Digital Commons Network^™

Life After Death, Mridula Nadamuni

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

This poem explores the reflections of a physician following a poignant interaction with a patient, as each confronts the reality that time on Earth is limited.

Towards Upstate Well Center: Lessons Learned In Organizational Well-Being Over The Last Decade, Nayla M. Khoury, Asalim Thabet, Kerryanna M. Elhage, Jarrod L. Bagatell, Kaushal Nanavati, Leslie J. Kohman

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: Upstate Well has evolved over more than 10 years through the integration of multiple partners, programs, and initiatives. The scope and complexity have increased alongside stronger relationships, shared ownership, and supportive infrastructure.

Methods: This report analyzes implementation lessons learned through program development and impact assessment over 5 years.

Results: Upstate has a growing number of wellness champions across the institution, collaboration among multiple wellness programs, and lessons learned from select programs. Themes include (1) supportive infrastructure, including new full-time equivalent positions to support Upstate Well; (2) active collaboration between stakeholders, and appointed wellness champions in each department; (3) improved …

From Career Alignment To Action: Strengthening Academic Mentoring Through Structured Reflection, Fanni Farago, Julie Izzo, Courtney L. Holladay, Diane C. Bodurka, Michelle Hildebrandt, Suezen Salinas

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: As faculty roles and responsibilities become increasingly complex and demanding in contemporary academic medicine, fostering and sustaining faculty well-being has emerged as a critical organizational priority. In response to this need, this brief report describes early insights from the first year of implementation of the Academic Mentoring Program (AMP), a formal and expanding faculty mentoring initiative at UT MD Anderson. Our findings highlight the potential value of incorporating a structured career development assessment (CDA) tool into the mentee intake and engagement effort, evaluating development alignment, professional activities, and organizational expectations.

Methods: We conducted descriptive statistical analysis and qualitative thematic …

Feasibility And Pilot Study Of Implementing Mindfulness-Based Attention Training In A Pediatric Health Care Setting, Thomas B. Ayres, Seth Sonnevile, Angela Myers

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

We present herein our preliminary evidence from a pilot study of the feasibility of implementing Mindfulness-Based Attention Training (MBAT) in a pediatric health care institution. MBAT has been implemented primarily in military settings, representing another high-stress work environment. Furthermore, MBAT has had favorable evaluations from being implemented with medical students. Mindfulness-based interventions have received increasing attention in health care environments. This interest from health care institutions and the focus on developing attention-based resources through MBAT created a use case for implementing MBAT. We had 5 health care workers with a variety of job roles in our institution complete a train-the-trainer …

Pebbles In The Shoe: A Multidisciplinary Program To Identify And Resolve Workplace Inefficiencies In A Pediatric Oncology Division, Reeja Raj, Kate Gazouleas, Pavilia Francis, Nancy Gordon, Vidya Gopalakrishnan, Amy Heaton, Ishwaria Subbiah, Priti Tewari, Harjeet Singh, Aaron Walton, Shehla Razvi, Martha Askins, Lisa Triche, Karen Moody

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Introduction: Occupational burnout is a significant concern among pediatric oncology faculty and multidisciplinary staff, characterized by emotional depletion, detachment from work, or a diminished sense of professional achievement. Inefficient work processes can be important contributors to burnout. This report describes the implementation and outcomes of Pebbles in the Shoe (also referred to as Pebbles), a pediatric division–wide initiative designed to address workplace concerns and inefficiencies.

Methods: The Pebbles program was developed and led by our pediatric division's wellness task force. Division members were invited to anonymously submit work-related concerns and irritations through a QR code–accessible electronic form. Five discipline-based work …

Aligning Trainee Leave Policies Across Surgical Fellowships: Development Of A Division-Wide Framework For Leave And Program Completion, Helen M. Johnson, Mara B. Antonoff, Kelly K. Bree, Maxwell G. Lewis, Heather A. Lillemoe, Margaret S. Roubaud

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: Surgical fellows and program leaders face difficulties navigating parental, caregiver, medical, and personal leave due to variation in policies. A Division of Surgery (DoS) Trainee Leave and Parental Support Task Force was convened at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to review existing requirements and develop a harmonized framework for trainee leave and fellowship program completion.

