Public Health Commons^™

Firsthand Experience In A Community Pharmacy Through The Lens Of A Pharmacy Technician, Khamariah Patrice Yelder-Anderson

Honors Theses

In the first chapter, I discussed three of the major issues in a community pharmacy which are rude customers, phones, and shorter hours. Technicians have to deal with very opinionated customers who can come off as insolent. The phones are a popular mode of communication for both the patients and physicians but that doesn’t account for the added demands it places on pharmacy workers. Lastly, the pharmacy has experienced later openings with earlier closings that have left filled queues and unhappy customers. The next chapter, interpersonal dynamic, takes a deeper look into how various roles of the pharmacy engage with …

Covid-19, Vaccination, And Heart Transplantation, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Dietary Score Associations With Markers Of Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Analysis Of A Middle- To Older-Aged Population, Seán R. Miller, Pilar Navarro, Janas M. Harrington, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., James Hébert Scd, Ivan J. Perry, Catherine M. Phillips

Faculty Publications

Purpose

To assess relationships between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Mediterranean Diet (MD), Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII^®) and Energy-adjusted DII (E-DII™) scores and pro-inflammatory cytokines, adipocytokines, acute-phase response proteins, coagulation factors and white blood cells.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study of 1862 men and women aged 46–73 years, randomly selected from a large primary care centre in Ireland. DASH, MD, DII and E-DII scores were derived from validated food frequency questionnaires. Correlation and multivariate-adjusted linear regression analyses with correction for multiple testing were performed to examine dietary score relationships with biomarker concentrations.

Results

In fully …

Editorial: The Interplay Between Social Determinants Of Health And Cancer Related Health Disparities, Tung-Sung Tseng, Chien Ching Li, Alicia K. Matthews

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Polygenic Transcriptome Risk Scores For Copd And Lung Function Improve Cross-Ethnic Portability Of Prediction In The Nhlbi Topmed Program, Xiaowei Hu, Dandi Qiao, Wonji Kim, Matthew Moll, Pallavi P Balte, Leslie A Lange, Traci M Bartz, Rajesh Kumar, Xingnan Li, Bing Yu, Brian E Cade, Cecelia A Laurie, Tamar Sofer, Ingo Ruczinski, Deborah A Nickerson, Donna M Muzny, Ginger A Metcalf, Harshavardhan Doddapaneni, Stacy Gabriel, Namrata Gupta, Shannon Dugan-Perez, L Adrienne Cupples, Laura R Loehr, Deepti Jain, Jerome I Rotter, James G Wilson, Bruce M Psaty, Myriam Fornage, Alanna C Morrison, Ramachandran S Vasan, George Washko, Stephen S Rich, George T O'Connor, Eugene Bleecker, Robert C Kaplan, Ravi Kalhan, Susan Redline, Sina A Gharib, Deborah Meyers, Victor Ortega, Josée Dupuis, Stephanie J London, Tuuli Lappalainen, Elizabeth C Oelsner, Edwin K Silverman, R Graham Barr, Timothy A Thornton, Heather E Wheeler, Topmed Lung Working Group, Michael H Cho, Hae Kyung Im, Ani Manichaikul

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

While polygenic risk scores (PRSs) enable early identification of genetic risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), predictive performance is limited when the discovery and target populations are not well matched. Hypothesizing that the biological mechanisms of disease are shared across ancestry groups, we introduce a PrediXcan-derived polygenic transcriptome risk score (PTRS) to improve cross-ethnic portability of risk prediction. We constructed the PTRS using summary statistics from application of PrediXcan on large-scale GWASs of lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1] and its ratio to forced vital capacity [FEV1/FVC]) in the UK Biobank. We examined prediction performance and …

Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate, Mikhail Kun, Tatiana Ryzhakova

Publications and Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the planet and killed millions of people. Health care workers and radiology technicians who come into direct contact with COVID-19 patients have indeed been the most affected by the virus. Since the pandemic began, the COVID-19 cases among health care workers have surged and quadrupled. COVID-19 vaccine mandate is the need of the time. Mandates have a history and are in effect for other diseases such as smallpox, measles, or mumps. But since the vaccines have come out for COVID-19, there is a public impetus to condemn these vaccines, based on the false …

Stirring Up The Soil: Best Practices To Mitigate Lead Exposure In Contaminated Soils Within Omaha, Nebraska, Mckenzie Blaine

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Cities across the nation in the United States experience problems associated with lead contamination in their urban soils due to industrial pollution. In many instances, the emission of lead particles occurred – unregulated – for several decades. Though there are federal cleanup efforts to help minimize the negative impacts of lead contamination for the public in the United States, the efforts are designated for specified criteria and thus do not reach all areas which need to be remediated. In order to perform proper lead abatement practices, local organizations must take initiative on projects which meet the needs and demands of …

