Digital Commons Network^™

Caring For The Incarcerated Patient: Provider Perceptions Of Quality Of Care In The State Of Louisiana, Haley Beavers Khoury, Olivia K. Sugarman, Andrea Armstrong, Bruce Reilly, Ashley Wennerstrom

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

Background: As of December 2023, there were roughly 28,000 people held in state custody in Louisiana. Prior research and litigation have documented challenges with healthcare service delivery within prisons, but less is known about the higher acuity care incarcerated people receive at state-contracted hospitals. Methods: Between November 2020 and January 2021, authors conducted semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of Louisiana healthcare professionals about their experiences of providing incarcerated people care at hospitals. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Authors used applied thematic analysis techniques to synthesize qualitative data and identify themes. Results: Nine health professionals with diverse roles and …

Tickborne Colpodella Species Infections: Time For A New Integrated Approach To Understand Transmission And Pathogenicity, T. Y. Sam-Yellowe, Trinity Nims, Sona Qaderi, Mary M. Asraf

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Colpodella species are free-living predatory protists that prey on algae, ciliates and bodonids using myzocytosis. Colpodella species have been reported in human and animal infections. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers targeting 18S rRNA genes of Cryptosporidium and piroplasms have identified Colpodella species in arthropods, host blood and feces, demonstrating the phylogenetic closeness of Colpodella species to the apicomplexa. However, in human, animal and arthropod hosts, the life cycle stages of Colpodella are unknown. In this literature review, we provide an overview of the widespread occurrence of Colpodella species in ticks, and pathogenicity in humans and animals. We discuss methods …

Crisis Without Cops: Trauma-Informed Mental Health Care For Bipoc Communities, Amanda Carson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

This policy paper advocates for a structural transformation in mental health crisis response, moving beyond police-led interventions toward trauma-informed, community-rooted models grounded in public health and equity. Drawing on Critical Race Theory (CRT), neuroscience, and program evaluations of models like CAHOOTS, 988, Denver’s STAR, and Durham’s HEART, it examines how systemic racism, institutional mistrust, and implicit bias contribute to disproportionate harm for BIPOC individuals. The paper highlights the effectiveness of peer-led, culturally responsive alternatives that reduce force, hospitalization, and disengagement from care. Using Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework, it proposes actionable, scalable policy strategies supported by recent federal momentum, including the …

Evaluating The Impact Of Anti-Vaccine Online Search Trends During The Covid-19 Pandemic On Adolescent Pertussis-Containing Vaccine Completion, Deborah L. Fisher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescent completion of pertussis-containing vaccines is a public health concern, especially with rising online anti-vaccine misinformation. Incomplete vaccination increases risk for preventable diseases and impacts community health. A gap in the literature on the relationship between online anti-vaccine search trends during the COVID-19 pandemic and adolescent pertussis vaccine completion was addressed in this quantitative, repeated cross-sectional study. Andersen’s behavioral model of health services use guided the study. Secondary data from the 2019 and 2022 National Immunization Survey-Teen (NIS-Teen) compared adolescents aged 13–17 in the five U.S. states with the highest (n=5,464) versus the five with the lowest (n=3.031) population-adjusted anti-vaccine …

Impact Of Safety Practices On Laboratory-Acquired Infections In Clinical Laboratories From 2018 To 2023, Lori Bane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Laboratorians identifying unknown pandemic pathogens face elevated risks of laboratory-acquired infections yet limited research examines how regulated safety practices influence these risks. This quantitative, correlational study used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s secondary data (2018–2023) to examine two research questions. The first one questioned whether there were differences in safety incidents between registered and exempt clinical laboratories. The second research question investigated whether there was an association of laboratory incidents between BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories. The research was limited to incident reports from registered and exempted clinical laboratories working in BSL-2 and BSL-3 conditions. Guided by the Health …

Decreasing Dermal Filler Adverse Events Using Qsen And Benner Theoretical Frameworks To Assess Competency, Stacey D. Stephens Ross