Methods: The Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of policies relevant to surgical fellow leave and graduation requirements, identified best practices, and drafted a DoS policy. The policy was refined iteratively through engagement with key stakeholders, including program directors, department chairs, …

Creating A Culture Of Well-Being By Removing Barriers To Participation In A Multi-Campus Cancer Center, Adam Siegman, Miranda M. Phillips, Jennifer Bickel

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: Healthcare professionals in geographically distributed cancer care settings may face barriers to accessing workforce well-being resources due to geographic distance, staffing constraints, and operational demands. Disconnect & Refresh was developed to improve access to restorative wellness opportunities across community-based cancer care sites.

Methods: Disconnect & Refresh was implemented at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center across 4 Houston area locations. The initiative included BeWell Paws, virtual reality meditation, chair yoga, and creative wellness activities delivered during the workday. Participation was voluntary and tracked through employee badge scans. Participants were invited to complete an anonymous post-event survey, and …

Faculty Growth Through Academic Career Development Committees, China Crowder, Rebekah Filson, Elizabeth Grubbs, Carin Hagberg, Anne Tsao

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Academic medical centers face ongoing challenges in providing structured, career -stage-–specific faculty development, mentorship, and leadership opportunities that effectively engage faculty throughout their academic careers. The Academic Career Development Committees at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center represent a structured, faculty-driven model designed to promote professional growth, mentorship, and leadership engagement across all career stages. Grounded in established principles of faculty development and mentorship in academic medicine, the Academic Career Development Committees foster cross-level collaboration, inclusive participation, and intentional skill-building. Outcomes were measured through participant evaluations, attendance and participation trends, mentorship engagement indicators, and qualitative feedback gathered from …

Leadforward: A Department-Based Leadership Development Program To Support Workforce Well-Being, Leisa A. Bryant, Denise Marshall, Loreal Williams, Miranda M. Phillips

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Introduction: Leadership development is increasingly recognized as an important strategy for supporting workforce engagement, professional growth, and succession planning in healthcare settings. To address leadership development needs within Food, Nutrition, and Patient Transportation (FNPT) departments, a structured leadership development program, LeadForward, was developed for emerging and midlevel leaders.

Project Description: LeadForward was implemented within the FNPT departments at a comprehensive cancer center. Ten participants completed the inaugural cohort. The curriculum was organized into 6 instructional modules designed to develop leadership competencies among emerging and midlevel leaders. Leadership outcomes were assessed using pre- and postprogram self-assessments across 14 leadership competency …

Standardized Preprocedure Protocolling Of Stereotactic Breast Biopsies Enables Device-Level Supply Chain Forecasting: A Multisite Quality Improvement Analysis, Megan Kalambo, Mike Everding, Maria Montemayor, Falguni Patel, Mohit Nath

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: Breast imaging depends on single-use, vendor-proprietary consumables produced by a concentrated set of manufacturers. During supply shortages in 2026, healthcare organizations faced urgent pressure to shift from reactive to proactive inventory management. Stereotactic breast biopsy needle shortages revealed that traditional forecasting based on procedure volume lacks the granularity needed for device-specific demand. We aimed to enable device-level forecasting through standardized preprocedure protocolling.

Methods: In a retrospective analysis of 1,456 stereotactic biopsies across 4 breast imaging sites (June 2025 to June 2026), compliance with a standardized electronic protocolling tool that captured lesion count and needle size (standard vs. petite) was …

Critical Daily Dose Warning Optimization In An Electronic Health Record At A Tertiary Cancer Center, Mckenzie Erwin, Sadika Eslaminejad, David Perez, Jesni Mathew

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Objectives: Clinical decision support is a form of health information technology utilized by electronic health records (EHRs) to reduce prescribing errors. The challenge of incorporating clinical decision support into medication workflows is balancing alert fatigue with clinical appropriateness. At our 777-bed tertiary cancer center, one form of interruptive clinical decision support is critical dose warnings that appear when the ordered dose deviates by a defined threshold from the maximum dose. Our tertiary cancer center relies on a third-party data vendor to provide maximum dose limits that are integrated into the EHR medication ordering process. At the time of project initiation, …

