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Francisco Cartujano, M.D., spoke with 13WHAM about a Wilmot Cancer Institute study to help youth quit vaping

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Francisco Cartujano, M.D., spoke with 13WHAM on Nov. 21, 2021 about a Wilmot Cancer Institute study aimed at helping youth quit vaping. He noted that about 20 percent of U.S. adolescents vape, and, "It's pretty much indicative that long term, those kids who are using electronic cigarettes are going to develop cancer," he said.

Yu Liu, PhD, MPH, and Ying Wang, Epidemiology PhD student, published a systematic review summarizing multilevel determinants of COVID vaccine hesitancy

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Yu Liu, PhD, MPH, and Ying Wang, 2nd year PhD student in Epidemiology, published a systematic review that summarizes multilevel determinants of COVID vaccine hesitancy from 110 published articles. This article is by far one of the most extensive reviews of key factors and intervention opportunities to enhance COVID vaccine uptake and implementation among populations in the United States.

Dr. Linda Clark, PHS adjunct professor, recognized with HIV Clinical Provider Award by the Rochester Area Task Force on AIDS

Friday, December 17, 2021

Rochester Area Task Force on AIDS recognized Dr. Linda Clark with its HIV Clinical Provider Award at its recent World AIDS Day Banquet. Common Ground was also recognized with its Community Partner award.

Seychelles Child Development Study (SCDS) organized its first virtual symposium

Monday, December 13, 2021

On December 9, the Seychelles Child Development Study (SCDS) organized its first virtual symposium that was attended by scientists, policy makers and other collaborators and stakeholders from Seychelles and internationally. The symposium consisted of six presentations by researchers from Seychelles, Rochester, Northern Ireland, and Sweden. Topics included the impact of COVID-19 on children in Seychelles, fish knowledge and consumption among Seychellois children, sustainable fish consumption, and recent findings and future directions of the SCDS.

For more information, please visit the SCDS website.

What Latino People Should Know About Quitting Smoking and Health Disparities: An Expert Q&A

Thursday, November 18, 2021

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) interviewed Francisco Cartujano, MD, from the Department of Public Health Sciences about what Latino people should know about quitting smoking and health disparities.

Theresa Green, PhD, MBA, is Welcomed into the 2021-2022 AMA Health Systems Science Scholars Program

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Theresa Green, PhD, MBA, MS, has been accepted into the 2021-2022 American Medical Association Health Systems Science Scholars Program. The AMA Health Systems Science Scholars program aims to help achieve the Triple Aim: improved patient experience, improved health of populations and reduced cost of care. Health systems science, the third pillar of medical education, is the study of how health care is delivered, how health care professionals work together to deliver that care and how the health system can improve patient care and health care delivery.

The AMA has created the Health Systems Science Scholars program to cultivate a national community of medical educators and health care leaders who will drive the necessary transformation to achieve the Triple Aim: improved patient experience, improved health populations and reduced cost of care. In addition to providing faculty development and curricular resources, the program serves as a community that advances the field through curricular implementation and research development.

Amina Alio, PhD, receives the 2021 IIE New Leaders Award for her project, “Understanding the systemic roots of obstetric violence towards vulnerable women in Niger”

Monday, October 25, 2021

The Institute of International Education (IIE) awards Amina Alio, PhD, the 2021 IIE New Leaders Award to enable the pursuit of her project titled, "Understanding the systemic roots of obstetric violence towards vulnerable women in Niger". The IIE New Leaders Award project promotes mutual understanding between the United States and another country, and recipients are recent Fulbright alumni and have already launched the projects described in their proposals.

Elaine Hill, PhD, coauthors a study about the impact of the legacy of racism in housing policies on maternal health

Monday, October 25, 2021

In a new study, coauthor Elaine Hill, an associate professor of public health sciences, of economics, and of obstetrics and gynecology, traces how redlining from decades ago in Rochester is associated with worse outcomes in pregnancy and childbirth experienced by Black women today.

The Geriatrics & Extended Care Data & Analysis Center (GECDAC), led by Orna Intrator, PhD, is recognized for its work relating to VA programs, services, and elder care

Friday, September 17, 2021

MESSAGE FROM THE VHA ACTING UNDER SECRETARY
September 15, 2021
Healthy Aging Awareness and Operations Update

September is Healthy Aging Awareness Month, dedicated to empowering older adults to live healthier, happier lives. This week is also National Assisted Living Week. As the largest integrated health care system in the U.S., we serve a Veteran community that trends older and has more complex health issues than the overall population. We are proud to have innovated to meet the health and related social needs of older Veterans, putting us ahead of the curve and making us a national leader in Geriatric and Extended Care.

