Health and Medical Administration Commons^™

Teaching Ultrasound-Guided Knee Injection & Aspiration In A Family Medicine Residency Clinic, James Wesley, Dauwd Farooqi, Christopher Bazemore

North Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Finding Grace With Advanced Cirrhosis: Improving Palliative Care Consult Utilization Final Results, Saud Khan, Samuel Kwiatkowski, Anjali Lukose, Amanda T. Rivera Miranda, Priscilla Phan, Ashwini Komarla, Sabiha Kazi, Diana Treu, Amar Mandalia

North Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Improvement In Prenatal Education And Involvement In Patient Care, Miranda Ibrahim, Christelle Reeves, Timothy Kremer

North Texas Research Forum 2025

BACKGROUND: While the attempt is to educate the patient (and their family members) and empower them in their medical decision making, integration of birth plans and discussion of such plans is not routinely implemented by most obstetrical providers. There is currently no standardized approach to the education and birth plan development/or the obstetrical patients. The goal of this project, therefore, is to develop a standardized approach to discussion of birth plans and, albeit indirectly, allow for an opportunity for education for obstetrical patients. METHODS: On a daily basis, through birth plan discussions with patients during routine obstetrical visits, and via …

Painfully Obvious: Expanding Inpatient Buprenorphine For Opioid Use Disorder, Aline Levy-Sitnoveter, Mark Delic, Jonathan Aires Pinheiro, Eleana Estrella, Sankalp Goberdhan, Lauren Hundley, Richard Henriquez, Shamol Williams

North Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Probiotics For The Primary Prevention Of Inpatient, Antibiotic-Associated Clostridioides Difficile Infection: A Multi-Center, Retrospective Study, Cooper Josephs, Taylor Templeton-Jager, Julie Worthington

South Atlantic Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Nephrocheck Implementation And Its Impact On The Incidence Of Acute Kidney Injury After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, Michael Maccourtney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

NephroCheck Implementation and its Impact on the Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Michael C. MacCourtney

Problem Statement: Acute kidney injury occurs in up to 50% of patients after cardiac surgery (Meersche et al., 2017). This contributes to significant morbidity, mortality, and costs (Helgadottir et al., 2016). At the time of the project implementation, the standard of care involved measuring renal function utilizing serum creatinine (SCr) and urine output (UOP) without NephroCheck. These renal function labs do not represent a timely and accurate assessment of the patient’s current renal status because they do not …

A New Electronic Handoff Tool To Facilitate Patient Transfer From The Or To Sicu: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Kaylan Jean Kerrigan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction/Background: Transfer of care is a vulnerable time for patients. Continuity of care depends on good communication from the transferring team to the receiving team. Communication failures contribute to frustration among medical staff and poor patient outcomes. Purpose: The purose of this project was to improve handoff communication and satisfaction between the anesthesia team in the operating room (OR) and the receiving surgical intensive care unit (SICU) nurses. Intervention: A new electronic handoff tool was developed for the Epic electronic health record (EHR) to provide SICU nurses with patient information (name, age, allergies), procedure and diagnosis, intubation status, reversal status, …

Do Patients Who Receive Dexmedetomidine As An Adjunct To Spinal Anesthesia For Cesarean Delivery Achieve Longer Block Duration Compared To Those Who Receive Spinal Anesthesia With Local Anesthetic Alone?, Liana S. Garrison

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Problem Statement: Cesarean delivery is associated with significant postoperative pain, typically managed with spinal anesthesia using a local anesthetic. While opioids are often added as adjuncts, the addition of dexmedetomidine, an alpha-2 agonist, has emerged as a potential alternative that may enhance the efficacy of the spinal block in terms of pain management, potentially improving block duration and quality compared to local anesthetic alone.

Methodology: A literature review was conducted on the use of dexmedetomidine as an adjunct to spinal anesthesia for patients undergoing cesarean sections. Databases used for the search included PubMed, CINAHL Complete, and MEDLINE. The keywords used …

Identity: Inpatient Dialogue & Engagement With Nurses To Improve Team Dynamics Final Results, Anna Maria Abi Nehme, Ashley Becker, Raheeq Mohamedsaleh, Shin Zaw, Vigneshwar K. Ramasamy, Richard Henriquez, Jorge Restrepo, Ashwini Komarla

North Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Improving Gout Therapy In Patriot Clinic Final Results, Jerativat Satayarekha, Vigelo Servera Jr, Nicholas Maggio, Nathaniel Rosa Santiago, Fariha N. Mirza, Sahar Safavi

North Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

To Bridge Or Not To Bridge, Diane Habib, Negar Niknam, Mohammed Rajab, Lea El Achkar, Mahyar Mahmoudi

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Postpartum Glucose Testing And Primary Care Follow-Up For Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Quality Improvement Project, Madeline Bartram, Anusha Hussain, Timothy Kremer

