Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Trust Your Gut: Promoting Gut Health Through Updated Nutrition Education, Christina Cobb

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Physician time and nutrition education are limited, yet lifestyle changes, including healthy eating, are often the primary intervention for both preventing & managing chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. There is growing evidence of the importance of gut health & the microbiome’s link to several aspects of health, including the immune system, mental health, and metabolic syndrome. Through collaboration with two dietitians, a "promoting gut health" patient handout was created and existing nutrition handouts were updated to reflect current dietary recommendations.

Evaluating Patient And Provider Knowledge Of Safe Pharmaceutical Disposal Procedures In Vermont Through A Public Health And Environmental Lens, Emily R. Straley

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Patient and provider knowledge of safe pharmaceutical disposal procedures is crucial from both a public health and environmental standpoint. Unfortunately, studies have shown that Vermont residents are largely unaware of safe drug disposal programs in their communities. This project evaluated patient knowledge of drug disposal practices and awareness of safe pharmaceutical disposal procedures at Hinesburg Family Medicine. A short phrase was created to better disseminate information about safe drug disposal in Hinesburg, which can be added to a patient’s after visit summary. Many patients report never discussing medication disposal with their physician. Therefore, increased provider communication regarding leftover and unused …

Assessing The Need And Desire For Nutritional Education, Marc Robert Hammond

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Many people suffer from health conditions that may be affected directly by diet and nutrition including diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, iron deficiency anemia, obesity, coronary artery disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Education of providers and patients alike may help decrease the prevalence of these health issues and their sequalae. The St. Albans Community has slightly poorer health and nutrition when compared to the entire state of Vermont. Patients in an outpatient primary care clinic in St. Albans, VT were provided with a survey that would assess:

The patient’s confidence in their nutritional skills and knowledge

Their willingness to go to a nutrition …

Diabetic Eating At The Dollar Store, Lee Hiromoto

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Ideas on following a diabetic diet using ingredients from a dollar store.

Asthma In Vermont Dairy Farmers, Wyll T. Everett, Victoria Lauren Close, Rebecca Merriam-Stelfox, Sravana Paladugu, Jacob B. Reibel, Ruby L. Russell, Rebecca Ryan, David Kaminsky

Public Health Projects, 2008-present

Introduction. Although 5.4% of the Vermont population participates in agriculture as an occupation, little data exists on the prevalence of asthma in Vermont dairy farmers, due to inadequate sample sizes. Previous studies have shown dairy farmers are at risk of respiratory illness due to unique exposures intrinsic to their occupation. We conducted a study to assess the prevalence of asthma in dairy farmers in Vermont, to understand rates among this population and potential occupational risks.

Methods. We distributed a paper survey modeled after previously-validated surveys, such as the BRFSS, to farmers at Vermont Farmer Bureau meetings, farmers markets, …

Barriers To Healthy Eating Among The Senior Populations In Brookfield, Ct, Yueyue Shen

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

In the U.S, the cost of diseases associated with unhealthy eating reaches $157 billion a year. In the Western Connecticut area, hypertension and diabetes are the top two reasons for admitting seniors to the hospital. Both of them can be managed by healthy diet and exercise. This project aims to identify the barriers to eating healthy among elderly in Brookfield, CT, and to discuss potential interventions that can be implanted to address the identified barriers.

The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps Health Care Share: An Immunization For The Future, Paul Feenan

Food Systems Summit 2015

In 2012, The Farm at VYCC partnered with Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) to pilot the Health Care Share (HCS), a food security initiative that provides farm fresh produce and poultry to families in need. In 2013, the University of Vermont Medical Center (then Fletcher Allen Health Care), joined the program. Medical providers identify patient and employee families who are unable to afford or access fresh, nutritious food. Families enrolled in the HCS receive a weekly allotment of fresh produce, information on food storage and preparation, and increased access to nutritional counseling.

The HCS relies on a constellation of local …