Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Geographic Distribution Of Melanoma Cases In Maine: Identifying Vulnerable Counties For Targeted Intervention, Joshua R. Parbs, Madeline Prentiss, Calla Hladky, Henry Stoddard, Kathryn Stevens, Elizabeth V. Seiverling, Peggy Cyr

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Maine has the twelfth highest incidence of melanoma in the United States. The purpose of this study was to determine which Maine counties were the most impacted by melanoma through the use of geographical methods. Identification of counties with the highest prevalence of melanoma will help in targeting future training and public health interventions.

Methods: All melanoma cases (n=5,340) reported to the Maine CDC Cancer Registry from 2013 to 2018 were sorted by pathologic T stage. Data were sorted by county and population-adjusted. Population data and provider data came from Area Health Resource Files. County and zip-code maps were …

Evaluating A Training Program For Rural Doctors And Nursing Home Staff On Safe Medicine Use For Patients With Dementia And Nursing Home Residents, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Program goal: Reduce unnecessary use of certain medications without worsening symptoms

Comparing Universal Versus Targeted School Screenings For Depression Among Teens, Research Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

The US Preventive Services Task Force endorses universal adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) screening in primary care; however, most adolescents lack preventive health care, resulting in worsening disparities in MDD screening and treatment.

Comparing Long-Term Outcomes Of Two Collaborative Care Approaches For People With Depression, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

People with depression usually get treatment in healthcare settings, such as clinics. In communities with few resources, people may also get help in community settings such as social services agencies or churches. Collaborative care brings together healthcare and community programs to help people with depression.

Comparing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Cbt) Versus Yoga For Helping Older Adults Address High Levels Of Worry, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Some older adults have high levels of worry that cause them to feel restless, tired, or tense. Two ways to treat worry are Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and yoga.

Testing A Clinic-Based Program To Reduce Risky Behaviors Among Teens, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Risky behaviors, including eating poorly, not getting enough sleep or exercise, using drugs, and not wearing a helmet or seatbelt often emerge during the teen years.

Evaluating A Program To Lower Prescription Opioid Doses For Patients With Chronic Pain, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Patients who use opioids for a long time are at increased risk for addiction, care crashes, overdose, & injuries.

Treating Chronic Pain Using Approaches Adapted For Patients With Limited Reading Skills, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Patients with chronic pain may find some psychosocial interventions to be effective but for those with limited reading skills, it can be hard to understand and use these options.

Does A Parent Peer Support Program Help Parents Of Children Who Need Mental Health Services Support Their Child’S Care?, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

The study aimed to assess the impact of a Family Navigator (FN) program developed to increase child behavioral therapy service utilization on parent and child outcomes.

Improving Classroom Behaviors Among Students With Symptoms Of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd) Or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd), Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two school-based behavioral programs on improving executive functioning behaviors among students with symptoms of ADHD or ASD.

Behavioral Health Integration And Outcomes That Matter To Patients: A Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Observational Study, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

The study team hypothesized that patients would have a better experience over time in clinics that had greater degrees of behavioral health integration.

Does A Video Chat Referral Process Help Families With Children Who Have Medicaid To Initiate Mental Health Care?, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Many children with Medicaid and mental health concerns don’t get the care they need.

Using A Transitional Care Program To Prepare Patients To Take Care Of Themselves After Leaving The Hospital, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Some patients have difficulty caring for themselves after they return home from a hospital stay.

Peer-Navigator Support For Latinx Patients With Serious Mental Illness, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

People who have a serious mental illness (SMI), are at higher risk for other health problems.

Comparing Two Ways To Treat Serious Worry Among Older Adults From Underserved, Racial Or Ethnic Minority Communities, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Compared with other older adults, those with serious worry are more likely to have poor physical health, and often have depression, sleep problems, and trouble thinking clearly..

Is A Patient Navigation Program More Helpful Than A Referral Program For Reducing Depression And Improving Quality Of Life Among Women Living In Neighborhoods With Few Resources?, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

The research team compared two programs designed to help women with feelings of depression who live in neighborhoods with few resources. Both programs lasted four months.

Examining Health Outcomes For People Who Are Transgender, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

The Study of Transition, Outcomes, and Gender was initiated to assess morbidity among transgender people in general and after gender-affirming treatments.

Helping Patients With Mental Illness Engage In Their Transitional Care, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Effective transitional care can keep patients from going back to the hospital.

Examining Effects Of State Policies To Monitor Mental Health Medicines For Children In Foster Care, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

Antipsychotics can have long-term risks but help treat conditions like schizophrenia.

