Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Program To Address Anxiety And/Or Add/Adhd In Children With Cerebral Palsy To Improve Social Participation, Victoria Shaw, Mary Jan Greer

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this project was to develop a program for children with cerebral palsy, who experience anxiety and/or ADD/ADHD, that will promote their social participation during play activities. The program lasted for 14 weeks and had two participants, within those 14 weeks, several objectives were accomplished. These objectives include the administration of the needs assessment, implementation of the program modules, pre- and post-interviews with the caregivers and staff, and the finalization of the program. The expected outcome from the program was to determine the effectiveness of the different program modules increasing interactions with peers by decreasing anxiety and improving …

A Hand Therapy Quick Reference Guide: Supporting Level Ii Fieldwork Experiences ​, Raven I. Gammage, Rebecca Caudrillier, Mary Greer

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Occupational therapy students often begin Level II hand therapy fieldwork with limited preparation. This capstone project developed an evidence-informed Hand Therapy Quick Reference Guide to support students and clinicians with foundational knowledge and clinical resources. Following implementation, feedback from hand therapists, fieldwork educators, and students indicated the guide was organized, practical, and applicable across clinical settings. The guide has the potential to improve fieldwork preparedness and support successful entry into hand therapy practice.

A Hand Therapy Quick Reference Guide: Supporting Level Ii Fieldwork Experiences, Raven I. Gammage, Rebecca Caudrillier, Mary Greer

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Occupational therapy students often begin Level II hand therapy fieldwork with limited preparation. This capstone project developed a Hand Therapy Quick Reference Guide to support students and clinicians with foundational knowledge and clinical resources. Evaluative feedback from hand therapists, fieldwork educators, and students indicated the guide was organized, practical, and applicable across clinical settings. The guide has the potential to improve fieldwork preparedness and support success in hand therapy practice.

Inactive Nurses In New Mexico: Insights Into License Lapse And Inactive Reserve Status, Kiyoko Dell Davis

Doctor of Nursing Practice Posters and Presentations

Nursing shortages have varied over the decades, yet persist at local, national, and global levels. Nurses report leaving the workforce for many reasons, including professional environment factors resulting from these shortages, further exacerbating a shrinking workforce and population growth. Recent efforts include recruitment and education incentives and implementation of the New Mexico Board of Nursing (NMBON) Inactive Reserve Licensure option, which allows retiring nurses to maintain a reduced-scope nursing license with fewer barriers. Despite these efforts, questions remain: why are nurses in New Mexico leaving the profession and would this licensure category have impacted retention? The purpose of this project …

Inactive Nurses In New Mexico: Insights Into License Lapse And Inactive Reserve Status, Kiyoko Dell Davis

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Nursing shortages have varied over the decades, yet persist at local, national, and global levels. Nurses report leaving the workforce for many reasons, including professional environment factors resulting from these shortages, further exacerbating a shrinking workforce and population growth. Recent efforts include recruitment and education incentives and implementation of the New Mexico Board of Nursing (NMBON) Inactive Reserve Licensure option, which allows retiring nurses to maintain a reduced-scope nursing license with fewer barriers. Despite these efforts, questions remain: why are nurses in New Mexico leaving the profession and would this licensure category have impacted retention? The purpose of this project …

Improving Continuity Of Care: Evaluating Universal Nursing Handoff Sheets, Elizabeth Ifeloluwa Sanya

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Effective communication during nursing handoffs is essential for safe, patient-centered care, as breakdowns in communication are a leading cause of adverse patient outcomes. At a large academic level I trauma center, inconsistent nursing handoff practices were identified across progressive care units following the COVID-19 pandemic. This variability contributed to incomplete transfer of patient information and was associated with increased patient safety incidents, including delayed wound care, central line dressing lapses, and medication errors involving high-alert therapies. The purpose of this DNP project was to plan, implement, and evaluate the use of  standardized nursing handoff sheet and its impact on continuity …

Antibody-Oligonucleotide Conjugates: An Emerging Modality For Precision Rna Therapeutics, Chen-Hsu Yu, Summer Y Y Ha, Zhiqiang An, Kyoji Tsuchikama, Wenbo Li

