An e-newsletter of Jefferson College of Population Health
May 2021
A Message from the Dean
Dear Colleagues:

B-r-e-a-t-h-e…we are optimistic that the worst is behind us in terms of the pandemic. Our JCPH community has been amazing! I’ve been heartened and inspired by the commitment and perseverance of our students and staff over the past 15 months. As we slowly begin to return to “normal” activities -- and eventually, campus life -- I want to express how much I respect and admire our JCPH community.

Next week marks commencement for the Class of 2021! Over 135 JCPH students representing all programs will graduate. I’m incredibly proud of their accomplishments and look forward to seeing their future endeavors. For commencement details visit: Jefferson.edu/Commencement. The JCPH ceremony (#5) begins Tuesday, May 25th at 2:30 pm ET, available to the public virtually.

I’d like to share a few JCPH highlights and upcoming events:
 
 
Congratulations to the JCPH Class of 2021! I wish everyone a safe and fabulous summer! 
Sincerely,
Willie H. Oglesby, PhD, MBA, MSPH, FRSPH, FACHE
Interim Dean
Jefferson College of Population Health
Student & Alumni Spotlight
Abby Cabrera, MPH,'13 is a currently project manager at the Center for Excellence in Primary Care at the University of California, San Francisco. After six years working at Jefferson’s department of Family & Community Medicine and the Center for Urban Health, she moved back to her home state of California. She has been managing multiple community health research studies and projects aimed at reducing health disparities in the Bay Area and throughout the state including: a randomized control trial utilizing Health Coach assisted consultations for patients from FQHCs with chronic diseases; a statewide project working to expand existing community outreach efforts regarding the COVID vaccine; and establishing and managing a COVID research patient and community advisory board. In March 2021, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors appointed Abby to serve in the research/medical seat for a 2-year term on the San Francisco Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee. “I’m thankful for the education, experience, and mentorship that JCPH provided me. I’m still in close touch with my mentors! My time at Jefferson prepared me to be a leader and advocate working towards health equity and justice”

Kaitlyn Davis is a student in the Jeff LPHT MPH program and a clinical research coordinator in the department of Family & Community Medicine. Kaitlyn recently participated in Interprofessional Student Hotspotting Program sponsored by Jefferson Center for Interprofessional Education and Practice. The program facilitates teams of interprofessional students learning about the challenges faced by patients with complex health and social needs during their interactions with the healthcare system. Kaitlyn's Hotspotting Reflection poster was co-authored by her team, Natalie Gerari (School of Nursing); Kashka Mallari (Sidney Kimmel College of Medicine); Mihail Petrove (College of Population Health); and Kyla Rogers (School of Nursing). Kaitlyn explains, "My experience in this program only reaffirmed my commitment to public health and learning about the role the social determinants of health play in a person's life. There's a lot of work to be done to transform our society in a way that works for everyone and I'm excited to be learning how I can play a role in that transformation!" 

Devanshi Dash
Jacquelyn "Jacqui" Hamati
Two public health students Devanshi Dash, and Jaquelyn Hamati (MD-MPH) embraced leadership roles by coordinating an interdisciplinary research training program between LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), in Hyderabad, India, Wills Eye Hospital, and JCPH. The week long program, “Workshop on Research Methodology and Biostatistics” was initiatied by Dr. Raja Narayanan, (LVPEI) and overseen collaboratively with Dr. Leslie Hyman (Wills Eye Hospital), and Dr. Rosemary Frasso (JCPH). Read more about their experiences.

Sabina Spigner, MS, MPH is a graduate of our public health program ('19) program, and is currently receiving her medical training at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine ('23 C). Sabina's class voted her to be recognized with the 2021 The Sally Miller Award for Advocacy on Behalf of the Medically Underserved. Sabina works on several research projects related to improving access to healthcare for LGBTQ+ patients and she's also the Executive Director of the Medical Student Pride Alliance.

