Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Peri-Op Protect: A Unified Pre-Op To Pacu Medication Reconciliation System, Tyler G. Van Note, Ariana Amalia Anast, Samantha Ashley Steiner, Tara Gilbert

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Peri-Op Protect: A Unified Pre-Op to PACU Medication Reconciliation System

Peri-Op Protect is a nurse-led change initiative designed to improve medication safety and communication during surgical patient transitions from pre-operative care through the operating room and into the post-anesthesia care unit at a local hospital. Transitions of care are among the most vulnerable moments in the surgical process, as critical medication information – including home medications, last doses, allergies, intraoperative medications, and pain management plans – must be accurately communicated across multiple teams. Communication breakdowns are a leading contributor to adverse events in healthcare, and inconsistent medication handoff processes can …

Free Money And Safer Patients, Kaitlyn R. Livingston, Kennedy G. Crites, Jazmine Razo, Erin Radigan, Kennedy Crites

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This quality improvement project aims to improve consistency of nurse compliance with daily chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing in a local oncology unit to reduce the risk of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI’s). CLABSI’s remain a preventable source of patient morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, delayed cancer treatment, and increased healthcare costs, particularly among immunocompromised oncology patients who frequently require central venous access. Evidence supports daily CHG bathing as an effective infection prevention intervention; however, inconsistent completion and documentation across day and night shifts limit reliability in practice. This project addresses both documentation accuracy and actual bathing completion to ensure care consistency. Implementation …

April 2026, Swosu Rural Health Center

RURAL ROCKS

• Oklahoma Rural Health Transformation Program
• State Immunization Websites
• Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S.
• FDA to Address Unused Opioids in American Homes
• Immune cells may underlie sex differences in chronic pain
• STRESS AWARENESS MONTH

Folic Acid–Carbon Dot–Gemcitabine Nanoparticles For Targeted Cancer Drug Delivery, Irfan Huda, Hua Mei

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This project aims to develop a folic acid-attached carbon dot nanoparticle system (FA-CDs-GEM) for the targeted delivery of gemcitabine to cancer cells. While gemcitabine is widely used, its effectiveness is limited because a short in vivo half life and lack of selectivity, which lead to severe side effects. Carbon dots offer a simple and modifiable platform as the drug delivery and bioimaging agent. Conjugation of folic acid to the carbon dots enables selective targeting of cancer cells that overexpress folate receptors. In this study, we synthesized and characterized FA-CD-GEM nanoparticles and developed an HPLC calibration curve of GEM to accurately …

Dean's Report- Spring 2026, Marina K. Holz

GSBMS Dean’s Report

No abstract provided.

A Word From The Writing Team (April 2026), Pam Walter, Mfa, Laura Deloretta, Phd

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Impaired Fetal Brain Growth And Neurodevelopmental Deficits At 2 Years: Deep Phenotyping Of Maternal–Fetal Pathophysiology, José Villar, Maria Carvalho, Robert Gunier, Rose Mcgready, Yolotzin Valdespino, Kim Lagerborg, Fernando Barros, Agustin Conde-Agudelo, Shane Norris, R. Ochieng

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background Impaired fetal cranial growth trajectories, diverging before 20 weeks' gestation, are associated with growth, vision, and neurodevelopment deficits at age 2 years. We aimed to understand the maternal–fetal pathophysiological processes underlying childhood developmental deficiencies.

Methods: Between 2012 and 2019, the INTERBIO-21st Fetal Study enrolled 3598 pregnant women who initiated antenatal care before 14 weeks' gestation. We prospectively measured fetal cranial and linear growth and brain volume, and we monitored the infants' health, growth, and development from birth to age 2 years to identify growth and development phenotypes. We grouped the observed cranial growth into five distinct phenotypes: median growth …

Feasibility And Safety Of Intrapartum Foetal Pulse Oximetry Using A Disposable Scalp Probe: A Cross-Sectional Study, Felix Oindi, Mukaindo Mwaniki, Sikolia Wanyonyi, Marleen Temmerman

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background Assessment of foetal wellbeing during labour is critical for reducing adverse perinatal outcomes. While pulse oximetry is widely used in adult and paediatric medicine, its application in intrapartum foetal monitoring remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of a foetal pulse oximeter device (OxiReed™, formerly First Touch™) for obtaining intrapartum foetal oxygen saturation (SpO₂) measurements.

Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary referral hospital involving 110 women in the first or second stage of labour. Eligible participants had singleton pregnancies at ≥ 34 weeks’ gestation, vertex presentation, and ruptured membranes. A disposable foetal …

Music Listening While Studying And Academic Performance Among College Students With Attention Deficit And Hyperactivity Disorder, Raihan K. Khan, Md Towfiqul Alam, Madalynn Nofplot, Sojib Bin Zaman, Catherine L. Zaman

Faculty Scholarship

Evidence on whether music listening supports academic performance, particularly among students with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), remains mixed. We explored associations between music listening while studying and academic performance (GPA: grade point average) among college students, and to evaluate whether the associations differed by ADHD status. We analyzed cross-sectional survey data from college students and conducted linear regression models with self-reported GPA as the dependent variable. Models were adjusted for sex, academic level, college affiliation, primary study location, weekly study hours, and preferred genre of music. A total of 541 students participated. Most of the students were at …

Interventions For Geriatric Patients With Dementia In Inpatient Psychiatric Settings, Kenya Raybon

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Geriatric patients with dementia in inpatient psychiatric units are admitted with cognitive and behavioral challenges that often lead to increased agitation and greater reliance on 1:1 support, limiting participation in group therapy. While evidence supports structured, activity-based and sensory-informed interventions to promote regulation and engagement, implementation is often inconsistent due to workflow barriers, staffing limitations, and lack of structured guidance for staff, especially if cognitive impairment is not immediately recognizable.

This quality improvement capstone project aimed to develop and implement an evidence-informed staff training program, along with a structured activity binder system with adaptable, unit-specific interventions to support consistent activity-based …

The Integrated 31-Gene Expression Profile Test Identifies Low-Risk Patients With Cutaneous Melanoma Who Can Forego The Slnb Procedure: Results From A Prospective, Multicenter Trial., Timothy Beard, J Michael Guenther, Stanley P Leong, Maki Yamamoto, Samuel Dierks, Brenda Sickle-Santanello, Andrew Ward, Mark Cripe, Parth Shah, Shawn Young

Oncology Articles

AIMS: Prospectively confirm use of the integrated 31-gene expression profile test (i31-SLNB) in patients with cutaneous melanoma to predict sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) positivity and assess recurrence rates in those considered low risk by i31-SLNB who did not have an SLNB.

METHODS: Patients with T1-T4 tumors being considered for SLNB who received 31-gene expression profile (31-GEP) testing in the multi-center, prospective DECIDE study were included (n = 912). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate recurrence-free survival (RFS).

RESULTS: Among 430 patients with T1-T4 tumors who had an SLNB, the positivity rate was 2.6% (3/114) in those with < 5% i31-SLNB-predicted risk versus 21.4% (28/131) in those with >10% predicted …

Improving Patient Satisfaction In The Emergency Department Waiting Room Through Enhanced Communication Strategies: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Wael P. Karaki

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: This QI project aimed to improve ED waiting room experience by standardizing communication to increase transparency and expectation management, targeting an increase in Net Promoter Score (NPS) from 33.5 to ≥35.4 within three months.

Background: ED waiting room dissatisfaction is driven by uncertainty (unclear wait times, inconsistent updates, and limited understanding of triage and ED flow), supporting structured communication over individual clinician delivery.

