Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Entre Inglés Y Español (Between English And Spanish): My Father’Sfight For Understanding, Glorimar De Los Santos Mejia

Narrative Medicine: Essays on Health and Care

This essay was written for Dr. Simal’s Intermediate Spanish for Health Professions course at Providence College, which invited students to reflect on personal experiences with healthcare. Students shared their narratives in English and Spanish to reach a broader audience and highlight the importance of empathy and listening in healthcare. About the course: Intermediate Spanish for Health Professions aims not only to develop the language skills and medical vocabulary necessary to facilitate communication between future health professionals and the Spanish-speaking communities in the United States, but also to explore the historical, cultural, and ethical dimensions of healthcare in Latin America and …

Beyond Screening In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Domain-Standardized, Measure-Flexible Framework For Comprehensive Neuropsychological Assessment, Etiane Navarro

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multisystem neurodegenerative disorder in which cognitive, behavioral, language, and social-cognitive changes may occur across clinical phenotypes, including the ALS-frontotemporal spectrum. Neuropsychological assessment is important for characterizing nonmotor manifestations and identifying changes relevant to autonomy, everyday functioning, and clinical management. This systematic review examined literature identified through APA PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, and supplementary searching to characterize neuropsychological domains, measures, phenotype-related findings, and disease-specific limitations relevant to comprehensive assessment. Two hundred records underwent title and abstract screening, 150 reports were reviewed in full text, and 61 resources were retained for synthesis. ALS-specific screening instruments, including …

Health Insurance And Moud: Predicting Oud Treatment Success, Amy S. White, Jennifer I. Manuel

Publications and Research

Background

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic condition with low rates of treatment success; use of medication for OUD (MOUD) is inconsistent across treatment settings. The purpose of this study was to examine the independent and interactive associations of MOUD and health insurance status with successful treatment completion across residential and outpatient treatment settings.

Methods

We conducted multilevel random-effects logistic regression analyses of the 2022 Treatment Episode Dataset–Discharge (TEDS-D) to estimate associations among MOUD receipt, insurance status (Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, uninsured), and treatment completion. Models adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics and stratified by treatment setting. The sample …

Beyond Screening In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Domain-Standardized, Measure-Flexible Framework For Comprehensive Neuropsychological Assessment, Etiane Navarro

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multisystem neurodegenerative disorder in which cognitive, behavioral, language, and social-cognitive changes may occur across clinical phenotypes, including the ALS-frontotemporal spectrum. Neuropsychological assessment is important for characterizing nonmotor manifestations and identifying changes relevant to autonomy, everyday functioning, and clinical management. This systematic review examined literature identified through APA PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, and supplementary searching to characterize neuropsychological domains, measures, phenotype-related findings, and disease-specific limitations relevant to comprehensive assessment. Two hundred records underwent title and abstract screening, 150 reports were reviewed in full text, and 61 resources were retained for synthesis. ALS-specific screening instruments, including …

October 2026, Swosu Bulldog Wellness Committee

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

• Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• Stress Management Tips for Bulldogs
• Bulldog Resources
• Pink Out for Awareness

Implementing A Fall-Prevention Bundle To Reduce Falls In A Skilled Nursing Facility, Ginette Lubin

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Falls are a persistent patient-safety concern in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), contributing to injury, functional decline, reduced quality of life, healthcare utilization, and costs. At the project site, a short-term rehabilitation unit in an urban SNF, 13 resident falls occurred during the baseline period, with 23% resulting in injury, and prevention relied on routine risk assessments, environmental checks, and post-fall reporting rather than proactive strategies.

Aim: To decrease the overall fall rate by 20%, reduce fall-associated injuries from 23% to 15% or less, and raise staff adherence to evidence-based fall-prevention interventions to 90% or higher within 12 weeks.

Evidence: …

Improving Patient Safety Through Daily Evaluation Of Central Line Necessity, Lakeesha Cunningham

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: At the project site, central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) rates and central line utilization exceeded national benchmarks. Between July 2025 and March 2026, 32 CLABSIs occurred hospital-wide, with a standardized infection ratio (SIR) of 1.35, more than seven times the national target of 0.19. The standardized utilization ratio (SUR) was 0.72 (target: 0.57), while the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) baseline SUR was higher at 1.06.