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

RNA-targeting therapeutics have enormous potential to precisely target disease-causing RNAs, extending beyond the traditional limits of "druggability" for small molecules, antibodies, and protein-targeting cell therapies. However, one crucial limitation is that RNA-targeting drug modalities (such as oligonucleotides) cannot effectively reach diseased tissue or cell types. Antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs) emerge as a promising frontier in aiding RNA therapeutics by harnessing antibodies to deliver drug modalities to target specific RNAs in desired tissues or cells. In this Review, we summarize the critical components of AOCs, key considerations for their design and manufacturing, ongoing AOCs in preclinical/clinical development, and disease indications. We discuss …

Assessing Hpv And Hpv Vaccine Awareness And Perception Amongst Undergraduate Students, Maura Hawkins

Honors Theses

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States. Vaccination rates remain low among college-aged students despite an effective vaccine being available. This study investigates HPV and HPV vaccination-related knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions among undergraduate students to inform targeted intervention strategies. Participants included undergraduate students (n = 19) who attended one of three focus groups conducted in April 2025 at the University of South Alabama. Structured interview guides explored HPV knowledge, perceived risk and severity, attitudes towards vaccination, autonomy in health decision-making, trust in health information sources, and preferred educational strategies. Discussions were …

Fractured Focus: Understanding Stress In Second-Year Radiologic Science Students Across Alabama, Kelsi Clotfelter

Honors Theses

Higher education is a period of rapid transition and growing responsibility, where stress often becomes a routine part of students’ lives. In health professional programs, the combined demands of intensive coursework and clinical training can intensify emotional strain and negatively affect overall well-being. Radiography students experience uniquely high levels of academic, clinical, and emotional stress due to the simultaneous demands of didactic coursework, competency-based clinical training, and high-stakes professional expectations. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was employed to evaluate the prevalence, sources, and perceived impact of stress among second-year radiography students across multiple Alabama institutions with the goal of identifying strategies …

Implementing A Professional Wellness Session To Foster Improvement In Oncology Nurse Retention And Well-Being, Connie Tran

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to implement chaplain-led professional wellness sessions to improve the well-being of nurses on an oncology pilot unit.  Aims were to increase nurse retention by 5%, decrease staff absenteeism by 3%, and improve Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores by 10%, and Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scores by 10% from baseline.

Background

The emotionally taxing nature of oncology patient care creates a high-pressure environment, which can lead to turnover. Literature has shown that allowing staff to pray, debrief and engage in peer support groups to discuss work-related stressful encounters reduces stress …

Improving Physiologic Monitoring Adherence During Behavioral Emergencty Sedation In A Prehospital Ems System, Jared Aucoin

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Abstract

Purpose:

This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated whether provider education and standardized documentation improved adherence to evidence-based physiologic monitoring during behavioral emergency sedation in a prehospital EMS setting.

Background:

Behavioral emergencies are common and often require rapid chemical sedation, with risks of hypoxia, hypercapnia, and cardiovascular instability. At baseline, inconsistent adherence to recommended monitoring and documentation of end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO₂) and pulse oximetry (SpO₂) presented an opportunity to improve patient safety.

Methodology:

This QI project educated current adult behavioral emergency protocol in a prehospital EMS setting, re-emphasizing standardized documentation and evidence-based monitoring practices. Utilizing Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) through pre- …

Use Of Information Technology Tools In The Area Of Occupational Health And Safety In Polish Workplaces – Results Of A Survey, Dariusz Smoliński

Studia i Materiały Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytet Warszawski

Purpose: The aim of this article is to analyse the level of implementation of digital technologies in the digitalisation of occupational health and safety (OHS) management in Poland and to identify the factors influencing the adoption of digital tools by OHS specialists. The research questions posed are: to what extent do OHS services use software; which organisational factors affect the adoption of digital tools supporting the work of OHS services; and which barriers hinder implementation? The study also sought to assess the differences in the level of digitalisation tool implementation according to the size of workplaces and the professional experience …