North Texas Research Forum 2025

BACKGROUND: Patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have a 40-70% lifetime risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, which is 9 times the risk of patients without a history of GDM. Joint association guidelines recommend a 75-gram, 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (GTT) at 4 to 12 weeks postpartum for all patients with GDM, and to follow-up with a primary care physician. Currently, less than half of these patients do not receive the recommended postpartum glucose testing and/or follow-up. METHODS: For each GDM-affected pregnancy, two primary outcome measures were retrospectively collected from the clinic EHR: completion of the 75-gram GTT …

Improving Annual Wellness Visit Documentation In Clinic, Chak Lam Yeung, Gurunath Subramanyam, Krishna Ramesh, Mohammad Nadim, Jasmyne Bowser, John Sturgeon

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Introduction: Medicare beneficiaries who received an annual wellness visit (AWV) were noted to have reduced Medicare spending. Review of Medical City North Hills Internal Medicine Clinic data showed that 44% of eligible patients received an AWV. Improper documentation and coding were the primary reasons eligible AWVs were not accounted for even though they were performed. Majority of incomplete documentation was missing information regarding patient’s functional ability, level of safety, home safety, and activities of daily living. The information is normally obtained from a questionnaire completed by the patient prior to the visit. Questionnaire was noted by residents to be unorganized …

Reconciliaction Ensuring Accurate Home Medication List, Juan Pablo Meruvia Garron, Saud Khan, Akash Patel, Anna Maria Abi Nehme, Jomaris Centeno Girona, Olga Karasik

North Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Improving Skin Cancer Screening In A Fm Residency: Dermatoscope Utilization, Aleksandra Radzio, Navina Delight, Aniruddha Logan

North Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Improving Colon & Rectal Cancer Screening At Medical City North Hills Clinic, Basil Nduma, Sharvani Raguthu, Gurunath Subrahmanyam, John Sturgeon

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Despite its severity, fewer than half of eligible Americans undergo annual screening. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends CRC screening from age 45 to 75, with personalized assessments for those aged 76 to 85. The current CRC screening rate at the Medical City North Hills Internal Medicine Residents’ Clinic is 9.3%, significantly below the target rate of over 66%. Objective: This project aimed to increase the CRC screening rate from 9.3% to over 66% at the Medical City North Hills Internal Medicine Residents Clinic, in …

Never Admit Or Release Without Considering A Naloxone Script (Narcan), Farid Mughni, Mustafa Ibrahim, Dante Janolo, Samuel Ramos, Emma Rivas, Olga Karasik

North Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

There’S A Qr Code For That: Trauma Performance Improvement, Patient Safety, And Peer Review, April Miller, Luis Taveras, Elizabeth Kim, Kathy Galt

North Texas Research Forum 2025

In preparation for our facility’s initial ACS verification visit, a Trauma Consultative Site visit in 2021 identified the need for a streamlined process to communicate issues to the Trauma Program that were recognized during patient care. This was especially true on weekends and nights when issues were most likely to occur. A recent literature review revealed implementation of electronic communication tools increased reporting of performance improvement and patient safety (PIPS) events and improved tracking and resolution of events. The authors of that study used a virtual chatroom accessible from cell phone to post PIPS events. One perceived drawback to this …

A Phenomenological Study: Implicit Bias In The Hiring Practices Of Health Care Organizations (Perception, Impact On Workforce Diversity, Mitigation Methods, And Implementation Assessment), Mohamed Boubrik

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how implicit bias influences hiring practices within health care organizations. Specifically, it investigated the perceptions of hiring professionals regarding implicit bias, its impact on workforce diversity, the strategies used to mitigate it, and the effectiveness of those strategies in real-world implementation.

Methodology: This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach to capture the lived experiences of hiring professionals in Southern California health care organizations. A random sampling method was used to select participants across various health care facilities. Data collection was conducted through semistructured interviews, using a validated interview protocol as …

Increasing Pediatric Asthma Follow-Up Visits And Decreasing Emergency Department Visits In A Primary Care Setting, Rima M. Basal

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

The implementation of the asthma follow-up visits bundle in the pediatric primary care setting is an evidence-based practice project aimed at improving pediatric asthma management. This manuscript discusses the deployment of the bundle, which includes pre- and post- knowledge assessment for parents/caregivers, asthma education through a short video and handout, administration of the asthma control test (ACT), completion of a written asthma action plan (WAAP), and education about the patient portal and telehealth. The goal is to improve parent/caregiver knowledge, treatment adherence, follow-up visit compliance (in-person or virtual) and reduce emergency department (ED) utilization. Parent/caregiver knowledge increased by 23%, ACT …

Rural Hospital Closure And Medicaid Expansion, Jason White

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: In the United States, hospitals in rural areas have been under financial pressure and have been closing at an increasing rate.  This reduces access to care for rural citizens.  The Affordable Care Act of 2010 was passed in order to increase access to medical care, partially through an optional expansion of Medicaid coverage to a larger percentage of the population.  As some states adopted the expansion and some states did not, an opportunity was created to examine the policy’s effect on rural hospital stability.