Aim of the Project: This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement (QI) project used an evidence-based central line checklist from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to improve the timely …

Program Evaluation Of A Parkinson’S Multidisciplinary Clinic To Enhance Neurological Care, Krista Naumann

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Patients with Parkinson's disease require coordinated interdisciplinary care to manage complex motor, cognitive, and psychosocial symptoms. Prior to implementation of a multidisciplinary clinic model, care delivery occurred through multiple separate specialty appointments, creating challenges related to care coordination and continuity. Although appointment adherence exceeded organizational benchmarks, the organization lacked formal evidence regarding the clinic's operational effectiveness and utilization.

Aim of the Project: The aim of this summative program evaluation was to assess appointment adherence, clinic utilization, and operational performance of an established multidisciplinary neurology clinic serving adults with Parkinson's disease. Findings were intended to inform organizational decisions regarding program …

Program Evaluation: Effectiveness Of Case Management Carehub For Skilled Nursing Facility Transitions, Rachel Choudhury

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Background: Ineffective communication during transitions from acute care hospitals to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) contributes to avoidable bed days (ABDs), prolonged length of stay (LOS), and discharge delays. Although evidence-based tools such as InterQual and Milliman Care Guidelines supported clinical decision-making, a standardized communication process among case managers, social workers, payers, and SNF partners was lacking. This program evaluation examined the effectiveness of a standardized CareHub communication workflow designed to improve discharge coordination and transitions to SNFs.

Methods: Guided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Program Evaluation Framework, a 90-day program evaluation (February-April 2026) was conducted in a …

Implementation Of The Tailored Interventions For Patient Safety (Tips) Program To Reduce Falls, Jeremy Zobell

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Inpatient falls on a 48-bed orthopedic medical-surgical unit exceeded the organizational benchmark. Before implementation, the unit fall rate was 5.34 falls per 1,000 patient-days, compared with the benchmark of 2.45. Variation in bedside communication, documentation, and patient understanding created an evidence-to-practice gap.

Aim of the Project: The project aimed to reduce inpatient falls by implementing the Fall TIPS program to improve the reliability of individualized fall-prevention planning and integration of evidence-based strategies into daily nursing workflows.

Review of the Evidence: Evidence supports multifactorial fall-prevention strategies that combine individualized risk assessment, patient education, visual cues, and shared decision-making. Fall TIPS …

Next Steps In Advancing Pediatric Care In Southern Nevada, The Lincy Institute

Lincy Institute Events

The Lincy Institute released new research evaluating the Southern Nevada pediatric care ecosystem. The report, "An Evaluation of Southern Nevada’s Pediatric Care Ecosystem," offers recommendations to develop a stronger and more coordinated pediatric care ecosystem before the stand-alone children’s hospital being developed by Intermountain Health opens in 2030 and identifies the components of an integrated statewide network to provide all of Nevada’s children with access to high-quality care. The event also featured panel discussions with pediatric care providers and policymakers.

Panel 1 - Pediatric Care Providers

Moderator — Tina Quigley, Project Facilitator, The Lincy Institute

Panelists — Lisa …

An Evaluation Of Southern Nevada’S Pediatric Care Ecosystem, David Damore, Tina Quigley, Nick Fiore

Policy Briefs and Reports

In 2024, The Lincy Institute and the Nevada Health and Bioscience Corporation released a report prepared by the consulting firm Tripp Umbach detailing the case for a stand-alone children’s hospital in Southern Nevada. Shortly thereafter, Intermountain Health announced it would build Nevada’s first such facility in Las Vegas, expected to open in 2030. To complement the hospital’s development, The Lincy Institute undertook an independent evaluation of the regional pediatric care landscape. The analysis draws on secondary data and discussions with advocates, health system administrators, practitioners, and providers. The report examines:

• Fiscal, resource, and workforce challenges underlying Nevada’s poor population-level pediatric …

Ehr-Based Quality Interventions Associated With Differential Gdmt Prescribing In Community Versus Academic Hospitals, Trisha Sindhu, Charlotte Pirquet, Sheraz Qamar, Tanay-Veer Gandhi, Patricia C. Henwood, Cara Martino, Jeffrey Riggio, Jared Vanderzell, Charlotte Sacksteder, Alan Kubey

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Institutional barriers are associated with suboptimal guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) prescribing at heart failure discharge.

PROJECT RATIONALE: Practice variations between academic medical centers (defined as "teaching" hospitals with residents) and community hospitals are poorly understood. Evaluating how diverse settings respond to quality improvement strategies is vital.

