Diseases Commons^™

Monkeypox Guidelines 8-18-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

We want to share some information with you regarding the monkeypox virus and the process should there be cases on campus. As always, we will be following CDC guidelines and the advice of state and local health officials.

Coronavirus Update 8-4-2022, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

With most students coming to campus in just a few weeks, we want to fill you in on our COVID protocols as we start the year.

Coronavirus Update 5-11-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

With the end of the semester, we have shut down the COVID dashboard. We will evaluate the need for it in the future based on the status of the virus.

Increasing The Utilization Of A Cardiovascular Risk Assessment & Screening Tool Through Education In A Primary Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Project, Taylor A. Massey

DNP Projects

Background and Significance: The World Health Organization (WHO) (2021) reports that 55.4 million people died worldwide in 2019; cardiovascular diseases due to ischemic heart disease and stroke were the top two leading causes of these deaths. Experts predict that by the year 2030, more than 22.2 million people will die annually from cardiovascular disease (Ruan et al., 2018). Noninvasive cardiovascular screening tests, such as the "Pulse4Pulse" screening tool, are a way to help providers identify patients at high-risk for cardiovascular disease and initiate treatment to reduce future risk.

Purpose: To increase provider utilization of the "Pulse4Pulse" screening test in a …

Increasing Awareness Of Hereditary Fructose Intolerance: An Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Project, Jacqueline M. Bridge

DNP Projects

Background: Hereditary Fructose Intolerance (HFI) is an inborn error of metabolism which results in the absence of an effective Aldolase B enzyme. Without this enzyme, ingestion of fructose and metabolic precursors leads to acute illness, multiorgan damage, and possible death. The increased presence of these sugars results in earlier onset of symptoms and more difficulty for those with HFI.

Purpose: The project’s aim is to increase awareness of HFI in healthcare providers using a learning module and assessments of knowledge at three different points in time.

Methods: The IOWA model for evidence-based practice projects was applied during the development and …

Implementing A Stroke Process Improvement Group To Reduce Time To Thrombectomy In Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke At Greenwich Hospital, Victoria Merrill

DNP Projects

Introduction: Delays in door to skin puncture time for patients with ischemic stroke are associated with worse clinical outcomes. The following quality improvement study was conducted at Greenwich Hospital which aimed to decrease door to skin puncture time for endovascular stroke treatment. Greenwich Hospital began its new stroke program in January 2020 and opened thrombectomy capable interventional radiology (IR) services. Delays to door to skin puncture times existed with average time being 100 minutes with a goal time of 90 minutes or less for 50% or more of patients directly arriving to the hospital and 60 minutes or less for …

Implementation Of 3-Minute Diabetic Foot Exam For At Risk Diabetic Patients In Urban Primary Care Setting, Suzana Alvarez

DNP Projects

Background: Healthcare providers manage chronic health concerns by reducing the risk of diabetic complications among their patient population. In 2017, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and Connecticut. In Connecticut, there are 19,500 newly diagnosed diabetics and four Connecticut cities have higher occurrence of diabetes: Waterbury, New Britain, Hartford, and Bridgeport. Bridgeport Primary Care (BPC) had no policy or procedure in place to require the providers to complete a routine diabetic foot exam. The aim of this project was to promote and implement a tool to assist the BPC providers in evaluating adult …

Coronavirus Update 4-28-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

With the semester coming to a close, there are a few things we wanted to share with you about testing. This week will be the last week of mandatory testing.

Coronavirus Update 4-5-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

Based on current numbers and trends and in accordance with CDC guidance, we will recommend vaccination, but not require it, for the fall. Vaccination has been one component of our strategy, along with testing, tracing, isolation, quarantine, masking, hygiene and social distancing. We will continue to follow the way the virus evolves and listen to the advice of state and local health officials, and we will let you know over the summer as decisions are made on our testing, isolation and other strategies for the fall.

Improving Heart Failure Patient Referrals To The Center For Advanced Heart Failure & Pulmonary Vascular Disease At Hartford Hospital: A Quality Improvement Project, Dawn M. Surprenant

DNP Projects

Significance and Background: According to the Health Resources & Services Administration (2021), health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to process and understand basic health information to make appropriate health decisions. Low health literacy is prevalent in populations such as older adults, minorities, and in individuals with lower socioeconomic status and living in medical underserved areas. Recommendations are to access health literacy in cardiac patients, especially in the acute care setting to improve health outcomes upon discharge.

Purpose: To determine whether a health literacy assessment in hospitalized congested heart failure patients, before discharge, will affect referral …

Vaccine Hesitancy In The Post-Covid-19 Era: An Interdisciplinary Approach For A Trust-And-Risk Paradigm With Governmental And Intergovernmental Implications, Laurent Cleenewerck De Kiev, Danny A. Schieffler

Healthcare Informatics Faculty Publications

Vaccine hesitancy was described as a major global health challenge by the World Health Organization before the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic (Ten Health Issues WHO Will Tackle This Year, 2019).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the introduction of several new vaccines (notably Pfizer, Moderna, J&J) and with them new vaccine technologies (mRNA) under emergency use authorization (EUA), combined with the political context of these vaccines’ accelerated development, triggered a heightened level of vaccine hesitancy and refusal in the United States and around the world (FDA, 2021).