July 2026 Mda Insurance — Voluntary Benefits Help With Employee Recruitment, Satisfaction, Retention, Craig Start

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Craig Start, president of MDA Insurance, addresses the ongoing dental staffing shortage by advocating for comprehensive employee benefit packages. He explains how offering a mix of employer-paid and voluntary benefits, such as disability, life, and vision insurance, can make a practice a more desirable employer. The article specifically highlights the MDA Health Plan and employee-paid options like critical illness insurance, which help offset financial exposure from high-deductible plans. Start notes that these voluntary benefits are cost-effective for employers and can be administered through pre-tax cafeteria plans to improve employee economic security and retention.

July 2026 The Back Page — Fighting Burnout By Building A Better Sense Of Community, Tamar Shrikian, Dmd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Dr. Tamar Shrikian shares a personal commentary on overcoming professional burnout by seeking fulfillment outside the clinical setting. Identifying isolation as a key factor in clinician stress, she discusses her transformative experience joining a community chorus. The article introduces the concept of a "third place"—a social space distinct from home and work—as essential for maintaining a healthy identity beyond being a health care provider. Shrikian encourages her colleagues to actively build social connections, whether through faith communities, hobbies, or organized dentistry, to foster mutual support and overall well-being within the profession.

Reducing Missed Opportunities For Crc Screening Via Provider Reminder System In A Primary Care Setting, Komfort Cofield

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Although highly preventable with screening, colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to be a major source of illness and mortality in the United States. Healthcare providers at the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project site inconsistently ordered CRC screening for eligible patients due to deficiencies in the point-of-care reminder system. These system failures created missed opportunities for CRC prevention and reduced compliance with established practice guidelines.

Purpose: This DNP project aimed to implement and evaluate a CRC screening checklist given to patients at appointment check-in, serving as a reminder for providers to order appropriate screening tests.

Project Design: Using the National …

Addressing Hypertension Medication Non-Adherence Through The Use Of Reminders And Morisky Medication Adherence Scale In Adults Diagnosed Within The Past Year In A Rural Primary Care Clinic, Amanda M. Weaver

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Adherence to antihypertensive medications is essential for decreasing long-term consequences of uncontrolled hypertension, including stroke, kidney failure, and cardiovascular diseases. However, nonadherence is a widespread problem among patients diagnosed with hypertension. In patients who have been diagnosed with hypertension in the past year, more than half stop taking their medications. Mobile health interventions, such as text message or telephone reminders, are a low-cost way to improve medication adherence.

Purpose: The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project is to examine how a weekly text message or telephone reminder impacts medication adherence among patients taking antihypertensives in a rural …

A Multifaceted Approach To Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Vaccine Uptake Among Adolescents Ages 10-14 In A Public Health Clinic, Amy T. Norris

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and a leading cause of several preventable cancers. Although the HPV vaccine is safe, highly effective, and routinely recommended for adolescents, vaccination rates remain below national targets, particularly in rural and public health settings. Multiple internal and external factors contribute to low HPV vaccination rates in public health settings.

Purpose: The Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project aimed to increase HPV vaccine uptake through the implementation of a multifaceted, evidence-based intervention.

Project Design: Guided by Pender’s Health Promotion Model and the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, …

Reducing Asthma-Associated Absenteeism At A School-Based Health Center Using Asthma Control Test (Act) Scoring, Concetta Terry

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Asthma is a common chronic condition that can lead to increased school absences and lower academic performance. A needs assessment at a rural school-based health clinic identified gaps in care for students with asthma and high absenteeism rates.

Purpose: This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project aimed to reduce asthma-related absences by personalizing care using Asthma Control Test (ACT) scoring.

Project Design: Using a pre- and post-intervention design, this DNP quality improvement project followed the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework to evaluate the impact of implementing the ACT on asthma-related absenteeism in a rural school-based health center. The project …

Reducing Missed Appointments In An Ambulatory Infusion Center, Jacqueline G. Jones

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Missed appointments at ambulatory infusion centers (AIC) continue to be a problem, even with improved scheduling systems and care coordination efforts. Nationally, missed appointment rates average 10%–12%, and in Central Alabama, the rate is 11.7%. However, one local AIC has a much higher missed-appointment rate of 17.8%. Missed appointments lead to wasted facility resources, increased healthcare costs, and interruptions in infusion therapies.