Purpose of the Study:  This study was designed to examine the effect of …

The Impact Of High Deductible Health Plans On Mental Health Treatment, Kristian D. Dambrino

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Project Title: The Impact of High Deductible Health Plans on Mental Health Treatment

Background and Rationale: High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) are designed to reduce overall healthcare spending by shifting more upfront costs to patients to discourage overutilization of care, yet HDHPs often increase financial burden, particularly in outpatient mental health care. Patients covered by HDHPs often face substantial out-of-pocket costs before reaching their deductible. This can lead to potential delays or discontinuation of psychiatric treatment. Financial transparency interventions by the mental health provider may mitigate these barriers through more-informed patient decision-making regarding payment options. This project evaluates the impact …

Artificial Intelligence In Radiology, Olivia Sweeney

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) has increasingly transformed radiologic practice by improving diagnostic accuracy, streamlining workflows, and reducing interpretation errors. As AI integration has expanded across imaging modalities, questions have emerged regarding its effectiveness compared to traditional radiologist-only interpretation.

Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the impact of AI-assisted radiology on diagnostic accuracy, efficiency, and error reduction, while also assessing clinician perceptions of AI as a collaborative tool in imaging analysis.

Methodology: This qualitative study has used a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature published between 2015 and 2025, following PRISMA guidelines, combined with an interview …

Closing The Communication Gap: A Quality Improvement Approach To Safer Shift Changes And Transfers, Stephanie O'Kresik Jewette, Annette Santiago

East Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Seizure Action Plan, Ian Holt, Sy Jama

East Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Why Ai Monitoring Faces Resistance And What Healthcare Organizations Can Do About It: An Emotion-Based Perspective, Karl Werder, Lan Cao, Eun Hee Park, Balasubramaniam Ramesh

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

Continuous monitoring of patients' health facilitated by artificial intelligence (AI) has enhanced the quality of health care, that is, the ability to access effective care. However, AI monitoring often encounters resistance to adoption by decision makers. Healthcare organizations frequently assume that the resistance stems from patients' rational evaluation of the technology's costs and benefits. Recent research challenges this assumption and suggests that the resistance to AI monitoring is influenced by the emotional experiences of patients and their surrogate decision makers. We develop a framework from an emotional perspective, provide important implications for healthcare organizations, and offer recommendations to help reduce …

Racial Health Disparities Among Pregnant Women Of Color In New York City: Biological And Systemic Impacts, Kaylin Peña

Pitzer Senior Theses

Racial Health Disparities Among Pregnant Women of Color in New York City: Biological and Systemic Impacts

Abstract

This thesis aims to explore how racial health disparities, underrepresentation in gynecology, and socioeconomic barriers contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes among women of color in New York City. Through an interdisciplinary approach that combines resources from medical anthropology and human biology, this research will examine the biological implications of chronic stress, specifically HPA axis dysregulation, and its role in maternal health outcomes. With the idea of intersectionality, as conceptualized by Kimberlé Crenshaw, the study analyzes the various effects of systemic inequities and social …

Initiation Of Sterile Vaginal Preps Prior To Cesarean Sections: A Quality Improvement Project, Diane Gilbertson, Timothy Kremer, Kimberly Udell

North Texas Research Forum 2025

OBJECTIVE: Research on patients undergoing routine gynecological procedures with a vaginal preparation has demonstrated a significant reduction in post-operative infections by decreasing the burden of vaginal bacteria. Despite this research, as well as evidence that they reduce postpartum endometritis, especially in labor patients or those with ruptured membranes (Lui), vaginal preparations prior to cesarean section are not standard practice. Prior to the initiation of this quality improvement project, no patients delivering at Medical City Arlington received a vaginal preparation prior to a cesarean delivery. The goal of this quality improvement project is to improve clinical care, patient safety, and healthcare …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of A Rapid Response Training Course, Nasima Mehraban, Caroline Brooke, Vivek Punjabi, Veeranna Vibhuti

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Introduction: Rapid response teams are crucial in healthcare settings for managing clinical emergencies. To enhance the preparedness of interns in handling such situations, we developed a rapid response training course. This study aimed to evaluate the course's effectiveness by examining changes in residents' self-reported confidence levels before and after completing the training. Methods: A group of interns participated in five simulated rapid response scenarios. Before the training, participants rated their confidence level on a scale from 1 (not confident in running a rapid response) to 10 (very confident). Following the training, they reassessed their confidence level. Pre- and post-training ratings …

Improving Communication And Follow Up For Incidental Findings From Panscan Imaging, Makenzie Morrissey, Kristen Payne, Randall Rittmann, Chris Robert, Joseph Lim, Danielle Pigneri

North Texas Research Forum 2025

OBJECTIVE: Incidental findings in medical imaging pose a significant challenge in healthcare due to the potential for missed follow-ups, which can lead to adverse outcomes for patients. These findings, which are unrelated to the primary purpose of the imaging study, are increasingly common due to advances in imaging technology and its widespread use. The consequences of missed follow-ups can be severe. For instance, the rate of malignancy in incidental pulmonary nodule id about 5% and follow up fails in 30-70% of cases. This means for every 120 CT chest scans ordered, 1 lung cancer is missed (McWilliams et al., 2013). …