgery

• 17% of all hospital acquired infections come from surgical site infections

• Surgical site infections cost about $3,000 $29,000 per patient

Audit Of Correct Order Entry Of Registered Dietitian Recommendations For Nutrition Support, Paul A. Blakeslee, Felicia Bryant, Michele Creech, Alexandra Fierros, Kristine Kittridge, Casey Larsen, Thomas Mellette, Anh Thu Truong

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Several quality improvement (QI) analyses have demonstrated that optimizing accuracy and efficiency of clinical nutrition interventions improves patient outcomes, including increased calorie and protein delivery, decreased length-of-stay, decreased mortality, and improved quality of life post-discharge.

Guidance In Tracheostomy Care For Speech-Language Pathologists: The Green Light Tool, Sara Penrod, Dory Forgit

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Purpose: to assess the effectiveness of the GLT to improve assessment consistency among SLPs and shorten time to PO intake and speaking valve use to improve patient outcomes.

How To Address Health Misinformation? Using Focus Groups To Understand The Experience And Needs Of Interprofessional Undergraduate Health Professionals, Leah Mallory, Jennifer Hayman, Shelley Cohen Konrad, Linda H. Chaudron, Christine Mallar, Grace Price, Brendan Prast, Julia Safarik

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

The Problem of Health Misinformation Students from six different health professions share ideas

Pathways To Care Of Maine Youth With Psychosis, Elizabeth M. Mutina, Rebecca Jaynes, Dave Weiss, Elizabeth Bernier, Kristen A. Woodberry

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Study clinicians conducted semi-structured interviews to identify the timing and steps of each person’s Pathway to Care (PtC).

Conversion Total Hip Arthroplasty: Perioperative And Postoperative Outcomes With The Able Approach, Bailey Shevenell, Johanna Mackenzie, Sarah Hearns, George Babikian, Brian J. Mcgrory, Adam Rana

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

The ABLE™ Approach for Conversion Total Hip Arthroplasty decreases surgical duration and length of stay

Befast Assessment In A Rural Community Hospital – The Birch Study, Caroline Knight, Eileen Hawkins, Hilary Merrifield, Laura Stein, Robert Stein

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Background: There are known regional disparities in treatment rates with thrombolysis and thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. BEFAST has been implemented in acute stroke protocols to aid in recognition of signs of stroke, but its utility in a rural ED is not well known.

Is Sepsis Hiding In Plain Sight? Implementation Of An Interprofessional (Ip) Sepsis Simulation To Detect Early Sepsis, Sarah Chang, Amanda Bennett, Anne Dean, Meaghan Anderson, Micheline Chipman

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Early detection of hospital-acquired sepsis can be challenging. With highly effective IP teams and efficient healthcare systems, sepsis treated quickly can influence morbidity and mortality. This project is aimed at training IP teams in early recognition of sepsis using simulation. Nurses and providers rarely have opportunities to learn together. Simulation followed by an IP debrief is an excellent tool to collaborate for safe patient care.

The Past, Present, And Future Of Distress Screening: Launching A Robust Distress Screening Program At A Large Outpatient Medical Oncology Practice Serving Rural/Underserved Communities, Kevin Stein, Trisha Warren-Vanhorn, Meredith Curtis, Amy Litterini, Amit Sanyal

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

After redesign, administration of the DT at initial chemotherapy teaching sessions and robust searchable databases integrated with EHR systems, allowing providers/researchers to create reports filtered by date ranges, encounter type, clinical site/facility, scores of ≥4, domain (physical, emotional, practical), and outcome (referral to specialist)

Maine Medical Center Mentored Research Grant Program, Crystal Nayock, Robert Koza, Rebecca Lamb

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Introduction:

The MaineHealth Institute for Research (MHIR) Mentored Research Grant (MRG) Program was established ~2009 and currently allocates ~$60,000 annually to promote and support clinical and translational research by early-career healthcare providers and scientists. This intramural grant program was created to encourage and support the intellectual curiosity and research capabilities of young early-stage investigators

Neurocope: A Novel Intervention To Increase Professional Fulfillment And Reduce Burnout By Connecting Neuro-Icu Healthcare Workers To Their Post-Recovery Patients, Angela Leclerc, Mary Sorcher, David Seder, Sara Penrod, Meghan Searight, Alison Daley, Sarah Hanken, Christine Lord, Whitney Trosper, Stephanie Chan, Jennifer Cote

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Background:

Healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for patients with acute neurologic injury in the ICU rarely receive detailed information on the recovery of their patients. The missing connection between the period of acute neurologic injury and long-term outcomes is a psychological burden that contributes to moral fatigue and burnout.