Implementation Of A Low-Cost Tobacco-Free Intervention In A Permanent Supportive Housing Program To Address Cancer Disparities Among People Who Have Experienced Homelessness, Ammar D. Siddiqi, Phoebe Wong, Cathy Crouch, Lorraine R. Reitzel

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Objectives: Permanent supportive housing residents who have experienced homelessness use tobacco products at elevated rates, contributing to higher cancer risk. Agencies that provide wraparound support services to this group are committed to rebuilding their stability by improving their health. Yet, their delivery of tobacco screening and cessation care is limited, as is information about their clients’ tobacco use behaviors. Here, we evaluated a low-cost intervention for an Albert Schweitzer Fellowship project conducted in a permanent supportive housing program with 650 adults who had experienced homelessness in Houston, Texas.

Materials and Methods: Between August 2024 and February 2025, client-facing staff members …

Evaluation Of Shortened Irinotecan Infusion Times And Adverse Effects Incidence For Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Patients, Rachel N. Ochs, Daniel J. Donovan, Neha A. Betrabet, Wendy M. Covert

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: Irinotecan, a topoisomerase I inhibitor, is commonly used to treat gastrointestinal cancers. The infusion time of irinotecan is usually over 90 minutes; however, studies support the safety and feasibility of 30-minute infusions. A shortened infusion duration may improve patient quality of life, optimize infusion chair utilization, and reduce wait times. Faster infusion rates may increase the risk of acute cholinergic side effects, reported in up to 50% of patients (all grades). Current institutional practice in the gastrointestinal medical oncology (GIMO) clinic involves administering irinotecan over 90 minutes and using atropine as needed for reversing cholinergic symptoms. For patients who …

Trauma-Informed Teaching And Psychological Safety In Health Professions Education, Kevin R. Clark

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Introduction: Health professions students frequently encounter academic, professional, and personal stressors that may affect their learning, engagement, and well-being. Trauma-informed teaching has emerged as an educational approach designed to create supportive learning environments characterized by safety, trust, transparency, and learner-centered practices.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore students’ perceptions of trauma-informed teaching practices implemented in undergraduate and graduate health professions courses and identify the specific instructional strategies students found most meaningful and supportive.

Methods: A mixed-methods educational research design using a practice-based case study approach was used. Undergraduate and graduate students who completed courses taught by a …

Unlocking Faculty Potential: A Quasi-Experimental Study Of Coaching And Academic Performance In Health Care Settings, Amanda Woods Herron, Katelyn J. Cavanaugh, Michelle Figliuolo Deveau, Courtney L. Holladay

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

As faculty in academic medicine face mounting demands to excel in clinical care, research, teaching, and administrative responsibilities, interventions that support professional sustainability are increasingly critical. Coaching has emerged as a promising developmental strategy within health care leadership, yet its impact on research and clinical outcomes in academic medical centers remains underexplored. This quasi-experimental study evaluated the effectiveness of a coaching program using intentional change theory (ICT) as a conceptual framework. ICT emphasizes sustainable personal transformation through alignment between the ideal self and professional goals. We examined a sample of 189 coached clinical faculty and 200 matched peers who had …

Why Should A Data-Driven Cancer Center Prioritize Well-Being?, Peter Pisters

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

No abstract provided.

The Future Of Wellness In Health Care, Jennifer Bickel

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

No abstract provided.

Validating A Predictive Model Of Nurse Burnout Using Integrated Data Sources, Shahin Davoudpour, Mahesh Vaidyanathan, Rinad S. Beidas, Hannah Mulroe, Elliott Brandon, Matthew Lloyd, Gabrielle M. Olson, Mallika Pandey, Daniel Blumenthal, Baljash Cheema, Gaurava Agarwal

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Objective: To evaluate an integrated machine learning model using routinely collected organizational data to identify nurses at increased risk for burnout.