Our Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Centers build knowledge in geriatric care through research, develop innovative clinical models of care, and provide training and education on best practices in caring for older adults. Our Geriatrics & Extended Care Data & Analysis Center advances elder care by collecting and analyzing data related to aging and frail Veterans, allowing VA to make informed decisions on how to continue offering high-quality programs and services. Some efforts focus on helping Veterans age at home. Research shows that aging at home has physical, psychological, and social benefits, including familiarity of surroundings, the comfort of home, keeping connected to social networks, and maintaining independence.

These are just some examples of how VA is a leader in both elder health care and promoting increased independence for aging Veterans. Our models for elder care, support for caregivers, and continued research have demonstrated improved health outcomes for Veterans. Thank you to those working with our older Veterans for your hard work and dedication.

Finally, inpatient hospitalization rates due to COVID-19 continue to remain high, including in intensive care units and especially in the South. We also unfortunately continue to experience employee deaths due to COVID-19. If you’re not vaccinated, you might find this video helpful. It features some of our VA clinicians discussing vaccines and addressing vaccine hesitancy.

Thanks so much for all you do to care for Veterans.

Francisco Cartujano, M.D., taps into Hispanic Heritage to Halt Vaping among Latino Teens

Friday, September 17, 2021

As a new member of the American Lung Association’s research team, Francisco Cartujano, M.D., received the ALA 2021-2022 Catalyst Award for his project, “Kick Vaping: A Vaping Cessation Text Messaging Intervention for Latino Young Adults.” The project aims to develop and evaluate the practicality and effectiveness of his Kick Vaping initiative, a text messaging intervention to help Latino young adults stop vaping.

New Maternal Health Legislation Announced & CHIW Recognized

Friday, September 17, 2021

On September 9, local community health advocates like PHS faculty member Theresa Green, PhD, MBA, along with healthcare workers and patients, were invited to Anthony Jordan Health Center for an important announcement. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and New York Attorney General Letitia James were there to unveil a comprehensive two-part plan to address the national maternal mortality crisis and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes nationwide including in Monroe County. The plan includes: 1) passing the Black Maternal Health 'Momnibus' Act, and 2) expanding Medicaid for mothers with yearlong postpartum coverage, including Doula and midwife services.

Theresa Green, as the director of the Community Health Improvement Workgroup (CHIW), was recognized by Senator Schumer and the CHIW and Theresa were thanked in the press release. Senator Schumer praised the efforts of local health and advocacy organizations, including Healthy Baby Network, the Rochester Black Nurses Association, and the Monroe County’s Community Improvement Work Group, for working to decrease the county’s maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rates. The CHIW, consisting of Monroe County hospitals, Monroe County Department of Public Health and several community partners identified the issue of racial disparities in maternal and child health as one of the two focus need areas in the current 2019-2021 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).

New York exceeds US maternal morbidity and mortality rates, and Monroe County has one of New York's worst rates. A recent Common Ground Health report, titled The Color of Health, highlighted the shocking reality that in the Rochester area and the Finger Lakes region, life-threatening delivery complications and other serious maternal morbidity illnesses are 51% more frequent among Black women than White women. The black infant mortality rate in Monroe County is more than 3 times the rate for White infants.

Elaine Hill, Ph.D., discusses the impacts of fracking on our health and the serious threat it may have on the future

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Elaine Hill, Ph.D., was featured in Rochester Beacon (Sept. 15) discussing the impacts that fracking has on our health and the serious threat it might have on the future. "Understanding the exposure pathways at play is necessary for policy to effectively control the environmental damages from these operations," she said.

PHS Faculty Member, Dave Rich, Ph.D., Appointed to EPA Panel

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

The Environmental Protection Agency appointed Mark Frampton to its Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee in recognition of his career devoted to understanding the effects of particulate matter on human health. David Rich, who is faculty in Public Health Sciences and serves as an important mentor to our own Dan Croft, will work alongside Mark Frampton in a separate "special scientific advisory panel" for ambient air quality standards.

These appointments are a very big deal in public health policy and reflect the URMC’s very large, long-standing sphere of influence in the world of environmental health and lung disease.