Sources Of Patient Information For Type 2 Diabetes Self-Care In Northern Mississippi, Minh-Sang La

Honors Theses

Given the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the United States and the continuous rise of cases, especially within Mississippi, there is an increasing need to identify if, and how, patients with Type 2 Diabetes receive information about self-care. While there is data available on the topic of where patients receive their information and the influence it has on their health in other countries of the world, the research on the source of Type 2 Diabetes education in the United States is scarce. Therefore, this study aims to bridge the gap of understanding where patients with Type 2 Diabetes …

A Geographically Targeted Approach For A Preceptor Tax Incentive Using Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (Hpsas), Julia Mattingly, Sarah Belcher, Samuel C. Kessler

Commonwealth Policy Papers

Years before the COVID-19 pandemic brought on a health care shortage in Kentucky, its rural areas were already struggling to obtain and attract primary care medical practitioners. Even though the number of medical school graduates in the U.S. has steadily increased throughout the years, there is a general disinterest in rural or small-town practice, and legislators throughout the country have pondered ways to address this issue plaguing communities. Versions of Preceptor Tax Incentive legislation in Kentucky have been proposed in the General Assembly to address care shortages in the state, however, all have been unsuccessful at truly targeting rural areas …

Initiating Coordination Of Care For Children In State Custody Or Shelter Care, Angela Doswell

Research Days

Problem Statement/Question: Children in the foster care system experience barriers to continuity of care, both in the primary and subspecialty outpatient settings.

Background/Project Intent (Aim Statement): To decrease average percentage of scheduled but missed specialty appointments whose initial referrals were placed in the Foundations Foster Care Clinic (FCC) from 40% to 20% over a 10- month period from March-December 2020.

Methods (include PDSA cycles): Referrals to specialty clinics were placed during an initial or follow-up visit in the Foundations Foster Care Clinic (FCC). One PDSA cycle was performed and involved notification of the patient’s case worker when a referral was …

2022-05-04 Michiganoverview_Covidbedppe, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Hospital Data

Contains the tables Statewide Hospital Capacity Report for COVID-19, COVID-19 Metrics, Statewide Hospital Available PPE Tracking for COVID-19, as well as the tables PPE Days On Hand and Patient Census.

2022-05-04_Michiganoverview_Covidvaccinestats, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Data

The COVID Vaccine Dashboard page was obtained from Michigan's main COVID-19 page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/resources/covid-19-vaccine/covid-19-dashboard.

First-dose tracker above is for entire Michigan Population. Coverage maps below are for age 5+.

Previously reported numbers of administered vaccine doses may change as new data are received. A possible lag in reporting vaccine doses will result in increases in numbers previously reported.

This report is created by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Division of Immunization from data reported to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR).

The dashboard contained the tabs Primary Series Doses Administered, Primary Series Doses by Vaccine, …

2022-05-04_Michiganoverview_Covidcounts, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Confirmed Cases by Date of Onset Data

Data was downloaded as an Excel spreadsheet which appeared in the Public Use Datasets section under the Cumulative Data link of Michigan's Coronavirus webpage, under the url https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/stats.

Cases are aggregated by the date of onset of COVID-19 symptoms, if known, otherwise by laboratory specimen date if known, otherwise by case referral date. Deaths are aggregated by the date of death if known, otherwise by the last date of a change to the case status.

2022-05-04_Michiganoverview_Covidstats, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Cumulative Michigan COVID-19 Data

The COVID Overview page was obtained from Michigan's main COVID-19 page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/stats.

The State of Michigan is working around the clock to test and treat COVID-19 patients. Below is the most recent data healthcare experts across the state have compiled. COVID case and testing data will be posted once a week on Wednesdays.

This report is provisional and subject to change. City of Detroit and Wayne County are reported separately. MDHHS began tracking probable cases April 5, 2020. FCI indicates federal correctional institute. MDOC indicates Michigan Department of Corrections. Diagnostic tests, including nucleic acid amplification/real-time polymerase chain reaction (NAAT/RT-PCR) …

2022-05-04_Michigandaily_Covidmap, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Daily Michigan COVID-19 Update

The "WHERE WE STAND WITH COVID-19" map was obtained from Michigan's main COVID-19 page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated once a week on Wednesdays.

The State of Michigan is working around the clock to test and treat COVID-19 patients. Below is the most recent data healthcare experts across the state have compiled.