PROJECT SUMMARY: A multicenter study across 10 electronic health record-unified hospitals evaluated 3,535 heart failure encounters. Phase 1 implemented educational work groups and financial incentives; phase 2 introduced clinical decision support systems. Community hospitals responded significantly to phase 1 education/incentives, with mean discharge of GDMT agents rising from 2.19 to 2.44 (P = …

Evaluating Electronic Health Record Intervention Efficacy In Enhancing Inpatient Initiation Of Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy, Sheraz Qamar, Trisha Sindhu, Charlotte Pirquet, Benjamin Richter, Charlotte Sacksteder, Tatianna Branch, Jeffrey Riggio, Cara Martino, Patricia C. Henwood, Alan Kubey

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality. Despite evidence supporting guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), prescribing remains suboptimal, particularly at hospital discharge.

PROJECT RATIONALE: Hospitalization provides an opportunity to initiate or optimize GDMT, but workflow barriers and practice variation limit implementation. To address this gap, our system implemented a system-wide HF quality improvement initiative featuring evidence-based order sets and an electronic health record smart phrase ("HFNOTE") to centralize and standardize documentation and encourage GDMT use.

PROJECT SUMMARY: We analyzed 2,859 HF hospitalizations across 10 hospitals between December 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. Use of …

Exploring Which Ehr Interventions Improve Heart Failure Hospitalization Outcomes Across 10 Hospitals, Sheraz Qamar, Andres Alvarado, Thomas Buckwalter, Patricia C. Henwood, Dana Jordan, Cara Martino, Jeffrey Riggio, Charlotte Sacksteder, Jared Vanderzell, Alan Kubey

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) remains a major cause of mortality and hospitalization despite advances in guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). Electronic health record (EHR)-based clinical decision support tools may improve care delivery, but their impact on outcomes remains ill-defined.

PROJECT RATIONALE: As part of a system-wide HF quality improvement initiative, we evaluated 2 EHR interventions: an evidence-based HF admission order set promoting early diuresis and GDMT optimization, and a templated HF documentation tool (HFNOTE) designed to capture clinical complexity.

PROJECT SUMMARY: We analyzed 4,865 HF hospitalizations across 10 hospitals between December 2024 and June 2025. Overall risk-adjusted mortality index was 0.83 …

September 2026, Swosu Bulldog Wellness Committee

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

• Self-Care Awareness Month

• Stress Management Tips for Bulldogs

• Bulldog Resources

• Myth or Fact Quiz

Did Maryland’S All-Payer Global Budget Revenue Model Change Hospital Margins And Revenue Per Discharge? A Difference-In-Differences Analysis Of Maryland And Massachusetts, 2010–2023, Kola Adegoke

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Maryland implemented an all-payer hospital global budget revenue (GBR) model in 2014 to decouple hospital revenue from volume and improve revenue predictability. This study evaluated whether Maryland’s 2014 GBR implementation was associated with differential changes in hospital total margins, inpatient revenue per discharge, and COVID-period margin volatility relative to Massachusetts.

Methods: A matched hospital-year panel for Maryland and Massachusetts spanning 2010–2023 (2,261 matched observations) was constructed by merging Medicare cost report-based financial measures with provider characteristics using CMS certification identifiers. Two-way fixed-effects difference-in-differences models with hospital and year fixed effects and hospital-clustered standard errors estimated post-2014 changes in outcomes …

Preoperative Urine Drug Screen To Increase Surgical Efficiency, Joseph Mashinchi

SIU Journal of Medical Science Scholarly Works

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to standardize the use of preoperative urine drug screens for adults scheduled for elective surgery in order to improve surgical efficiency and reduce perioperative and postoperative complications.

Method: A PubMed Search was conducted to review literature published within the past five years. The joint terms “urine drug screen and surgery” were used in the search. A literature review was conducted after reviewing multiple articles and screening for their quality, timeliness, and pertinence to elective surgical procedures and illicit drug use.