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: Aesthetic nursing is a new branch of nursing practice. Formal nursing education and standards are lacking, making it challenging to assess competency of an aesthetic nurse. Adverse events (AEs) range from minor (bruising) to severe (vascular compromise and blindness) and can be associated with poor technique or lack of knowledge. Standardized practice using evidence-based (EB) protocols is necessary to provide safe, high-quality care. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Joint Commission support the use of the Quality and Safety in Nursing (QSEN) programs to improve outcomes and promote safety. Due to varied training, “experienced” aesthetic nurses may or …

Health Fairs: An Effective Approach To Health Promotion Through Community Engagement And Community-Campus Partnerships, Brookleigh Brumfield

Honors Theses

Community engagement seeks to achieve long-term outcomes through collaborating with community and campus partners to address the issues affecting the community by centering their voices, concerns, and solutions. This capstone project seeks to offer health and language access for residents in Lafayette, Pontotoc, and Union Counties, and to evaluate the health fair model from the perspective of participating community and campus partners. With this information from organizations, it will be possible to create the most efficient, beneficial health fairs in these counties. The community partner perspectives show the importance of community engagement, but also the significance for the campus as …

Heterotopias Of Confinement: Zoo Architecture And The Loss Of Elephant Agency, Clayton Gill Beasley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Zoos functions as a site where human-animal relationships are structured through built environments that mediate control and representation. This study examines zoos as heterotopias—spaces where power and surveillance are negotiated between human observers and captive nonhuman animals. While zoos are often framed as spaces of conservation and education, their architectural design reinforces hierarchies of observation and confinement, shaping both human perceptions of nature and the lived experiences of nonhuman animals. This research focuses on Asian elephants as a critical species within this framework, exploring how their captivity illuminates tensions between human-imposed structures and nonhuman autonomy. Drawing from theories of heterotopia, …

Community Voices, Climate Action Choices: Working Towards A Resilient Monterey County, Lesley A. Solano Alonso

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Vulnerable communities in Monterey County face disproportionate environmental and health impacts due to climate change, yet many residents remain unaware of the tools and resources available to support local action. This capstone project was implemented in partnership with Ecology Action (EA) and the Resilient Central Coast (RCC) campaign to increase awareness and engagement with the RCC platform. Serving diverse communities across Monterey County, the project included bilingual outreach efforts, community tabling, educational presentations, and a climate action survey. Over 650 residents were engaged directly, resulting in 99 new household sign-ups on the RCC website, a major milestone for the agency. …

An Exploration Of Substance Abuse By Healthcare Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review, Andrew Hills

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objective

This scoping review aims to identify available literature and research on substance abuse by healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic to examine whether the stress of their duties during the pandemic exacerbated existing issues of substance abuse.

Methods

A literature search using PubMed and Google Scholar using Harzing Publish or Perish identified 100 relevant professionally-authored, peer-reviewed, English-language academic articles published between 2015 and 2025 on substance abuse by HCWs. Exclusions were done via a review of the abstract and then from the full text, reducing the number of articles to three from those three articles which generated an …

Evaluating The Impact Of Community Gardens On Social Equity And Public Health: A Case Study Of Caramel Connections Foundation's (Ccf) Seeds Of Joy Community Garden, Elizabeth Pinder

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Community gardens have been increasingly recognized as effective public health interventions that address food insecurity, foster social cohesion, and promote environmental sustainability. This evaluation examines the impact of the Caramel Connections Foundation (CCF) Seeds of Joy Community Garden in Ontario, California, by assessing its effectiveness in advancing social equity, improving public health outcomes, and fostering community engagement. Using an evaluation framework, this study measures key program outcomes, including improvements in community well-being, inclusivity, and access to green spaces.