Nwando Tony-Onugu, MD recently presented her capstone project "The Impact of Social Determinants of Health on the Effectiveness in of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)" for her MS in Population Health. Her project revealed that providers & facilitators were generally aware of social challenges presented by their participants during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also highlighted that addressing disparities is imperative to the future success of a health initiative like the DPP. Her presentation can be accessed on Jefferson Digital Commons. Nwando will start her Internal Medicine residency in July at Bayhealth Medical Center in Dover, DE. "My goal is to embed population health perspectives into the practice of Internal medicine, targeting patterns of health determinants while simultaneously empowering the patient," explains Nwando. "The future for me will mostly center on patient empowerment especially for those patients who for numerous reasons think less of themselves, think they are incapable of contributing to, feel powerless and/or helpless when it comes to their health."


Lindsay Waqar, MPH, CCRC was recently recognized by Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) as a Health Hero for her volunteer work with health programs that serve children. "This organization and the work they do for Philadelphia children & youth is amazing, and it’s a privilege to be a part of the impact they have on our city," explains Lindsay. Lindsay graduated from our MPH program in 2015 and is a PhD student in our Population Health Science program, where she specializes in Applied Health Economics and Outcomes Research.
Brian Zepka, MPH '15, is a Senior Project Director in the Research & Evaluation Group (R&E Group) at Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC). He leads and and develops R&E Group's portfolio of projects focused on tobacco prevention and control. His contributions include statewide tobacco quitline analyses, examination of tobacco-related health disparities, tobacco use prevention policy work, and the study of commercial tobacco's impact on the environment and air quality. 

Outside of his work at PHMC, Brian spends a great deal of time writing young adult fiction. "I began writing for fun in college as a way to flex the creative side of my brain between my coursework of biology, physics, and chemistry. It quickly turned into a passion and I've been pursuing publication ever since. The Temperature of Me and You, (out January 25, 2022 from Disney-Hyperion), is his first novel and mixes teen romance with a sci-fi adventure. "I am particularly proud of this story because it stars two openly gay high-school protagonists. As a gay person, I grew up reading without really ever seeing myself reflected in the pages. Fortunately, there is a lot more representation now, and I am excited to further contribute to the growing collection of queer fiction."

COMING UP!

June 2, 2:00 PM ET
Women in Health Data Science and Statistics

New webinar series for current
& aspiring healthcare leaders
Managing the pandemic completely changed expectations for healthcare teams and their leaders. We often hear about the new normal, but what does that mean in terms of changes to day-to-day operations? 
 
Expert faculty from Safe & Reliable Healthcare will review the leadership skills, activities and behaviors that can create happier, healthier teams and lead to better experiences for patients.

Webinar series details and registration: https://bit.ly/HighReliabilitySeries
JCPH Publications & Presentations
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Publications

Alcusky M, Thomas R, Jafari N, Keith SW, Kee A, Del Canale S, Lombardi M, Maio V. Reduction in unplanned hospitalizations associated with a physician focused intervention to reduce potentially inappropriate medication use among older adults: a population-based cohort study. BMC Geriatrics. 2021; 21:218. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02172-3 
 
Casola A, Kunes B, Cunningham A, Motley RJ. Mask use during COVID-19: a social-ecological analysis. Health Promotion Practice.2021; 22(1):152-155. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13216

Casola AR, Kunes B, Jefferson K, Riley AH. Menstrual health stigma in the United States: communication complexities and implications for theory and practice. J Midwifery & Women’s Health. 2021; https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13216

Chen A, Patel S, Alcusky M, Maio V. Will the COVID-19 pandemic finally fuel drug repurposing efforts? Am J Med Quality. 2021;36(2):122–124. 
 
Crawford AG, Novinger BW, Dominick J, Heckert E, McAna JF. Using health plan authorization data to predict hospitalizations and readmission in a combined commercial and Medicaid population. Popul Health Manag. 2021; doi: 10.1089/pop.2020.0280.
 
Csik VP. Li M. Binder AF, Handley NR. Development of an oncology acute care risk prediction model. JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics. 2021; 5: 266-171.
 