Results: Performing a urine drug screen prior to elective surgical procedure identified illicit …

From Readiness To Transformation: The Mediating Role Of Digital Maturity In Linking Ai Readiness To Organizational Change In Hospitals, Muhammad Ryan Adi Putra, Giovanni Reynaldo, Dewi Sri Surya Wuisan

Journal of Health Research

Background: Organizational readiness is essential for AI-enabled digital transformation as healthcare organizations increasingly integrate artificial intelligence (AI). However, empirical evidence regarding the relationship between AI readiness and organizational change, the mediating role of digital maturity, remains limited in healthcare settings. This study investigated the mediating role of digital maturity in the relationship between AI readiness and organizational change.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 300 healthcare professionals from two Indonesian hospitals: Persahabatan Hospital (n = 165) and St. Carolus Hospital (n = 135). Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess …

More Than A Free Snack: Benefits Of Mobilized Resources And Socialization For Pediatric Healthcare Workers., Thomas Ayres, Kristin Ray, Aimee M. Hoflander, Angela Myers

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: Addressing the burnout epidemic in the healthcare workforce is a primary concern of the modern healthcare organization and recognized across researchers and leaders of nations. This study aims to test whether a mobilized micro-break intervention, the Wellbeing on Wheels (WOW) Cart, improved health care worker (HCW) energy perceived organizational support and work engagement.

METHODOLOGY: This study was conducted at an independent children's hospital in the midwestern United States. Between August and September 2024. A total of 367 pediatric HCWs completed our survey. IBM's SPSS was used to analyze the data using t-tests, ANOVAs, linear regression, and polynomial regression …

Psychological Adaptation In Colorectal Cancer Survivors: Pilot Study Findings, Anuja L. Sarode, Emily M. Su, Amber Kerstetter-Fogle, Steve Paciorek, Erica L. Laipply

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

In this pilot study, we examined psychological impacts of colorectal cancer (CRC), focusing on cancer-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CR-PTSD) symptoms, posttraumatic growth (PTG), and their relationship with coping strategies in surgically treated CRC patients.

Methods

This prospective pre- and postoperative pilot study assessed CRC patients at 2 time points, pre- and postoperative. Psychological symptoms were evaluated using the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (PCL-5) and the PTG Inventory Short Form (PTGI-SF). Coping strategies were assessed using the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) instrument. Changes in CR-PTSD, PTG, and coping …

Integrating Evidence-Based Practice Into Post-Code Blue Debriefings To Enhance Clinical Practice And Staff Well-Being In The Micu - A Quality Improvement Project, Jeffrey Schall

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Introduction/Background:

Intensive care (ICU) nurses are routinely exposed to traumatic events, such as code blue resuscitations, which contribute to increased stress, burnout, and lower perceived quality of care. A gap analysis of MICU charge nurses and team leaders found that 87% reported that post-code debriefing did not occur and that 40% experienced emotional distress, indicating a need for a brief, structured, emotionally safe reflection process.

Methodology: Using a pre-post design, the CARE tool, adapted from the DISCERN and Post-Code Pause frameworks and validated by three institutional experts, was introduced into practice over six weeks. Nurse champions completed pre-surveys …

Independent Associations With Research Productivity Among U.S. Academic Ophthalmologists Using The Us-Aofd, Brenton T. Bicknell, Josephine Rudd Zhong Manis, Yejin Heo, Haley Chishom, Lance Dzubinski, Taylor L. Aaserud, Alvina Liang, Shayan Massoumi, Thanushri Srikantha, John Stoffer, Guihua Zhai, Basil K. Williams Jr, Steven E. Brooks, Robert Tauscher

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Background: Scholarly productivity is a key marker of achievement in academic ophthalmology, influencing promotion, research support, and leadership opportunities. Prior studies have reported variation by gender, subspecialty, and rank, but few applied regression methods to identify independent predictors.

Purpose: To evaluate demographic, academic, and subspecialty factors associated with research productivity among U.S. academic ophthalmologists and to identify independent predictors through multivariable regression.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 4,028 ophthalmologists across 126 accredited U.S. residency programs using the U.S. Academic Ophthalmology Faculty Database (US-AOFD). Faculty demographics and academic information were obtained from institutional websites, and bibliometric data (publications, …

Don’T Fall For It: Just-In-Time Staff Education To Reduce Patient Falls On An Adult Telemetry Unit, Forrest Wilcox, Kyle Knight, Jennifer Paiz, Zaira Garcia-Vega

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Patient falls remain a leading cause of preventable harm among hospitalized adults and carry significant clinical and financial consequences. On an adult medical-surgical telemetry unit at this study site, a one-year review of 45 fall events found that most falls occurred among patients classified as high risk on the Morse Fall Scale, frequently without continuous observation or consistent purposeful rounding. Aim: The aim of this project is to reduce falls on the telemetry unit to the national benchmark of 3.2 falls per 1,000 patient days within a 6-month period. Methods: A just-in-time (JIT) education intervention was delivered to registered …

Post-Pandemic Telebehavioral Health: Sustaining And Regulating Remote Mental Health Care As A Core Modality, Weiqiao Dong

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The United States continues to face a persistent mental health crisis after the COVID-19 pandemic, raising a policy question about the long-term role and regulation of telebehavioral health as a core modality of care. This thesis examines that question through a case study of New York State, an early center of the pandemic and a leader in telehealth policy reform.

