Public Health Commons^™

Life Matters, Marina Fischer

Dissertations

Problem: One of the challenges facing many primary care providers is managing hypertension. Hypertension contributes to cardiovascular disease events. Consequently, the high occurrence of hypertension related visits signifies a clinical practice gap in hypertension management resulting in substandard blood pressure outcomes. The purpose of this clinical scholarship project was to assess the difference of pre and post Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) scores in a hypertensive population.

Methods: This quality improvement project used a longitudinal, observational design with prospective data collection. The sample included newly diagnosed hypertensive adults ages 21 to 64 years old. The sample was administered the World …

The Mission System: An Electronic Health Record For Medical Treatment In Guatemala, Tawniece M. Curry

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: The introduction of an electronic health record (EHR) system has become an essential component in monitoring and tracking patient information in most developed countries but are difficult to implement in underdeveloped countries. Guatemala is a country with poor health care and limited resources for patient tracking and monitoring. An organization in Guatemala, Nursing Heart Inc. (NHI), provides care to over 40 underserved rural communities but lacks the ability to monitor and track patient information. In order for NHI to properly monitor and evaluate their programs and track patients’ continuity of care, the introduction of an EHR system is …

Evaluating Hospital Community Benefit And Community Health Improvement Requirements, Shelly Johnson

Dissertations

The Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) hospital community benefit standard aims to improve the community's health, it is a test the IRS uses to determine whether a hospital is organized and operated for the charitable purpose of promoting health. Participation in this program is required of all not-for-profit hospitals in the US, who spend billions of dollars annually in community benefit in place of taxes. Hospitals must annually submit IRS form 990 Schedule H and are required to report costs associated with their provision of community benefit spending. In addition, a hospital must conduct community health needs assessment (CHNA) and implementation …

Improving Access To Mental Health Care With Nurse Practitioners, Jessica Whelan

Dissertations

Problem: Over 40% of those with mental illness are untreated since the supply of psychiatrists does not meet the demand. The psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) may be an adjunct in providing those services. The purpose of this quality assurance study was to evaluate outcomes of care between a PMHNP and a psychiatrist (medical doctor [MD]).

Methods: An observational, descriptive design with a retrospective medical record review of adult patients over a six-month period in a suburban, Midwestern, privately owned psychiatric practice.

Results: A total of 787 individual patients encountered at least one visit (N=787) although 3,679 …

Adventist Healthcare: A Qualitative Study Of 19th Century Founding Governing Principles In 21st Century Adventist Hospitals, Cesiah Yareth Pimentel Melendez

Dissertations

Problem and Purpose

Founding values and principles can help organizations stay focused on fulfilling their mission. This is especially true in faith-based organizations that seek to continue their founding principles as a governing commitment to their core identity. This study identified Adventist healthcare founding principles in Ellen G. White's early health visions and explored how Adventist healthcare leaders perceived these principles as governing principles applied to current Adventist healthcare practices.

Conceptual Framework and Research Design

Two metaphors and three areas of literature review guided my approach of this qualitative study of Adventist healthcare founding principles. My first metaphor of DNA …

Hospital Practices Related To Breastfeeding In Mississippi: A Socio-Ecological Approach, Amir Alakaam

Dissertations

Mississippi continues to have one of the lowest rates and the weakest support in respect to breastfeeding in the nation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014a). Hospital practices supporting breastfeeding such as the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (TSSB) can dramatically increase breastfeeding rates and duration (Rosenberg, Stull, Adler, Kasehagen, & Crivelli-Kovach, 2008). The aim of this study was to explore breastfeeding practices in Mississippi hospitals based on two levels of the Socio-Ecological Model: the organizational level (phase I) examined the hospital practices based on the level of implementation of the TSSB; the individual level (phase II) examined knowledge …