D de La Cruz, MS, Smith RS, Silverio AE, Casola AR, Kelly EL. What we learned in the development of a third-year medical student curriculum project. 2021; Perspectives on Med Educ. doi: 10.1007/s40037-021-00648-x
 
Deng Y, Wang AL, Frasso R, Ran MS, Zhang TM, Kong D, Won, YL. Mental health-related stigma and attitudes toward patient care among providers of mental health services in a rural Chinese county. Int Journal of Soc Psychiatry. February 2021. doi:10.1177/00207640219928072. 
 
Dworkin M, Akintayo T, Calem D, Doran C, Guth A, Kamami EM, Kar J, LaRosa J, Liu Jr. JC, Pérez Jiménez IN, Frasso, R. 
Life during the pandemic: an international photo-elicitation study with medical students. BMC Med Educ. 2021; 21, 244. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02684-x
 
Freeland C, Ferrell S, Kumar P, Kamischke M, Jackson M, Bodor S, Block T, Baruch S, Frasso R, Cohen C. Common concerns, barriers to care, and the lived experience of individuals with Hepatitis B: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-151997/v1 Pre-print, posted February 1, 2021.

Garrigan H, Hamati J, Lalakia P, Frasso R, Salzman B, Hyman L. Does Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Treatment influence patient falls and mobility? A systematic review. Opthalmic Epidemiolgy. 2021; Published online: May 17, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2021.1921227

Itzoe M, Frasso M. Tiny or Tall, Mighty or Small - Music for All! Devloping an interactive online storybook to promote body positivity in children. Health Promotion Practice. Special feature in Practice Notes. 2021; 22(3):300-303.

Kaminski M. The move to value-based care takes a pandemic pause. Population Points, Population Health Learning Network, May 17, 2021.

Keddem S, Barg FK, Frasso R. Practical guidance for studies using freelisting interviews. Preven Chronic Dis. 2021; DOI: 10.5888/pcd17.200355

Kullmann K, Leader A, Frasso R. Knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to breastfeeding in adolescent mothers: a review. Cooper Rowan Medical Journal, 2021; 1(1).
 
Li E, Silverio A, Cunningham A, LaNoue MD, Mills G. Association of prediabetes status awareness with behaviors and perception of health. J Am Board of Family Med. 2021; 34(1):224-230.

Massey PM, Kearney MD, Hauer MK, Selvan P, Koku E, Leader AE. Dimensions of misinformation about the HPV vaccine on Instagram: content and network analysis of social media characteristics. J Med Internet Res. 2020; 22(12):e21451.
 
McIntire RK, Scalzo L, Doran C, Bucher K, Juan HS. Acculturation and hypertension diagnoses among Hispanics in California. J Racial &Ethnic Health Disparities. 2021; https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-021-01033-4 
 
Nash DB. On the road to high-value healthcare in the U.S.: are we there yet? Medpage Today, April 27, 2021.
  
Riley AH, Barker R, Lundgren R. From theory to practice: what global health practitioners need to know about social norms and narrative interventions. J Communication in Healthcare. 2021. DOI: 10.1080/17538068.2021.1890967 
 
Tate A, Edwards K, Holmes N, Buffer S. Fusfeld Z, Baronet W, Frasso R. “Even a smile helps”: exploring the interactions between people experiencing homelessness and passerby in public spaces. Int J Social Psychiatry. 2021; https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764021989385

 

Presentations

Anaele B. Investigating the efficacy of insecticide-treated window screens and eaves against Anopheles mosquitoes. Lighting talk presented at: Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), World Malaria Day Symposium, April 25, 2021.

Davis K, Gerardi N, Mallari K, Petrov M, Rogers K. Hotspotting program reflection, Jefferson Team B. Presented at: Thomas Jefferson University, April 2021

Frasso R . Special interest group on education and research. Master class on Qualitative Research Methods. Presented at the 6th International Meeting for Law Enforcement & Public Health, March 5, 2021. 