2021 URSMD Diversity Awards Announced

Monday, August 23, 2021

The School of Medicine and Dentistry Office of Equity and Inclusion is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 Faculty and Trainee Diversity Awards.

Paula Cupertino, PhD, was selected as the 2021 URSMD Faculty Diversity Award recipient. Cupertino, a University of Rochester Medical Center professor of Public Health Sciences and Oncology and Wilmot Cancer Institute’s first associate director of Community Outreach, Engagement and Disparities was lauded for her research on health disparities in underserved and minority communities, primarily among Latinos and immigrants. Much of her work has been in tobacco control, improving smoking cessation and access to cessation treatments using a community-based approach.

The winner of the 2021 URSMD Trainee Diversity Award is the Rochester Chapter of the Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering. The mission of the national ADSE, which was founded in 2014, is to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in academia, industry, and government through graduate student organizations that reach out to students and scientists of all ages and backgrounds.

“This year’s nominees come from different backgrounds but they have a shared vision of the Medical Center as a place where people feel welcomed and valued,” says Adrienne Morgan, PhD, vice president for Equity and Inclusion at the University of Rochester Medical Center and senior associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. “We consider Dr. Cupertino and the ADSE our partners in achieving inclusive excellence.”

Each year one faculty member and one trainee is recognized for exceptional efforts to foster a diverse and inclusive SMD community. Recipients will demonstrate their commitment through leadership in teaching, mentoring, programming, cultural competency and humility, community outreach activities, and/or other initiatives.

Caroline Thirukumaran Authors JAMA Viewpoint on Disparities in Medicare Joint Surgery

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Racial, ethnic and income-based disparities have persisted for decades in Medicare-funded total joint replacement surgery — and recent federal efforts to improve quality and stem costs may have made things worse, writes the assistant professor of Orthopaedics and the Center for Musculoskeletal Research. Thirukumaran and her co-author point out some hopeful news: With a few adjustments, the "Triple Aim" initiative can be a framework to improve equity for joint replacement and other Medicare programs.

Rui Li, PhD candidate in epidemiology, leads study on recovery process from moderate to severe chronic pain later in life.

Friday, July 23, 2021

In a study led by Rui Li, PhD candidate in epidemiology, researchers look at the recovery process from moderate to severe chronic pain later in life, highlighting physical activity and sleep quality as important avenues for recovery.

New Article Published by Philip Hopke, Ph.D., in Aerosol and Air Quality Research

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Philip Hopke, PhD, publishes new article in Aerosol and Air Quality Research about the impacts of social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic on air quality in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Editor of Int Arch Occup Environ Health, Edwin van Wijngaarden, PhD, Sees 2020 Impact Factor Double

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Edwin van Wijngaarden, PhD, is Editor of the Journal of International Archives of Occupational & Environmental Health, which has achieved an Impact Factor of 3.015 in 2020, an increase of 50% since he assumed the role of Editor.

Machine Learning Model From the Largest US COVID-19 Dataset Predicts Disease Severity

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Researchers are using the resource to run studies that they may not have been able to tackle with just their own institution’s resources, says Elaine Hill, an associate professor of public health sciences, of economics, and of obstetrics and gynecology. “It makes it possible to shed light on things we wouldn’t be able to.”

Philip Hopke, Ph.D., Selected to Join the WHO Global Air Pollution and Health

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Philip Hopke, PhD, has been selected to join the WHO Global Air Pollution and Health – Technical Advisory Group (GAPH-TAG) as an individual expert. Dr. Hopke has been assigned to both the Expert Working Group on Interventions / Policies and the Expert Working Group on Methodologies for Source-Specific Burden of Disease.

Report Release: "The Color of Health: The Devastating Toll of Racism on Black Lives"

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

PHS partner, Common Ground Health, and adjunct faculty member, Linda Clark, MD, MPH, release report, "The Color of Health: The Devastating Toll of Racism on Black Lives."

COVID Infection, Death Linked to Racial Diversity in Nursing Homes

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

New research shows that people in nursing homes with higher concentrations of Black and Latino residents were more than 50% more likely to be infected with COVID and twice as likely to die in the first months of the pandemic, compared to those in homes with predominately white populations.

The study, which appears in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, was led by Yue Li, Ph.D., a professor in the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) Department of Public Health Sciences. In previous studies, Li and his colleagues have shown that older residents from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds and their caregivers bore the severest brunt from COVID, and linked the COVID toll in nursing homes to staffing levels and quality scores. The new study examines what unfolded in nursing homes in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The widened across-facility disparities in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality during the early pandemic period are just another manifestation of the structural inequalities in nursing home care that have existed for decades," said Li.