Background: Health care worker burnout directly threatens patient safety, quality of care, and workforce stability. Although nurses experience significantly higher burnout rates than physicians and face distinct operational stressors (eg, staffing shortages, continuous bedside care demands), most predictive modeling efforts have focused on physicians. Current approaches to identifying burnout typically rely on voluntary surveys, but advances in data science and machine learning have created new opportunities to move beyond self-reported measures.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included 1,177 nurses …

Actualizing Leaders To Inspire A Group Network (Align): Feasibility And Pilot Of Implementing A Commensality Group Program For Leaders In A Pediatric Healthcare Setting, Thomas B. Ayres, Kristin Ray, Angela Myers

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: Leadership behaviors in pediatric health care settings are strongly linked to leader burnout, professional fulfillment, and self-care in addition to influencing their teams. Despite their pivotal role, leaders often face substantial emotional burdens associated with their roles. Commensality groups, defined as small, recurring gatherings centered around shared meals and structured discussions, have emerged as a promising approach to enhancing connection, community, and resilience among health care professionals. A gap in the literature regarding commensality groups is understanding the mechanism of this well-being intervention. Our hypothesis is that commensality groups act as resource caravans and provide psychosocial resources to health …

Ai-Enhanced Predictive Model For Adverse Clinical Outcomes Of Chronic Diseases In Older Adults, Grace C. Giles

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

The Application Of Electronic Games In Occupational Therapy Rehabilitation In Saudi Arabia, Alaa Mohammad Arafah, Bdoor Khalid Bajamal, Jumana Fawaz Alharbi, Shahad Hussein Majhoom, Wesam Qurban

Journal of Medical Rehabilitation Science

Objectives: This study explores the application of electronic games in occupational therapy rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia, focusing on therapists' knowledge, usage patterns, and perceived benefits and barriers.
Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 103 occupational therapy professionals working in Saudi Arabia. The survey included 25 questions on the use of electronic games in their rehabilitation settings.
Results: The results revealed that only 39.8% of respondents currently use electronic games in clinical practice. Nevertheless, 87.2% of therapists acknowledged increased patient engagement as a major benefit, while 66.7% noted improvements in motor skills and motivation. Additionally, 67% of participants reported receiving …

Epidemiological, Clinicopathological, And Molecular Features Of Melanoma In Oman: A Single-Institution Study, Boris Itkin, Zahida Niaz, Khadiga Mohammed, Tauseef Ali, Syeda Sara Tajammul, Zubair Ahmad, Prashant Ajit Deshpande, Muhammad Rashid Hanif, Maha Al Shaibi, Mohammad Al Hosni

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Published data on melanoma in Oman are scarce. This study aimed to describe epidemiological, clinicopathological and molecular characteristics of melanoma patients in a single institution in Oman. Methods: This retrospective study included patients with a histopathological diagnosis of invasive melanoma who were assessed at Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Centre, Muscat, Oman, between July 2021 and February 2025. Data on patient demographics, comorbidities, melanoma type, localisation, stage, key histopathological and molecular characteristics were extracted from electronic clinical charts and quantitatively described. Results: A total of 31 patients were included. The median age at diagnosis was 52.9 years …

Factors Contributing To Executive Function In Young Adults, Lindy Janae Stevenson

McNair Scholars Research

Executive functions (EF) are skills used to complete desired behaviors and inhibit undesired ones. These skills are necessary for everyday life, and even more so in higher education and the workplace. This study examined the combined impact of sleep and exercise on five facets of EF in young adults enrolled in undergraduate or graduate courses. It also examined how perceived effort and performance in college classes interact with EF. The first five hypotheses studying sleep and exercise were analyzed using a 2x2 between-groups ANOVA. The data divided participants into those averaging fewer than 7 hours of sleep a night and …

“Tell Your Story”: Storytelling To Enhance Mental Health And Social Connection In Older Adults, Faith O. Folorunso

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Individual, Social, Economic, And Health System Determinants Of Cervical Cancer Screening Uptake Among Women In Rubanda District, Uganda, Gervase Centinary, Sebastian Baine Olikira, Sezalio Masembe, Ronald Kibonire Arineitwe