Freibott C, Beaudin E, Frazier BJ, Dias A, Cooper MR. Toward a successful and sustainable statewide screening for the social determinants of health: testing the interest of hospitals. Popul Health Manag. Published online ahead of print, March 2, 2021. http://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2020.0245
 
Garrigan H, Hamati J, Lalakia P, Frasso R, Hyman L, Salzman B. Does Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Treatment Influence Patient Falls and Mobility? A Systematic Review. Presented at: American Geriatric Society (AGS) Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting, May 13-15, 2021.  
 
LaRosa J, Guth A, Doran C, Romney M, DiDonato S, Frasso R. Life during COVID-19: The student experience. Presented at: Association for Teaching and Research (APTR), Teaching Prevention 2021: Promoting Adaptability, Resiliency & Sustainability, March 2021.
 
McIntire R, Shah D, Hampton I. Smoking behavior in Philadelphia parks during 2015-2019. Presented at: American Academy of Health Behavior Conference, March 2021.

Odioemene C. Let's talk about stroke. Webinar presentation at: Utopian Healthcare, May 29, 2021.

Odioemene C. The future of healthcare quality in Africa. Panel presentation at: IHI Africa Forum, May 4-6, 2021.

Qamar H. FSD Pharma's 201-03 COVID-19 trial - Challenges and Successes. Presented at: Precision Evolution Global, Precision in Clinical Trials Virtual Summitt, May 11, 2021.
 
Sarpoulaki N, V. Salcedo, G. Amadio, A. Gentsch, B. Worster, V. O’Hayer, R. Casten, A. Chang, K. Rising. Identifying goals for the advance care planning in patients with dementia. Presented at: AGS 21, Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting, May 13, 2021.
 
Varshney K, Ghosh, P. Health and social consequences for victims of genocidal rape, Presented at: 4th Annual International Conference on Future of Women, February 25, 2021. Karan Varshney, MPH ’20 was recognized as “Best Presenter” for the Women and Health Session.
 
Varshney K. An imperative of flu vaccination: a systematic review. Presented at: Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (AMMI) Canada – CACMID Annual Conference, April 25-30.
 
Varshney K. Are Federally Qualified Health Centers accessible to pediatric populations in most need thoughout Detroit? Presented at: Texas Public Health Association (TPHA) Virtual Annual Education Conference, Shining a Light on Public Health, May 17-19.
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Chen A, Molaei M, Jafari N, Keith S, Alcusky M, Lombardi M, Pini M, Maio V. Impact of medical home implementation on potentially inappropriate medication use among older adults: a longitudinal population-based study In Parma, Italy. 

Chen A, Molaei M, Vaeth A, Walsh KP, Oliver BJ for the MS-CQI Collaborative Investigators. Telehealth Utilization and Multiple Sclerosis Imaging Utilization in Four MS Centers during the COVID Pandemic: Real-world evidence from the MS-CQI improvement research collaborative. 

Molaei M, Chen A, Jafari N, Keith S, Alcusky M, Lombardi M, Pini M, Maio V. Medical home implementation reduced inappropriate medication use among older adults in Parma, Italy: does early adoption and duration of experience matter? 

Patel S, Jafari N, Keith SW, Alcusky M, Hegarty S, Lombardi M, Pini M, Maio V. The medical homes initiative in Italy: an analysis of processes of care in diabetes.

Patel S, Carhart R, Palmisiano N, Manobianco S, Maio V, Walsh K. Retrospective study of acute myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome patients in a single hospital system.  

Patel S, Alnahhas I, Walsh K. Age Disparities in Initial Surgery in Patients with Gliomas: A SEER Analysis. 

Patel S, Crawford A, Maio V, Schubert P, Goldfarb N. Impact of metformin adherence on healthcare expenditures in an employed population. 
Check out JCPH on Jefferson Digital Commons for recordings of:
Student Capstone Presentations
Student Research Projects
PopTalk Webinars
"Spread the Science NOT the Virus" series
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