The image contained a map, indicating total cases by county provided by the CDC. It also contains a second map of Michigan COVID-19 Community Levels by County, not captured in this screenshot. The figure …

Blue Zones: Unlocking Key Themes In The Centenarian's Life, Grace Beer, Grace O. Beer

Honors College Theses

Longevity has been sought after in certain areas of the world, and there are specific regions where this has been achieved. There is an American average life expectancy of 72 years old, but individuals in “Blue Zones” here in America and other areas of the world are expected to and have proven to live well beyond 100. The areas of Okinawa, Sardinia, Nicoya, Ikaria, and Loma Linda are classified as Blue Zones, and there could be more of an understanding of how these people live the way they do to have such healthy physical outcomes. To deeply understand the strategy …

The Long-Term Health And Developmental Impacts Of Children Born At Low Birth Weight, Kathryn Grace Kelly

Honors Theses

The state of Mississippi currently has the highest incidence of low birth weight (LBW) births in the United States. LBW is a negative birth outcome which can lead to suboptimal pediatric health and development. The primary goals of this thesis are to identify the long-term outcomes associated with LBW and to present potential interventions to address LBW. A combination of literature review and quantitative data analysis were used to inform the objective of this thesis. A variety of physical health, behavioral health, and other long-term issues were found associated with LBW. The consequences of LBW place LBW children at a …

Assessing The Coverage Of Us Cancer Center Primary Catchment Areas., Amy E Leader, Christopher Mcnair, Christina Yurick, Matthew Huesser, Elizabeth Schade, Emily E Stimmel, Caryn Lerman, Karen E Knudsen

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Background: Cancer centers are expected to engage communities and reduce the burden of cancer in their catchment areas. However, the extent to which cancer centers adequately reach the entire US population is unknown. Methods: We surveyed all members of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (N ¼ 102 cancer centers) to document and map each cancer center’s primary catchment area. Catchment area descriptions were aggregated to the county level. Catchment area coverage scores were calculated for each county and choropleths generated representing coverage across the US. Similar analyses were used to overlay US population density, cancer incidence, and cancer-related mortality …

A State-Wide Education Program On Opioid Use Disorder: Influential Community Members' Knowledge, Beliefs, And Opportunities For Coalition Development, Lindsey Hohmann, Haley Phillippe, Karen Marlowe, Ruth Jeminiwa, Natalie Hohmann, Salisa Westrick, Amanda Fowler, Brent Fox

College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers

Background: Deep South states, particularly Alabama, experience disproportionately higher opioid prescribing rates versus national rates. Considering limited opioid use disorder (OUD) providers in this region, collaborative efforts between non-healthcare professionals is critical in mitigating overdose mortality. The Alabama Opioid Training Institute (OTI) was created in 2019 to empower community members to take action in combatting OUD in local regions. The OTI included: 1) eight full-day in-person conferences; and 2) an interactive mobile-enabled website ( https://alabamaoti.org ). This study assessed the impact of the OTI on influential community members' knowledge, abilities, concerns, readiness, and intended actions regarding OUD and opioid overdose …

Contributions Community Health Centers In The Delta Have Made During The Pandemic And Their Future, Ajah Tiyanna Singleton

Honors Theses

Community health centers that are located in the Mississippi Delta serve as critical points of contact for residents pertaining to medical care. The framework for the services provided locally, and nationally, originate from the now Delta Health Center in Mound Bayou, MS. The care that providers within these institutions have transformed over the course of the pandemic, and the aid rendered to patients have enabled residents to maintain their current level of health. Analyzing the various services provided during this time will allow for stakeholders to determine the next steps for these institutions as the imminent transition into a COVID-19 …

Covid-19 Newsletter (Vol. 117), Center For Disaster Medicine, New York Medical College

COVID-19 Newsletter

No abstract provided.

2022-05-03_Michiganoverview_Covidlongtermcare, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Long Term Care Data

The COVID Long Term Care Facilities page was obtained from Michigan's COVID-19 data page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/stats/data-about-places/long-term-care-data.

This report is created by the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services from data self-reported by long-term care facilities into EMResource. Data for all reporting facilities is posted weekly each Monday.