This paper study undertakes to investigate the foundations and recent evolution of this phenomenon …

Standardizing Naturalistic Teaching Opportunities For Problem-Based Learning In Diabetes Education: A Quality Improvement Project, Austin Mccaslin

DNP Projects

Significance and Background:

Poor diabetes management is linked to serious long and short-term health complications. Despite this, medication adherence is a significant problem in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Management is further complicated by low socioeconomic status, even when mitigated by free healthcare, highlighting health literacy as a culprit of disparities. Evidence shows that a common barrier for adolescents is proficiency in dose determination. Carbohydrate counting is an integral skill, necessary for attaining glycemic control. At a homecare agency serving adolescents with poorly controlled diabetes by providing oversight of medication administration and education, it was noted that patients continued to …

Coronavirus Update 3-23-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

There will be a booster clinic on campus this coming Saturday, March 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Edgerton Center atrium. The clinic will be open to SHU community members and their family and friends.

Coronavirus Update 3-10-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

As you know, the deadline for employees to receive a booster shot was March 1, and the deadline for students is March 15. Anyone who has received an exemption or has not complied with the booster deadline will need to be tested weekly throughout the remainder of the semester. We also recommend that those who have not been vaccinated and/or received a booster wear a mask indoors.

Coronavirus Update 3-3-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

We have scheduled a booster clinic on campus on Saturday.

We want to remind you to make sure you have picked up your at-home COVID test before you leave for break. Please take the test the morning that you first plan to return to campus.

Coronavirus Update 2-24-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

Given the low numbers of positive cases on campus and the trends at other campuses and in towns and cities in the area, we are modifying our indoor mask mandate, effective March 1.

The Day The World Shut Down, Anonymous

Community Reflections

If I could tell only one thing to future generations about the hardships of the pandemic, I would tell them that no one thing in life is permanent. Things you could never imagine being temporary can be taken from you in an instant. The pandemic has taught me how to adapt during difficult times.

It Was Friday March 13th, Anonymous

Community Reflections

The Coronavirus is very similar to both “The Plague” and “The Black Death” in numerous ways. The spread of infection, self-quarantine, travel bans, and lack of a cure, are all qualities that these diseases share.

Challenging And Eye-Opening, Anonymous

Community Reflections

Standing next to us at the store was a man wearing a mask and gloves. Little did I know that that would be my attire for the next year.

Covid Pushed Me To Want To Be A Nurse Even More, Anonymous

Community Reflections

The biggest adjustment for other High school students as well as myself was switching from in-person to remote learning.

A Time Of Growth And Learning, Anonymous

Community Reflections

I spent most of my time reflecting, and I learned to appreciate what I already had and set new goals for myself.

Coronavirus Update 2-10-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

The Connecticut Governor’s state-wide mask mandate for K-12 schools is set to expire at the end of this month, leaving the decision up to local communities. Because the CDC still lists Fairfield County as a high-transmission area and, on the advice of state and local health officials, Sacred Heart will continue to require indoor masking for the time being.

Life During The Covid-19 Pandemic Was, And Still Is, Dispiriting, Anonymous

Community Reflections

For me personally, I did not enjoy quarantining at all. I did enjoy seeing my family every day, however, I was very lonely. I couldn’t see any of my friends, which was very disappointing. Thankfully with social media I could facetime them and text them, but face-to-face contact with other people is very necessary; it is something you wouldn’t normally think is important, but when you are unable to physically be with other people, you realize how lonely you feel.

Coronavirus Update 2-3-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

There will be two booster clinics on campus this weekend that will be open to students, faculty and staff and their family members.

Coronavirus Update 1-27-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

Today’s dashboard shows 57 positive cases. We are lifting the additional restrictions that we announced at the beginning of the semester. To help with the severe shortage of blood on-campus blood drives are planned.

The Covid-19 Pandemic: The New Way Of Living, Anonymous

Community Reflections

The coronavirus came to America in the beginning of the year, 2021. My contribution is based on the virus's peak and how it affected my family. My essay ranges from what life was like as a high school student in New York witnessing the pandemic to my family being exposed. It touches on the important features of being in lockdown and the adjustment society had to make that still exists today. A common theme throughout my assessment is the development of fear from the coronavirus. It discusses how fear has driven many of the restrictions that my community has had …

Coronavirus Update 1-21-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

Students who are unvaccinated and those who have been randomly selected will need to register for testing next week.

Coronavirus Update 1-20-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

There has been some confusion about the process if you test positive through a test not administered by the University. The graphic below explains the process.

We have partnered with our public health program to facilitate COVID-related communications.

Sacred Heart University is becoming a JED Campus.

Coronavirus Update 1-13-2022, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

As you know, we have been extremely successful keeping the community safe and the number of COVID cases low. This has been a result of vaccinations, testing and your diligence with masking and other safety protocols. Because the omicron variant is so highly transmissible, it presents some different challenges than we have previously faced, but nothing that we can’t handle.

Coronavirus Update 1-6-22, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

Updated CDC Guidelines for Quarantining and Isolating

The CDC recently updated its guidelines for quarantining and isolating. We delayed implementing the new guidelines, because we expected the CDC to release more specific guidance for institutions of higher education. After consulting with state and local health officials, we have decided to move forward with the new guidelines. When the CDC does release guidelines for higher education, we will review them and may update our protocols accordingly. We are sharing some highlights of the new guidelines below, but the guidance is constantly changing, and you can find the most up-to-the-minute decisions on …