Methodology: A 3-month, single-site QI project in an urban ED used iterative PDSA cycles and included all ED encounters (n=17,444). The bilingual intervention included orientation pamphlets (print/QR-based), standardized triage verbalization of …

Co-Designing An Adolescent Perinatal Mental Health Intervention In Kenya And Mozambique: The Inspire Project, Tatiana Salisbury, Fernando Chissale, Margrette Hanselmann, Evaline Langat, Sarah Kinja, Violet Naanyu, Mark Nyalumbe, Mellan Lilumbi, Lucy Nyaga, Marleen Temmerman

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Background Interventions to support adolescent perinatal mental health are limited and largely developed for delivery in high-income countries. This study aimed to co-design an intervention to improve mental health outcomes among pregnant and post-partum adolescent girls in Mozambique and Kenya.

Methods 159 adolescent girls (aged 15–19 years) and young women (aged 20–24 years) with experience of a pregnancy during adolescence, their partners and family members, service providers and community influencers were recruited in Kilifi County, Kenya and Moatize District, Mozambique. Those who consented took part in individual interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and workshops to identify key priorities for supporting …

Effects Of Ndbi With Just-In-Time Programming Of Vsds On Communication Of Children With Asd, Jenna M. Rogers

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a prominent neurological and developmental disability that often requires communication support, such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Visual Scene Displays (VSDs) are an AAC support that directly immerses in the user’s life, using images from real environments the user has or may experience. Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) is an evidence-based approach to early intervention that targets social communication during naturalistic routines, including those who rely on AAC support to communicate. Despite recent research indicating that combining NDBI and AAC is a promising approach (Pope et al., 2024), no studies to date have examined …

Dean's Update, April 2026, Neil W. Schluger

SOM Dean's Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Older Age On Rbc Transfusion Decisions In Icu Patients, Caroline Schaap, Jorinde Raasveld, Florian Reizine, Boillot Corentin, Jimmy Schenk, Sanne De Bruin, Merijn Reuland, Claudia Van Den Oord,, Andrew Flint, Marcus Lance

Anaesthesiology, East Africa

Objectives: RBC transfusions are common in the ICU. Recent studies suggest that a restrictive transfusion policy is noninferior or superior to a liberal policy. However, few studies focus on the influence of age in transfusion. In elderly ICU patients, reduced physiologic reserves may shift the perceived risk-benefit balance of transfusion, potentially leading to different transfusion practices. This study examines whether transfusion practices in ICU patients differ across patient age.

Design: This is a substudy of the International Point Prevalence Study of ICU Transfusion Practices (InPUT), a global, multicenter, prospective observational cohort study.

Setting: ICUs from 233 centers …

Predictors Of Total Hip Arthroplasty Among Patients With Chronic Comorbidities: A Multivariate Analysis Of A Medically Underserved Region, Blake C. Martin, Manoj Peiris

School of Medicine Publications

Background

THA is a common orthopedic procedure that is expected to increase in the coming years. Obesity and osteoarthritis are major factors that increase the risk of individuals requiring THA. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is a distinctive health professional shortage area with high rates of obesity, arthritis, and diabetes. This study aims to examine the relationship between chronic medical conditions and the need for THA in this at-risk, medically underserved population.

Methods

This investigation employed a retrospective chart review encompassing patient records from January 1, 2018, through January 1, 2025, using the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley electronic …

Associations Of Cortisol With Alzheimer's Disease Fluid And Neuroimaging Biomarkers: A Systematic Review, Jasper Holleman, Sima Toopchiani, Oliver Robinson, Ingemar Kåreholt, Miia Kivipelto, Lefkos Middleton, Alina Solomon, Chinedu Momoh, Shireen Sindi

Brain and Mind Institute

Background Chronic stress triggers the dysregulation of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis which is characterized by altered diurnal cortisol patterns and increased basal cortisol levels. This dysregulation has been found in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), but its link with AD-related biomarkers remains underexplored. This systematic review aims to synthesize the current knowledge regarding the association between cortisol and biomarkers related to AD.