Does A Peer-Led Program With Wellness Coaching Improve Wellness Among People With Serious Mental Illness?, Research Dissemination Committee, Maine, Usa

REACH: Research Evidence-to-Action for Community Health

People with serious mental illness, or SMI, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia often also have long-term physical health problems.

Covid-19 Prevalence And Trends Among Pregnant And Postpartum Persons In Maine By Rurality And Pregnancy Conditions, Charlie O. Grantham, Christina M. Ackerman-Banks Md, Heather S. Lipkind Md, Ms, Kristin Palmsten Scd, Katherine A. Ahrens Mph, Phd

Journal of Maine Medical Center

No abstract provided.

Sports-Related Concussion Management And Guideline Awareness In The Primary Care Setting, Stephanie K. Eble, Oleksandra Pashchenko, William Patterson, Christina T. Holt, William Dexter, Kristine Karlson

Journal of Maine Medical Center

No abstract provided.

Use Of Syringe Service Programs In Rural Vs Urban Maine: A Harm-Reduction Study, Lisa W. Miller, Kim Murray, Emma Daybranch, Kinna Thakarar

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Syringe service programs (SSPs) reduce HIV and viral hepatitis transmission, as well as the prevalence of improperly disposed needles and needle stick injuries among first responders. Infections associated with injection drug use are rising in rural areas, including Maine, leading to concerns that SSP services are difficult to access for rural residents.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 101 participants hospitalized with infections associated with injection drug use at 4 hospitals in Maine was collected over a 15-month period. Descriptive analyses were performed. Statistical analyses were completed using Fisher’s exact tests, Pearson’s chi-squared tests, and Student’s t tests.

Results: Of …

Barriers To Care For Children With Cerebral Palsy In The Rural State Of Maine: A Mixed-Methods Study, Rayne L. Whitten, Anya K. Cutler, Alexa K. Craig

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Guidelines on orthopedic hip surveillance in children with cerebral palsy have been published to minimize the effects of cerebral palsy and maximize quality of life. Researchers aimed to identify barriers to cerebral palsy care and to assess adherence to national hip-surveillance guidelines among a small subset of children with cerebral palsy who live in a rural state.

Methods: Parents of children with cerebral palsy were interviewed, and thematic analyses were performed on the recorded transcripts. Patient-specific data about imaging and demographics were manually extracted from the electronic health record to perform a mixed-methods analysis.

Results: Twenty-one parents were interviewed, …

Victor A. Mckusick, Md And The Osler Medical Service – Firm System Threads Between Baltimore And Maine: The 15th Annual Mckusick Lecture, Scot C. Remick

Journal of Maine Medical Center

No abstract provided.

The Epidemic Of Gun Violence And The Role Of Health Care Professionals, Daniel Meyer, Kurt Granhke

Journal of Maine Medical Center

No abstract provided.

Results Of A Needs Assessment: Use Of Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Data In Health Systems In Maine, Lucy Soule, Melissa Fairfield, Sivana Barron, Natalie Kuhn, Brandy Brown

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ+) patients experience significantly more health care disparities than non-LGBTQ+ patients. Although sexual orientation and gender identity data (SOGI) would help quantify and track these known disparities, there are no standardized methods for routinely and consistently including SOGI into health care management in Maine. Our needs assessment (1) evaluates the comfort of health care professionals (HCPs) in collecting SOGI and incorporating it into the medical record and (2) identifies barriers to SOGI collection.

Methods: An interprofessional team conducted a survey of Maine HCPs who identified as working directly with patients or patient …

A Life-Threatening Emergency Exacerbated By Untreated Mental Illness In A Low-Barrier Health Center, Brendan J. Prast, Byron Marshall

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: We report on a patient with untreated severe mental illness who presented with a life-threatening emergency: retained products of conception and hemorrhage.

Clinical Findings: A female patient experiencing homelessness developed life-threatening hemorrhage. Her mental illness impaired effective communication and treatment.

Clinical Course: The patient presented with fatigue, vaginal bleeding, and known retained products of conception. Her active mental illness complicated the situation as it limited effective communication and treatment due to delusions. She requested only treatment for an infectious cause of her symptoms. She refused most interventions and had a self-directed discharge from the hospital. Throughout this process, we …

Maine Medical Center Experience With Explantation Of Left Ventricular Assist Devices, Laura Onderko, Lauren Vickerson, Andrew Schwartzman

Journal of Maine Medical Center

No abstract provided.

Nurse Mentorship And Retention, Alicia St Michel

Nurse Residency

Background: Every year hospitals experience staff turnover. Implementation of a mentorship program apart from someone who is a preceptor, could help with staff retention and staff satisfaction.