A mixed-methods evaluation design was applied, incorporating process and impact evaluation methodologies. Secondary data collected from CCF’s existing program records, survey responses, …

Addiction In The Prison System: Recidivism And Alternatives, Daniel R. Bowers

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The United States criminal justice system has the highest number of incarcerated individuals in the world, with nearly 2 million people currently being behind bars, and around 7.5 million arrests per year according to the most recent available statistics. A key factor in this is addiction, specifically substance use disorders. Between 58% to 68% of adults arrested are addicted to one or more substances, with 68% of drug involved individuals being rearrested within three years of being released. This recidivism rate is incredibly high, and when combined with current prison and jail overcrowding, has created massive problems for the United …

A Stakeholder Analysis For Engagement: A Pestle Framework For The Nebraska Coalition For Patient Safety, Kaleb Horton

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The Nebraska Coalition for Patient Safety (NCPS) is a not-for-profit organization designed to collaborate with Nebraska’s hospitals and healthcare organizations to benefit patient safety. NCPS, as do all organizations, have varying types of stakeholders who are engaged at some level in the function of NCPS or the services of NCPS. Research across industries demonstrates the importance of stakeholder assessment and evaluation and it has been shown that collaborative efforts with stakeholders can improve outcomes (Newig et al., 2023). Acquiring input from those who are directly affected by the organization’s strategic planning can help determine and shape future direction. This capstone …

Healthcare Emergency Management Salary Survey Analysis, Grace E. Thiel

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The field of emergency preparedness is an often unknown and unrecognized aspect of healthcare, forming an integral component of patient and worker safety. While an important field, there is limited data focused on the field pertaining to salaries of workers, resources utilized and produced, and the typical working environment. The purpose of this project is to assess salary and other demographic markers of healthcare emergency preparedness professionals in the United States. The project will compare salary, full-time equivalent levels, preparedness program budgets, and other markers across the country. The data from this study will also be compared to previous survey …

Older Adults' Experiences Of Emergency Department Admission Decisions: A Qualitative Study In A Public Safety Net Hospital, Anita N Chary, Annika Bhananker, Beatrice Torres, Victoria Sofia Martell, Manish N Shah, Aanand D Naik

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Hospital admission is a significant event in the healthcare trajectory of older adults (age 60 +). Numerous harms such as delirium, falls, and adverse medication events can arise that outweigh the benefits of admission. Little is known about how older adults feel about being hospitalized or what they think admission will achieve for them. These issues are particularly important to understand in socioeconomically disadvantaged patients, who have poor access to outpatient care and higher hospitalization rates.

Methods: We performed semi-structured interviews with emergency department (ED) patients aged 60 and older who were being admitted. The study site was a …

Monty Hall Problem: Will You Win A Car?, Tien Nguyen Chu

Osmosis Magazine

Suppose you’re on a game show. There are three closed doors. Behind one is a brand-new car; behind the other two, goats. You pick a door. The host, who knows what’s behind all the doors, opens one of the remaining doors to reveal a goat. Now you’re offered a choice: stick with your original door or switch to the other unopened one. What should you do? Will changing your choice increase your chances of winning the car - or or does it make no difference at all?

Empathy In Occupational Therapy: A Call For Reflection, Razan Hamed, Vikram Pagpatan

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Empathy is a building block in health care professions and it has been studied for decades in social and medical sciences given its significant role in health care outcomes and client satisfaction. In a climate where societies are congested with ideological conflicts, sociopolitical issues, racism, microaggressions, and bias, we must reflect on how we are preparing our students and future occupational therapists to be empathetic communicators and clinicians. We must also capture the evolution of empathy in new generations of occupational therapy students in the era of sociopolitical change, telehealth practices, and remote learning. Empathy decline is a documented trend …

Themes Of Moral Injury In The Field Of Asl Interpreting, Samantha Michaelson

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

This research project explores connections between a moral injury framework and the recognition and mitigation of ethical stress and trauma experienced by ASL-English interpreters. I have employed strategies such as thick description, textual analysis, and a narrative synthesis of existing literature on moral injury and ethical stress in interpreting to arrive at my findings. The study explains Demand Control Schema (DCS) and the Code of Professional Conduct (CPC) as valuable tools for interpreters to discuss and address ethical stresses that arise in their work. Additionally, I examine the concept of role space and its relevance to the experience of ethical/moral …