Methods Keywords and phrases related to cortisol and AD-related biomarkers were used to search the MEDLINE database via PubMed and OVID interfaces up to January 2024. Studies focused on the association between cortisol levels and genetic, neuroimaging, and fluid biomarkers related …

Patient Views On Blood-Based Biomarker Tests For Alzheimer's Disease In Primary Care, Andrea Russell, Abigail Vogeley, Rebecca Lovett, Rachel O’Conor, Stephanie Batio, Jeimmy Hurtado, Morgan Bonham, Julia Benavente, Adam Brickman, Chinedu Momoh

Brain and Mind Institute

INTRODUCTION Blood-based biomarkers could offer accessible, cost-effective detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in primary care. This study examined patient attitudes toward AD biomarker testing.

METHODS Crosssectional surveys were conducted with 572 adults from Chicago-area clinics. Participants received brief education on biomarker tests before completing the survey.

RESULTS Most participants (83.8%) were unfamiliar with biomarker tests; 1.8% previously completed testing. After brief education, most (94.5%) supported offering tests to patients with memory complaints, and 85% were willing to complete testing if recommended by their clinician. Facilitators included tests informing clinical care, coverage by insurance, and education in advance. Barriers included cost …

Improving First Time Iv Success Rates In The Emergency Department Through The Implementation Of An Ultrasound-Guided Iv Training Program, Tram Dinh

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

This quality improvement (QI) project was conducted at a Level III trauma emergency department (ED) in Fort Worth, TX. The aim was to improve first-attempt intravenous (IV) success rates for patients with difficult IV access (DIVA) to at least 50% and reduce average disposition times.

Background

Patients with DIVA frequently experience delays in care, including prolonged time to establish IV access, obtain laboratory studies, perform contrast-enhanced imaging, and administer IV medications. Ultrasound-guided IV (USGIV) access is an evidence-based technique shown to reduce these delays and improve timely care for patients with DIVA.

Methodology

The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model guided development …

Reducing The Incidence Of Acute Care Falls In Medical-Surgical Psychiatric Adult Patients, Ijeoma Nwosu

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

The purpose of this scholarly project was to implement a multifactorial fall prevention program within a medical-surgical psychiatric unit. The program was intended to reduce the incidence of falls, strengthen staff compliance, and bridge the gap of fall education. The interventions were developed based on evidence-based fall prevention strategies. The project was implemented within a large healthcare organization in the Texas Medical Center (TMC) located in Houston, Texas. The project utilized the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework. Staff were given education prior to implementation and reeducation during the project cycle. Visual guides were created to guide staff and assist with documentation expectations. …

Improving Throughput: A Quality Improvement Initiative To Expedite Inpatient Psychiatric Placement From The Emergency Room, Candice J. Battle

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a standardized psychiatric transfer workflow designed to reduce emergency room (ER) boarding time for psychiatric patients in a 30-bed acute care hospital from an average of 3-5 days to an average of 2-3 days.

Background

Psychiatric patients often experience prolonged ER boarding while awaiting inpatient psychiatric placement. These delays contribute to delayed treatment, worsening psychiatric symptoms, ER overcrowding, and increased healthcare costs.

Methodology

This four-week quality improvement project utilized the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework. Interventions included a standardized psychiatric transfer protocol, simplified transfer checklist and staff education. …

2026 Research Day Program, Lincoln Memorial University

Research Day

This program contains abstracts and presentation summaries from LMU's 2026 Annual Research Day conference.

Overcoming Challenges With Rural-Related Health Data: Lessons Learned From Published Studies, Casey P. Balio, Margaret M. Francisco, Nicole Galler, Olivia A. Sullivan, Kate E. Beatty, Michael E. Meit, Chyanne Morrison, Christiana Keinath, Stephanie M. Mathis

ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Pressure Injury Trends Among Hospitalized Older Adults From Tarrant County, Oluwafunto M. Olorundare

2026 Spring Honors Capstones Projects

Pressure injuries occur when skin and underlying tissues are damaged due to unrelieved pressure that reduces blood circulation to the affected area. Hospitalized older adults are vulnerable to pressure injuries due to factors such as limited mobility, physiological changes associated with aging, chronic conditions, and longer hospital stays. Despite multiple studies on the prevalence and incidence of pressure injuries at the national and global levels, there is limited research that analyzes trends among hospitalized older adults at the county level, specifically Tarrant County. This research aims to examine pressure injury trends among hospitalized older adults residing in Tarrant County. Using …