Purpose: This Doctor of Nursing Practice project used live reminder calls to help lower missed appointments in an AIC. The goal was to improve attendance, reduce missed appointments, and maintain consistent care.

Project Design: Over ten weeks, …

Improving The Accuracy Of Medication Reconciliations For Medicare Advantage Patients At A Primary Care Clinic Using An Interdisciplinary Team, Sallie Mann

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Medication-related problems (MRPs) are a significant and often preventable cause of patient harm, particularly among older adults with complex medication regimens. In primary care settings, inaccurate or incomplete medication reconciliations contribute to adverse drug events, avoidable hospitalizations, increased healthcare costs, and reduced patient satisfaction.

Purpose: The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to evaluate whether implementing an interdisciplinary medication reconciliation process using the Medications at Transitions and Clinical Handoffs (MATCH) Toolkit would improve reconciliation accuracy in Medicare Advantage patients aged 65 and older in a primary care clinic.

Project Design: This DNP project used the …

Optimizing Workflow In Advanced Gastroenterology: An Initiative To Improve Turnaround Times, Aundrea Prewitt

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Procedure room turnaround time in advanced gastroenterology is defined as the interval between one patient exiting the procedure room and the subsequent patient entering. Prolonged turnaround times contribute to decreased operational efficiency, delays in care delivery, and suboptimal resource utilization. Current facility turnaround time is 39 minutes, and there is no standardized policy to guide the turnaround process.

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to develop a standardized operating procedure that guides policy change in advanced gastroenterology through implementing a sustainable turnaround process that reduces procedure room turnaround time.

Project Design: The quality improvement initiative used …

Evaluating The Accuracy Of Face2gene Phenotyping Tools In South African Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Hendrike Mcdonald, Zandrè Bruwer, Michal Zieff, Emma Eastman, Brigitte Melly, Rizqa Sulaiman-Bardien, Karen Fieggen, Shahida Moosa, Charles Newton, Amina Abubakar

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Objectives Computational phenotyping tools, like Face2Gene, are increasingly used to support genetic diagnosis by analysing facial features. These tools perform well in Global North populations but are less accurate in other groups. This study aimed to assess the performance of Face2Gene’s DeepGestalt, FeatureMatcher, and D-Score in South African children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and unaffected controls.

Methods Facial photographs of 301 children from the NeuroDev South Africa study were analysed including 36 children with NDDs with a confirmed molecular diagnosis, 176 with NDDs without a confirmed molecular diagnosis, and 89 controls. Diagnostic accuracy of DeepGestalt and FeatureMatcher was assessed by …

Exploration Of The Vein To Vein Blood Transfusion System In Three Kenyan Counties: A Qualitative Study, Linda Barnes, Jennifer Makin, Jose Paiz, Jana Macleod, Cindy Makanga, Tecla Chelagat, Alejandro Munoz-Valencia, Ejemai Eboreime, Robert Kaburu, Carolyne Njoki

Anaesthesiology, East Africa

Background Severe shortages of blood for transfusion are a persistent global health crisis, with the burden disproportionately concentrated in low-income countries. Diverse stakeholder perspectives on blood availability might inform improvements. We aimed to use a comprehensive approach to identify the challenges, facilitators, and innovations within the blood transfusion continuum (BTC) in three different Kenyan settings.