Researchers analyzed cases and death reports for a 10 week period between April 13 and June 19, 2020 in nursing homes in Connecticut, one of the few states to provide weekly counts early in the pandemic. The case and death reports were analyzed for nursing home characteristics, such as number of beds, ownership, percent of Medicare residents, and staffing levels, as well as county COVID case and death data.

The researchers found immediate disparities in nursing home infections and deaths, which increased as the pandemic progressed. By week 10 of the study data, the infection rate was 54% higher and the death rate was 117% higher in nursing homes with larger proportions of underrepresented residents compared to those with a whiter population. The disparities persisting even after accounting for differences in the local infection rate and other nursing home characteristics.

Alina Denham & Peter Veazie publish new article in Social Science & Medicine

Monday, June 7, 2021

Alina Denham, a graduate student in the Health Services Research and Policy PhD Program, and Peter Veazie, PhD, associate professor in health services research and policy at the University of Rochester, has published a new article in Social Science & Medicine, "Understanding how psychosocial factors relate to seeding medical care among older adults using a new model of care seeking".

ABSTRACT: Rationale. Research has identified psychosocial factors related to the use of health services among the older population; however, the specific roles by which these factors drive behavior have not been identified and empirically tested. Objective. This study tested whether previously identified psychosocial factors decrease or increase the motivational potential to seek care, the motivational sensitivity to perceived access, or the motivational sensitivity to perceived need. Methods. The 2014 U.S. Health and Retirement Study was used. Analysis was based on 2,589 older non-institutionalized respondents (age greater than 64). The dependent variable was the number of healthcare provider visits in the preceding two years. Psychosocial factors included were life satisfaction, social network indicators, optimism, pessimism, positive social support, hopelessness, loneliness, self-efficacy, health efficacy, positive affect, negative affect, and purpose in life. Covariates included age, sex, and race. Maximum likelihood estimation of an interpretable structural model was used. Results. Results of the study provide evidence that psychosocial variables are related to health care seeking through both motivational potential and sensitivity parameters. Some psychosocial variables are related to multiple roles. For example, pessimism is related to a lower motivational potential and is more sensitive to access at higher levels of access, whereas hopelessness is related to a higher motivational potential and more sensitive to need and access at lower levels of each. Conclusions. Findings imply psychosocial characteristics are related to health care seeking and utilization of older adults via different roles that can countervail each other, and therefore the influence of interventions can be complex. To address this, complex interventions may be required.

James Tacci Awarded the ACPM President's Award

Monday, May 24, 2021

James Tacci, MD, JD (Preventive Medicine Residency Program Director) has been awarded the "ACPM President's Award" at the annual ACPM meeting. Congrats Dr. Tacci!

From the ACPM President Award site:

James A Tacci, MD, JD, MPH, FACPM, FACOEM, is the Medical Director and Executive Medical Policy Director for the New York State Workers' Compensation Board. He holds a part-time teaching and clinical appointment at the University of Rochester Medical Center, where he serves as the Program Director for the Preventive Medicine Residency and Medical Director of the Travel Medicine Program. He is also an Attorney of Counsel at the law firm of Barclay Damon, LLP.

Dr. Tacci is board certified in Public Health & General Preventive Medicine, as well as Occupational Medicine. He is a past President of the American College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and he has served on the governing boards of ACOEM, ACPM, the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and the Occupational & Environmental Health Foundation. Dr. Tacci is a former Chair of the AMA Preventive Medicine Section Council and former member of the Monroe County (NY) Board of Health.

Dr. Tacci received his B.S. from Cornell University, M.D. with distinction from the University of Rochester and J.D. magna cum laude from the Syracuse University College of Law. He completed residency training in General Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the New York State Department of Health, and residency and research fellowship training in Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Harvard University.

Don’t Go Fracking My Heart

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Study Links Hydraulic Fracking with Increased Risk of Heart Attack Hospitalization, Death

The Marcellus Formation straddles the New York State and Pennsylvania border, a region that shares similar geography and population demographics. However, on one side of the state line unconventional natural gas development -- or fracking -- is banned, while on the other side it represents a multi-billion dollar industry. New research takes advantage of this 'natural experiment' to examine the health impacts of fracking and found that people who live in areas with a high concentration of wells are at higher risk for heart attacks.