Promoting Community And Social Participation In Chronic Stroke: A Pilot Study Of The Engage Intervention, Elizabeth Skidmore, Carolyn Baum, Jessica Kersey, Emily Kringle, Kelsey Voltz-Poremba, Sular Gordon, Tina Harris, Heidi Fischer, Maureen Gecht, Michelle Furman, Joy Hammel

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Survivors of stroke report low levels of community and social participation, even years after stroke. ENGAGE is a community-based intervention that merges social learning, guided problem solving, and supervised practice to collaboratively identify, generate, and apply solutions to challenges with community and social participation after stroke.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of ENGAGE and characterized within group changes in community and social participation outcomes.

METHODS: Community-dwelling survivors of stroke, occupational therapy providers, and occupational therapy scientists partnered to co-design the essential and structural elements of ENGAGE, as well as to evaluate ENGAGE using a multi-site single-arm …

The Femoral Head Edema Zone: A Novel Classification Scheme To Better Predict Osteonecrosis Progression, Deniz C Ince, Vivek P Shah, Kenichi Kikuchi, Kyle P O'Connor, Elizabeth L Yanik, John C Clohisy, Cecilia Pascual-Garrido

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: This study proposed a new classification, the Edema Zone classification, that uses magnetic resonance imaging images to grade the extent of edema in osteonecrosis of the femoral head. The purpose of the study was (1) to examine how the Edema Zone classification compared to the Japanese Investigation Committee (JIC) classification's prognostic ability for early conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA), and (2) to determine how accurately and reliably the Edema Zone classification performed as a classification system.

METHODS: This was a retrospective study of hips that converted to THA from a core decompression within 26 months compared to hips …

An International Mega-Analysis Of Psychedelic Drug Effects On Brain Circuit Function, Manesh Girn, Nico Dosenbach, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Psychedelic drugs are re-emerging as promising scientific and clinical tools. However, despite a rapidly expanding literature on their therapeutic value, the neural mechanisms underlying psychedelic effects remain unclear. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of acute psychedelic effects, conducted independently by several research groups, have so far yielded fragmented and sometimes inconsistent findings. Here, to help facilitate greater convergence, we conducted a 'mega-analysis' integrating 11 independent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging datasets across five psychedelic drugs (psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, mescaline, N,N-dimethyltryptamine and ayahuasca) from research groups spanning three continents and five countries. By applying a uniform preprocessing pipeline and …

Clostridioides Difficile Colonization And Infection In Pediatric Oncology And Stem Cell Transplant Patients, Daniel N Willis, Erik R Dubberke, Robert J Hayashi, Phillip I Tarr, David B Haslam, Tiffany Hink, Jingqin Luo, Yu Tao, Amruta Padhye, Erin M Hall, Gregory A Storch

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Pediatric oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients have elevated risk for

METHODS: We retrospectively studied 276 stools longitudinally collected over 34 months from 32 HSCT and 12 oncology patients treated at a single tertiary center. Specimens were cultured for

RESULTS: Baseline cultures were positive in 16 (50%) HSCT patients and 2 (12%) oncology. On subsequent samples, 64% of patients who were initially negative acquired colonization: 8 of 15 (53%) HSCT and 8 of 10 (80%) oncology. Nine clonal strains and 25 multilocus sequence types were identified by whole genome sequencing, with 4 clones found in both cohorts. …

Relationship Between Clostridioides Difficile Stool Concentration, Nucleic Acid Amplification Test Results, And Environmental Contamination, Mary Morgan Lee, Kimberly A Reske, Tiffany Hink, Skye R S Fishbein, Erin P Newcomer, Candice Cass, Margaret A Olsen, Gautam Dantas, Carey-Ann D Burnham, Erik R Dubberke

2020-Current year OA Pubs

We compared rectal swab nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) with stool culture to detect