Methods In this qualitative study, we interrogated the BTC in Siaya, Nakuru, and Turkana counties as part of the Pathways for Innovation in Blood Transfusion Systems in Kenya (PITS Kenya) mixed methods research study. We used purposive sampling, and through interviews and focus group discussions, …

Plant-Dominant Low-Protein Diet Versus Standard Care In Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease Stages 3–5: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol, Joelle Abi Kharma, Rana Sultan, Rana Rizk, Dalya Haroun, Hala Kilani, Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, Jessica Gubbels, Kathelijne Bessems

All Works

Background The plant-dominant low-protein diet (PLADO), providing 0.6-0.8 g/kg/d of protein with ≥50% derived from plant sources, may improve acid–base balance and metabolic outcomes in chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, concerns remain regarding safety and feasibility, and experimental evidence is limited. Objective This protocol describes a randomized controlled trial (RCT), designed to evaluate the efficacy, nutritional and biochemical safety, implementation feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of PLADO compared with the standard renal diet in adults with CKD stages 3-5. Methods This unblinded, parallel-group RCT will enroll 48 adults with CKD stages 3-5 in a medical center in Lebanon and randomize participants 1:1 …

Cross-Ancestry Polygenic Risk Scores Enhance Alzheimer's Disease Risk Prediction In Multiethnic Cohorts, Meri Okorie, Caroline Jonson, Alexis Oddi, Patricia Castruita, Brian Fulton-Howard, Kristine Yaffe, Jennifer Yokoyama, Chinedu Momoh, Shea Andrews

Brain and Mind Institute

INTRODUCTION Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 80+ genetic loci associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), enabling the development of polygenic risk scores (PRS). However, the predictive accuracy of PRS in diverse populations remains low. Here, we evaluated the predictive accuracy of single-, multi-, and cross-ancestry AD-PRS models across multi-ancestral populations.

METHODS We used AD GWAS summary statistics from European, African, Admixed American, and East Asian populations to construct AD-PRS for each target population. Model performance was assessed by estimating odds ratios, R2, and area under the curve.

RESULTS The cross-ancestry Bayesian PRS model demonstrated the highest predictive performance in non-European …

Histologic Evaluation Of Late Burn Scars With And Without Dermal Substrate, Melaina Barbe, Daniel Magallanes, Sigrid A. Blome-Eberwein Md

Research Scholars

No abstract provided.

Hepatitis B In The Vaccine Era: Persistent Burden And Clinical Implications, Cherechi Nwabueze, Eunice Omeludike, Ridwan Ademola Lawal, Kedife Nwabueze

School of Medicine Publications

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a leading global cause of advanced liver disease and imposes a substantial economic burden. Early prevention is critical, as perinatally acquired HBV carries a high risk of progression to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hepatitis B vaccination has been proven effective in preventing cancer, yet coverage of the complete vaccine series remains suboptimal. This implementation gap perpetuates the clinical burden, manifesting decades later as hepatic decompensation and liver cancer. This narrative review synthesizes the current HBV landscape, highlighting how gaps in vaccination policy and delivery contribute to real-world gastrointestinal outcomes. By reframing HBV vaccination …

Endovascular Thrombectomy In Medium And Distal Vessel Occlusions: A Focused Guideline From The Society Of Vascular And Interventional Neurology Guidelines And Practice Standards Committee, Shahram Majidi, Amol Mehta, Sami Al-Kasab, Kaustubh Limaye, Adam A. Dmytriw, Adam De Havenon, Farhan Siddiq, Robin Novakovic, Alexandra L. Czap, Ameer E. Hassan

School of Medicine Publications

Background: The authors present an overview of the current evidence and management recommendations for evaluation and treatment of adults with acute ischemic stroke from distal- and medium-vessel occlusion (DMVO) for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). The intended audiences are prehospital care providers, physicians, and allied health professionals.

Methods: The Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology Guidelines and Practice Standards committee formed a writing group to conduct a structured literature review on EVT for DMVO-related acute ischemic stroke and to draft practice recommendations in accordance with the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology Guidelines and Practice Algorithm. A structured literature search was conducted …

Analysis Of Physicians Who Trained And Remain At Lehigh Valley Healthnetwork, Partof Jefferson Health: Factors Influencing Satisfaction And Retention, Michela Biondi, Terri Vian, Joseph E. Patruno Md

Research Scholars

No abstract provided.

Patient Ratio Impact On Patient Safety In The Emergency Department, Erin Griffin Rn, Rhonda Leavitt Rn

Nurse Residency

How does high patient to nurse ratios effect patient outcome and satisfaction compared to lower nurse to patient ratios?