The information below represents COVID-19 data reported directly to MDHHS by licensed and operating Skilled Nursing, Home for the Aged and Adult Foster Care facilities (licensed to serve 13 or more individuals) in Michigan from January 1, 2020. All long-term care facilities additionally have an obligation to report COVID-positive residents and/or staff …

Infrastructure And Policies Supporting Physical Activity Habits: A Comparison Between The United States And Europe, Anisha Laddha

Honors College Theses

Most adults in the United States are not getting enough physical activity, and this is causing high rates of adverse health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the population. The rising costs of cardiovascular disease are a national problem that must be tackled from multiple perspectives. This literature review explores policies and infrastructure implemented in European countries with better health outcomes and higher physical activity levels in the population compared to the United States. The infrastructure in places such as Germany and Denmark is constructed to encourage physical activity in the form of active transportation such as walking …

Empower You: An Adult Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Management Program With Utilization Of A Mobile Phone Application, Kelsey Jahn

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

In 2018, 34.2 million Americans had diabetes and there continues to be 1.5 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes every year (ADA, 2018). Due to this increasing prevalence, self-management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is essential to disease management. The PICOT question for this project was: In adults with T2DM with a hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) greater than 8% in a diabetes specialty clinic (P), what is the effect of a multimodal smartphone application (I) compared to prior nonuse of the application (C) on average blood glucose readings (O) over an 8-week period (T)? The project was completed in a large, …

Screening And Follow Up For Postpartum Depression: How To Improve Practice, Mallory Matusik

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting one in seven women during their reproductive years (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [ACOG], 2018). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to improve screening and management of PPD using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) screening tool and a protocol for appropriate treatment and follow up care for PPD. A protocol was created by the project leader with information on screening and diagnosis, follow up, and treatment for PPD. The protocol also included information on how to assess for suicidal and/or homicidal ideation …

Walking Is Worthy: Walking For Hypertension, Ashleigh Y. Peterson

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Elevated blood pressure (BP), or hypertension (HTN), can cause a cascade of detrimental effects to the body. It is associated with increased risk of stroke, angina, myocardial infarction, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, end-stage renal disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysms (Whelton et al., 2018). HTN is also a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the United States’ (U.S.) leading cause of death in men and women (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force [USPSTF], 2020). The PICOT question for this project was: does an eight-week (T) structured walking program utilizing a smartwatch for step counts and …

Vikela Ekhaya: A Novel, Community-Based, Tuberculosis Contact Management Program In A High Burden Setting, Alexander W Kay, Micaela Sandoval, Godwin Mtetwa, Musa Mkhabela, Banele Ndlovu, Tara Devezin, Welile Sikhondze, Debrah Vambe, Joyce Sibanda, Gloria S Dube, Robert H Stevens, Bhekumusa Lukhele, Anna M Mandalakas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The prevention of tuberculosis (TB) in child contacts of TB cases and people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a public health priority, but global access to TB preventive therapy (TPT) remains low. In 2019, we implemented Vikela Ekhaya, a novel community-based TB contact management program in Eswatini designed to reduce barriers to accessing TPT.

METHODS: Vikela Ekhaya offered differentiated TB and HIV testing for household contacts of TB cases by using mobile contact management teams to screen contacts, assess their TPT eligibility, and initiate and monitor TPT adherence in participants' homes.

RESULTS: In total, 945 contacts from …

The Racial Divide: A Follow Up Study On Racial Disparity Amongst Covid-19 Survivors In An Urban Community, Christopher Millet, Emily Racoosin, Spandana Narvaneni, George Horani, Sherif Roman, Alisa Farokhian, Arslan Chaudhry, Sohail Chaudhry, Yezin Shamoon, Humberto Jimenez, Patrick Michael, Jin Suh

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Background Studies have shown that COVID-19 has had a disproportionate effect on minority groups in both the clinical and social settings in America. We conducted a follow up study on patients previously diagnosed with COVID-19 one year ago in an urban community in New Jersey. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 as well as assess for receptiveness towards COVID-19 vaccination amongst various ethnic groups.

Methods This was a prospective cohort study consisting of patients who had recovered from COVID-19 one year prior. The patients included in the study had a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis …

A Scoping Review Of Vaping, E-Cigarettes And Mental Health Impact: Depression And Suicidality, Sana Javed, Sadia Usmani, Zouina Sarfraz, Azza Sarfraz, Aunsa Hanif, Amena Firoz, Rusab Baig, Medha Sharath, Namrata Walia, Ivan Chérrez-Ojeda, Saeed Ahmed

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Electronic cigarettes have grown in popularity due to natural curiosity, novel flavors, and advertising as both a means to aid smoking cessation and a “safe” smoking option. There is a substantial body of research on the harmful physical health effects of vaping, but there are relatively few studies on its mental health effects, particularly in adolescents 10e21 years of age. The purpose of this review is to examine the negative effects of vaping on mental health, in particular depression and suicidality. focused on observational studies looking into association between vaping, depression and suicidality. We found 7255 studies; after removing duplicates …

2022-05-02 Michiganoverview_Covidbedppe, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Hospital Data

Contains the tables Statewide Hospital Capacity Report for COVID-19, COVID-19 Metrics, Statewide Hospital Available PPE Tracking for COVID-19, as well as the tables PPE Days On Hand and Patient Census.