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: Cervical cancer screening uptake in Sub-Saharan Africa is shaped by individual, social, economic, and health system factors, yet few studies test all four domains simultaneously within a single rural district. This study examined individual, social, economic, and health system determinants of screening uptake among women aged 18 years and above in Rubanda District, Uganda, a district with critically low screening coverage.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 418 women aged 18 years and above across four sub-counties of Rubanda District, selected through multi-stage sampling. Individual, social, economic, and health system characteristics were collected via structured questionnaire. …

Associations Of Subclinical Hypothyroidism And Thyroid Autoimmunity With Insulin Resistance Independent Of Adiposity: An Analysis Of Nhanes, Iman Taher Hussein

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

A thyroid–inflammation–insulin pathway has been proposed in which thyroid dysfunction promotes inflammation and thereby reduces insulin sensitivity, but adiposity-adjusted population evidence is limited. This cross-sectional analysis examined whether subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and thyroid autoimmunity are associated with insulin resistance independently of body mass index (BMI), and whether C-reactive protein (CRP), the only inflammatory biomarker available, is associated with either, using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2012 data. Non-pregnant adults aged 18–60 years with fasting glucose < 126 mg/dL and normal free thyroxine were included; SCH was defined as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) 4.5–10 mIU/L, and insulin resistance was quantified by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). Linear regression of log HOMA-IR accounted for the complex survey design (strata, clusters, weights) and was adjusted for age, sex, BMI, and survey cycle, with sensitivity and interaction analyses. Among 2,434 adults (89 with SCH), no association with HOMA-IR was detected for TSH (β = 0.009 per mIU/L; 95% CI -0.014 to 0.032), SCH (β = -0.035; 95% CI -0.186 to 0.115), or thyroid peroxidase …

Implementation Of A Modified Trigger Tool For Adverse Drug Reaction Detection In Pediatric With Covid-19 In Indonesia, Nisa Maria, Avini Risda Khaerani, Indri Yuliani Hamdani, Annisa Lazuardi Larasati, Larasati Arrum Kusumawardani

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Pediatric patients are vulnerable to adverse drug reactions (ADRs), necessitating prompt monitoring of treatment-related adverse events (AEs). This study analyzed ADRs in pediatric COVID-19 patients using a modified trigger tool to identify AEs, followed by causality analysis with the Naranjo Algorithm, and evaluated the tool’s performance. A cross-sectional, single-center retrospective study was conducted at a hospital in Indonesia from August 2020 to July 2021, using total sampling of pediatric patients aged one to≥24 hours with COVID-19. AEs were identified using 23 triggers (15 laboratory result, eight drug-administration). A total of 242 positive triggers were detected among 120 patients (mean two …

Specific Effects Of Pulsed Field Ablation On The Cardiac Tissue, The Nervous System And The Conduction System In Experimental And Clinical Studies, Josselin Duchateau, Iwanari Kawamura, Gurukripa N Kowlgi, Elad Maor, Moritz Nies, Christian W Zemlin, Tomás García-Sánchez, Samuel J Asirvatham

2020-Current year OA Pubs

AIMS: Pulsed field ablation (PFA) has emerged as a novel ablation modality for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and has rapidly reshaped contemporary electrophysiology practice. This article provides a comprehensive analysis on the mechanisms underlying the specific effects of PFA on myocardial, neural tissue structures, and the cardiac conduction system, integrating biophysical principles with preclinical and clinical evidence relevant to contemporary electrophysiology practice.

METHODS AND RESULTS: This document provides an exhaustive mechanistic explanation for the preferential effects of PFA on myocardium and the limits of the 'tissue-selectivity' concept. The complex interplay between cellular and tissue-level biophysics, biological responses, and tissue …

Bridging The Gap: Patient Perspectives On Transition Of Care In Hirschsprung Disease, Stefanie F. Faucher

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

10-21-26 Bor Hsc Committee Meeting Agenda, Patricia Serna

HSC Committee (A subcommittee of the UNM Board of Regents)

10-21-26 BOR HSC Committee Meeting Agenda