Guided by the Health Policy Triangle framework, this thesis integrates longitudinal data from all 62 New York counties for 2010-2025 with a 2025 cross-sectional dataset covering 61 counties. Seventeen standardized indicators are organized into four dimensions: geographic, economic, demographic, and …

Needlestick Injury Risk And Preventive Behaviors Among Nursing Students, Angga Wilandika, Riandi Alfin, Rosa Intan Khoerunnisa

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Needlestick injury (NSI) remains a persistent occupational safety risk for nursing students during clinical practice, with implications for worker safety, patient care, and healthcare safety systems. Understanding preventive safety behavior within clinical training environments is essential for improving workplace safety in healthcare settings.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among nursing students undertaking hospital-based clinical placements. Using a purposive sampling, participants completed a structured self-administered questionnaire assessing NSI exposure, preventive safety behaviors, clinical supervision, safety training, and perceived safety within the clinical learning environment. Data was analyzed to identify patterns of NSI risk and associated preventive behaviors. …

Dnp Final Report: Medication Errors: Decreasing From Day One Through Online Learning Module And Incident Reporting, Marsha Pohorelsky

DNP Final Reports

Medication administration errors remain a significant patient safety concern in healthcare and nursing education. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project evaluated the implementation of a standardized medication safety learning module and incident reporting process to improve medication safety awareness, medication administration competency, and error reporting among second-semester Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students. Guided by the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model and Kotter's 8-Step Change Model, the project incorporated medication safety education, simulation-based learning, and near-miss reporting to promote a culture of safety. Although competency outcomes were similar to previous student cohorts, participants demonstrated increased …

The Efficacy Of Transversus Abdominis Plane Block As An Adjunct To Spinal Anesthesia For Cesarean Delivery: An Evidence Synthesis And Implementation Toolkit, Alyssa Hebert, Alex Potts, Gabriela Robertson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Postoperative pain hinders cesarean delivery recovery and overall patient experience. Although spinal anesthesia with intrathecal opioids remains the standard of practice, associated side effects and concerns regarding opioid exposure highlight the need for effective opioid-sparing strategies. Anesthesia providers play a critical role in advancing postoperative pain management through evidence-based protocol development, provider education, and interdisciplinary collaboration to optimize maternal outcomes. The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block provides somatic analgesia to the anterior abdominal wall by targeting the thoracolumbar nerves (T6–L1) and has increasingly been incorporated into multimodal postoperative pain management strategies for abdominal surgery. Nevertheless, a gap remains in obstetric …

Closing The Loop: Strengthening Cauti Prevention With Urinary Catheter Management, Erika N. Braun

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are among the most common preventable healthcare-associated infections and are associated with significant patient harm and increased healthcare costs. Baseline assessment across five adult cardiovascular and critical care units within a community-based acute care hospital identified four CAUTI events during the first half of 2026 and revealed important nursing knowledge deficits related to bladder scanning protocols and urinary catheter management practices. Aim: This Quality Improvement (QI) Project aimed to improve nursing knowledge of evidence-based bladder scanning protocols and urinary catheter management practices through targeted educational interventions implemented over a 10-week period, with …

Shared Equity Leadership In An Offshore Medical School: Distributing Responsibility For Equity, Vishal B. Surender, Sreekrishna Penna, Oluwabusola Osimosu

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This essay applies the Shared Equity Leadership (SEL) framework to an offshore MD program at a private Caribbean medical school where students complete basic sciences on an island and clinical clerkships across multiple international sites. Using SEL scholarship and de-identified institutional data, we ask how equity work is currently distributed, where gaps emerge in assessment, remediation, and mobility for historically underrepresented students in medicine, and how responsibility for equity might be more deliberately shared. The Woven model of SEL provides a lens to map existing structures like curriculum committees, CQI dashboards, advising systems, and clinical site partnerships. We propose a …