"Fracking is associated with increased acute myocardial infarction hospitalization rates among middle-aged men, older men and older women as well as with increased heart attack-related mortality among middle-aged men," said Elaine Hill, Ph.D., an associate professor in the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) Department of Public Health Sciences, and senior author of the study that appears in the journal Environmental Research. "Our findings lend support for increased awareness about cardiovascular risks of unconventional natural gas development and scaled-up heart attack prevention, as well as suggest that bans on hydraulic fracturing can be protective for public health."

Natural gas extraction, including hydraulic fracking, is a well-known contributor to air pollution. Fracking wells operate around the clock and the process of drilling, gas extraction, and flaring -- the burning off of natural gas byproducts -- release organic compounds, nitrogen oxide, and other chemicals and particulates into the air. Additionally, each well requires the constant transportation of equipment, water, and chemicals, as well as the removal of waste water from the fracking process, further contributing to air pollution levels. Fracking wells remain in operation for several years, prolonging exposure to people who work at the wells sites and those who live nearby.

Researchers find breastfeeding linked to higher neurocognitive testing scores

Monday, April 26, 2021

New research finds that children who were breastfed scored higher on neurocognitive tests. Researchers in the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) analyzed thousands of cognitive tests taken by nine and ten-year-olds whose mothers reported they were breastfed, and compared those results to scores of children who were not.

"Our findings suggest that any amount of breastfeeding has a positive cognitive impact, even after just a few months." Daniel Adan Lopez, Ph.D. candidate in the Epidemiology program who is first author on the study recently published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health. "That's what's exciting about these results. Hopefully from a policy standpoint, this can help improve the motivation to breastfeed."

Hayley Martin, Ph.D., a fourth year medical student in the Medical Scientist Training Program and co-author of the study, focuses her research on breastfeeding. "There's already established research showing the numerous benefits breastfeeding has for both mother and child. This study's findings are important for families particularly before and soon after birth when breastfeeding decisions are made. It may encourage breastfeeding goals of one year or more. It also highlights the critical importance of continued work to provide equity focused access to breastfeeding support, prenatal education, and practices to eliminate structural barriers to breastfeeding."

Researchers reviewed the test results of more than 9,000 nine and ten-year-old participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Variations were found in the cumulative cognitive test scores of breastfed and non-breastfed children. There was also evidence that the longer a child was breastfed, the higher they scored.

"The strongest association was in children who were breastfed more than 12 months," said Lopez. "The scores of children breastfed until they were seven to 12 months were slightly less, and then the one to six month-old scores dips a little more. But all scores were higher when compared to children who didn't breastfeed at all." Previous studies found breastfeeding does not impact executive function or memory, findings in this study made similar findings.

"This supports the foundation of work already being done around lactation and breastfeeding and its impact on a child's health," said Ed Freedman, Ph.D., the principal investigator of the ABCD study in Rochester and lead author of the study. "These are findings that would have not been possible without the ABCD Study and the expansive data set it provides."

School of Nursing Elevates Wharton to Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion

Monday, January 25, 2021

Mitchell J. Wharton, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, CNS, an accomplished educator, researcher, and clinician, has been named associate dean for equity and inclusion at the University of Rochester School of Nursing, pending approval by the Office of the Provost.

The appointment of Wharton, an assistant professor of clinical nursing and faculty diversity officer at the school, shatters glass ceilings at the school. When he begins his new duties on a part-time basis on February 1, Wharton will be the first male and the first person from a group underrepresented in nursing to serve at the associate dean level of senior administration.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to serve students and colleagues by leading the mission to enhance equity and inclusive practices within our school," said Wharton, who will transition to this position full time in July after fulfilling his current clinical and educational responsibilities for the spring semester. "I look forward to engaging members of the School of Nursing and Rochester communities as we work together to thoughtfully and respectfully develop strategies to increase diversity throughout the nursing workforce and academic nursing pipeline."

Wharton has been an integral figure in the school's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for the past several years. He has been co-chair of the Council for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness since 2018 and the faculty advisor for the student-led Leading with Integrity For Tomorrow (LIFT) program since 2014. He has also been a co-facilitator for the school's Racial Equity Series, served on the University of Rochester Medical Center's Executive Committee for Diversity and Inclusion, and served as the School of Nursing's representative to the Academic Community Engagement Collaborative. He was honored with the School of Nursing's Mary Dombeck Diversity Enhancement Faculty Awards in 2020.