Perceptions Of Campus Safety And Campus Carry Among Student Veterans, Kerwin J. Flaherty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student veterans are an essential population for research but remain consistently underexamined in the literature. Similarly, veterans carrying firearms are an essential but under-examined topic in the literature. This study sought to address gaps in both domains by investigating student veterans’ perspectives on safety and firearms on campus, or “campus carry”. Campus carry refers to a set of policies that vary by jurisdiction but generally allow individuals to legally carry concealed firearms on all or some parts of a public university or college campus. This qualitative phenomenological study explored how student veterans in Texas perceive campus safety and how these …

Living With Alzheimer’S: A Guide To How To Lower The Risk Of Memory Loss & Care For Those With Alzheimer’S, Mona Muzammil, Washain Muzammil

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

Despite the frequent characterization of Alzheimer's disease as a “loss of self,"" this enlightening book demonstrates unequivocally that a person's unique self persists throughout the course of the disease. The important message in Caring for People with Alzheimer’s is how much can be done in care settings to support a person's sense of identity and thereby enrich the lives of people experiencing the many losses associated with dementia. Drawing from a diverse body of research, this book brings together the recommendations of the best thinkers and practitioners in multiple disciplines to illustrate the meaning of self and the importance of …

Assessing Various Methods Of Social Media Use To Combat Vaccine Hesitancy, Jeremy Abe, Janelle Angelo, Emily Martin, Braden Prillwitz

NURS 464: Evidence-Based Nursing Capstone

Science is no stranger to skeptics, and vaccine technology has proven no exception to being immune from detractors since the inception of inoculation (Lanzarotta, 2024). At first, people questioned vaccine safety and efficacy, fearing contraction of disease. Public trust in vaccination gained traction with such successes as the polio vaccine, but the Wakefield article published in 1998 falsely linked the MMR vaccine to autism, arguably launching modern vaccine skepticism (Motta & Stecula, 2021). It was retracted twelve years after publication following refutation by evidence-based research, but not before increasing internet speeds allowed for the dissemination and proliferation of vaccine misinformation. …

Empowering Staff Wellbeing: A Team-Based Qi Initiative, Rebecca Lauren Smith, Elizabeth Morse, David Phillippi

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Project Title: Empowering Staff Wellbeing: A Team-Based QI Initiative

Keywords: Burnout, wellbeing, DNP, primary care, QI methodology

Background and Rationale: The consequences of burnout in healthcare are alarming: worse patient outcomes, lack of continuity of care, higher turnover, and increased cost to employers. Many studies of burnout and wellbeing of clinicians focus on larger institutions such as hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Over the past several years, burnout has been discussed among our small, eight-person clinician team working in a small, non-profit primary care clinic. Yet, there has been no formal assessment of the level of burnout among …

Switzerland’S Approach To Combating Addiction To Opiates, And Its Application To The United States Framework, Vittoria Volpi

Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy

The opioid epidemic remains a pressing global public health challenge, with a hypothesized 1.2 million opioid-related fatalities in the United States alone, by 2029 (Rao et al., 2021). In the United States, the epidemic was driven by the overprescription of opioid pain medications in the 1990s. In contrast, in Switzerland, the opioid crisis stemmed from heroin imports and open-air drug scenes in the late 20th century. This research project analyzes Switzerland's national response to opioid abuse—specifically its Four Pillar Approach—and evaluates its potential applicability within the context of the United States. Using a qualitative research design, the study draws on …

Traumatic Brain Injury Prevention Through Helmet Safety Education For Parents And Free Helmets For Elementary-Aged School Children, Kelli E. Camp

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Problem Description: Head injuries from bicycle accidents are a leading cause of emergency visits among elementary-aged children, particularly in rural areas (Safe Kids Worldwide, 2017). Helmets significantly reduce traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) up to 88% (Field Neurosciences Institute, n.d.). However, low-income families, especially in rural areas, often lack access to helmets and safety education, resulting in lower helmet use and higher injury rates. These challenges are amplified in communities facing high traffic injury rates, limited access to safety resources, and economic constraints (Gilna et al., 2022; World Health Organization, 2023).