We hypothesize that attending an Interprofessional conference series through which patients describe their acute brain injury and recovery to Neuro-ICU HCWs may ease moral fatigue, increasing professional fulfillment and reducing burnout.

An Educational Intervention To Improve Pediatric Inter-Rater Reliability Of The Hospital Asthma Severity Score (Hass), Anne Coates, Amanda Gagnon, Noah Diminick

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Objective: To assess if an inter-professional educational intervention can improve the accuracy and inter-rater reliability of the HASS

Erbb3 Signaling Prevents Cardiac Fibrosis After Isoproterenol-Induced Myocardial Injury, Sergey Tsibulnikov, Laccey Knudsen, Elena Chepurko, Vadim Chepurko, Joanne Dekay, Douglas Sawyer

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

We generate a new tamoxifen-inducible mice model of EC-specific ErbB3 overexpression to investigate the role of ErbB3 in myocardial ischemia and heart failure. In the present study, we compared cardiac function and fibrosis development in EC cell-specific ErbB3 overexpressing mice versus control after the Isoproterenol (ISO)-induced model of cardiac injury, which culminates in cardiac fibrosis development.

Healthy Links – Addressing Social Determinants Of Health And Improving Cardiac Health With Medically Tailored Meals, Emily Follo, Katherine Sharp, Mylan Cohen

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Introduction:

• Social determinants of health (SDOH) strongly influence risk factors for cardiac disease, especially in rural areas

• Medically-tailored meals have shown promising results for reducing hospitalizations

• Some state insurance programs are covering medically-tailored meals given beneficial outcome studies

• This project builds upon prior Healthy Links programs to expand our reach to rural patients

Evidence For Cthrc1 Cleavage And Role In Promoting Metabolic Efficiency: Potential Implications For Endurance Athletic Performance, Barbara Toomey, Volkhard Lindner, Doreen Kacer, Igor Prudovsky

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

CTHRC1 is a secreted protein that is cleaved in both in vitro and in vivo conditions, and cleavage may be due to protease activity. We hypothesize that cell injury or cell death is associated with the release of a protease that could cleave CTHRC1, allowing for the generation of active CTHRC1 at sites of tissue injury, including myocardial infarction.

Shortening The Postoperative Length Of Stay Following Total Knee Arthroplasty Does Not Negatively Impact Short-Term Patient Outcomes; A Retrospective Review Of The Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Bailey Shevenell, Johanna Mackenzie, Cassandra Lieblein, Brian J. Mcgrory, Michael Becker, Nicholas Colacchio, Adam Rana

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Safely Decreasing Postoperative Length of Stay for Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) Patients Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

Considerations And Strategies For Incorporating Lived Experience In Mental Health Research, Elizabeth Bernier, Elias Peirce, Elizabeth M. Mutina, Saras Yerlig, Kristen A. Woodberry

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Introduction: Incorporating lived experience in mental health research deserves special focus due to the unique stigma faced by those with lived experience and the unique gap between the experience and expression of mental health struggle.

Covid-19 And Depression And Anxiety Screening In Primary Care, Elizabeth Bernier, Abrey Feliccia, Leah Wood, Kate Herlihy, Kristen A. Woodberry

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Introduction:

• The COVID-19 pandemic had a severe effect on mental health, heightening the prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression amongst the general population in rural and non-rural areas, particularly youth.

• Most reports draw from available data from mental health referrals, hospitalizations, suicides, and other incident data

• There is limited longitudinal information from general population samples using standardized mental health assessments.

An Oncology, Lifestyle Medicine, And Cardiac Rehabilitation Partnership In The Development Of A Group Medical Visit Model For Cancer Survivors, Amy Litterini, Caitlin Coppenrath, Ashley Speckhart, Amy Pearl, Theodore Wissink

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Methods/Approach: An oncology and cardiology team developed an oncology provider survey in REDCap designed to assess attitudes regarding perspectives on cardio-oncology, rehabilitation, and Lifestyle Medicine. The 27-item multiple choice and Likert-style survey was distributed via email on three separate occasions to MaineHealth Cancer Care Network providers (n=66) in spring, 2022.

The Maine Obstetric Medical Simulation (Momsim) Program Identifies And Categorizes Latent Safety Threats Across Rural Hospitals, Jeffrey Holmes, Leah Mallory, Micheline Chipman, Becky Hunt, Sarah Austin, Tracey E. Mcmillan, Emily Watson, Mainehealth

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Objective: Combine in-situ simulation with an HFMEA framework to identify and categorize common system wide LST and opportunities to improve patient safety