Setting: This project took place in Othello, WA (pop. 8,915), …

Shifting Healthcare In Rural South Carolina: A Study Of Media Coverage Of The Effects Of Hospital Closures, Morgan Harper

Senior Theses

Rural hospital closures have become an increasingly urgent issue in healthcare across the United States. These closures have impacted access to healthcare, the job market, and general community health. Most hospitals have been forced to close due to low patient volumes, financial struggles, and corporate ownership. Immediate implications of closures include the displacement of healthcare workers, community concern about lacking a central healthcare facility, and increased travel times to access care.

This thesis examines South Carolina’s healthcare landscape in areas with hospital closures since 2012 and explores the effects of and responses to these closures as discussed in newspapers and …

Kendra's Paradox: Redefining The Statutory Approach To Assisted Outpatient Psychiatric Treatment In New York, Matt Donelian

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note critically examines the limitations of Kendra's Law in New York, which provides Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) for individuals with severe mental illnesses. While the law aims to balance public safety and individual rights, its strict eligibility criteria often prevent timely intervention, leading to worse outcomes for those in need. The note proposes reforming the law to prioritize clinical assessments over past actions, enabling earlier intervention while respecting individual rights. This reform would address the law's retroactive nature and promote a more proactive, compassionate approach to mental health care.

American College Of Radiology Manual On Mr Safety: 2024 Update And Revisions, Ivan Pedrosa, David A Altman, Jonathan R Dillman, Michael N Hoff, Alexander M Mckinney, Scott B Reeder, Jeffrey M Rogg, R Jason Stafford, James A Webb, Dina L Hernandez, Robert E Watson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Since the introduction of the American College of Radiology (ACR) MRI safety guidelines in 2002, the indications for use of MRI in clinical care and research have continued to expand. Similarly, MRI technologies have evolved, with multiple field strengths now available for human imaging. While several publications have updated the ACR recommendations since the first guidelines, a single source in a structured format was lacking. Accordingly, the ACR Committee on MR Safety recently updated the online ACR Manual on MR Safety that compiles ACR recommendations for safe use of MRI equipment in humans into a single document. This review describes …

H.B. 22-1326: Analysis Of Colorado’S Fentanyl Policy, William Morris

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Fentanyl is one the most potent drugs on the market, its synthetic nature makes it is one of the deadliest at the lowest quantities. Many of its injectors are entirely unaware of its existence when they consume cocaine, methamphetamine, Xanax, ecstasy, and heroin. Nationwide and within Colorado, the use of synthetic fentanyl has perpetuated a crisis that threatens the health and safety of numerous communities, with both fatal and non-fatal overdoses continually on the rise. In 2022, Colorado passed H.B. 22-1326, aimed at curbing fentanyl deaths and non-fatal overdoses, by further criminalizing fentanyl possession. Understanding the effectiveness of felony-heavy drug …

The Pulse - March 20, 2025, Unm Hsc Marketing & Communications

The Pulse

Weekly newsletter of the UNM Health Sciences Center.

Identifying Factors Associated With Sleep Disorders And Treatment Avoidance Among Collegiate Student-Athletes, Allie Ziniti, Andrew W. Froehle, Brian A. Edwards

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Introduction: Mental health concerns among collegiate students-athletes are exacerbated by poor sleep, and this population experiences elevated risk for irregular sleep patterns and associated sleep disorders. Interventions aimed at early identification of student-athletes experiencing sleep disorders and guiding them to treatment can contribute to improved mental health in this group. The present study’s objective was to clarify risk-factors associated with increased likelihood of sleep disorders and treatment avoidance in student-athletes. Methods: Data were self-reported survey responses related to sleep disorders, from US college/university varsity athletes (n=51,882) completing the 2011-2019 National College Health Assessments (NCHA). Outcomes: The primary outcomes that we …