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Adverse Childhood Experiences Association with Adulthood Cardiovascular Disease Risks and Development: A Narrative Literature Review
No full textTrauma exposure in childhood is commonly known as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) which are defined as any trauma experience(s) such as abuse, neglect, or witnessing violence in the household, that occurs prior to the age of 18 and results in harmful, lasting effects. ACEs can lead to extensive long-term psychiatric, psychosocial, and physical poor health outcomes later in adulthood. Specifically, there is a recognized association between early life trauma and an increased risk for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related health outcomes in adulthood, including both risk factors and clinical CVD. CVD risk factors include but are not limited to behavioral risk factors (e.g., smoking, physical inactivity, healthy diet, etc.), blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol, blood sugar levels, and family history of CVD. While clinical CVD includes an array of heart conditions like atherosclerosis, heart attack or heart failure, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, arrhythmia, and/or heart valve conditions. This narrative literature review aims to consolidate existing evidence from current articles (2018-2024), examining the relationship between ACEs and the development of CVD-related risk factors and/or clinical CVD later in life. This review highlights specific ACE-types including (1.) emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, (2.) emotional and physical neglect, and (3.) childhood domestic violence exposure
The Impact of Maternal Care Deserts on Racial Disparities in Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
No full textExamining racial disparities in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy within maternal care deserts is crucial for addressing systemic inequities in maternal healthcare. Maternal care deserts refer to geographic areas with limited access to prenatal and obstetric services, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. Racial and ethnic minorities often face higher rates of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy which can lead to severe complications for both the mother and baby. By focusing on these disparities within care deserts, we can identify the intersecting factors that contribute to adverse outcomes including socioeconomic challenges, inadequate healthcare infrastructures, and systematic racism. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing targeted interventions that improve access to quality maternal care, reduce health disparities, and enhance maternal and infant outcomes
Facilities Projects in Support of Healthcare Operations
No full textFacilities and support services have direct and indirect impacts on both patient care and hospital operations. The involvement of departments that fall under this umbrella are key to the functionality and efficiency of hospitals and healthcare organizations. The following projects started in the winter of 2023 and have significantly impacted operations in UPMC’s Oakland campus and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. On these projects, I took leadership roles to in processes that included multiple stakeholders and worked with a multitude of service lines to achieve a common goal. These three projects addressed grant writing and funding initiatives, project planning and management, and facility renovations and construction. All of them have impacts on hospital operations, and the landscape of healthcare for these UPMC facilities. The overall goal is to show the impact that these types of projects have on employees and their overarching impact on the care provided in our clinics and sites of care
Digitizing Adolescent Health: A Comprehensive Literature Review of Digital Educational Tools for Sexual and Reproductive Health in Africa
No full textBackground: Digital educational tools present a promising avenue to enhance sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. This region faces significant challenges in providing accurate and comprehensive SRH information due to socio-cultural norms, stigma, and limited resources. A systematic literature review was conducted to describe the geographic and demographic distribution and the types and format of digital educational tools available for delivering sexual and reproductive health education to adolescents in the sub-Saharan Africa region.
Methods: The review followed PRISMA guidelines, searching databases like Ovid-MEDLINE, Google Scholar, PubMed, and ERIC. Studies addressing digital tools used to assess or deliver SRH education, their implementation, and effectiveness among African adolescents were included. 22 studies met the criteria, revealing diverse digital tools like social media, mobile apps, and gamified learning experiences.
Results: These tools successfully engaged adolescents by providing accessible and relevant SRH information. They improved knowledge, influenced attitudes, and encouraged healthy behaviors. However, challenges were noted, including the digital divide, cultural sensitivity of material, and the need to assess long-term impact on behavior modification.
Conclusion: Digital educational tools offer great potential to improve SRH education for adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. They can enhance health outcomes and accessibility by delivering easy-to-understand, interesting, and tailored information. Future research should address identified challenges, bridge the digital divide, ensure cultural relevance, and assess long-term impact on behavior and health outcomes. Policymakers and educators are encouraged to integrate these tools into SRH educational strategies targeting adolescents to improve their sexual and reproductive health and contribute to better public health in the region
Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing and the Legalities, Ethical, and Current Issues
No full textConsumer-driven genetic testing is a newly developed technology that allows consumers to purchase tests online through companies such as Ancestry, 23andMe, etc.; and have results sent to them without the consultation of any clinician. This is growing to be a public health issue with the increased drive and marketing tactics that are used by these companies having led to an increase in consumers purchasing these tests. The willingness of consumers to purchase these tests without the knowledge of what happens to their genetic information can lead to both privacy and data violations. After the results of the tests, there could be increased stress and anxiety, healthcare burdens, and complications that can happen due to individuals seeking out unnecessary appointments and treatments. This then leads to multiple ethical concerns including a risk for false positive or false negative results based on the type of testing and interpretation used. Additionally, privacy and data violations may occur that can affect an individual’s genetic information. Unfortunately, this could then lead to individuals having and creating distrust of the science community and can lead further away from the belief of what science can do for the improvement and benefit of health and precision medicine. This paper reviews the current legal and ethical issues with DTC genetic testing and proposes policy solutions to address these current challenges
Use of social media by people living with lupus to address unmet health needs: A scoping review
No full textSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease which disproportionately impacts women and people of color. People with SLE require ongoing specialized care, but face challenges with diagnosis, understanding the disease, treatments, and emotional support. As with other people with chronic illness, who use online health information for emotional and informational support needs, people with SLE may use social media to address these gaps. This scoping review explores how people with SLE use social media to address unmet health needs, including in the review an investigation of methodologies used in this research, representation of diverse racial and ethnic groups, countries in which this topic was studied, and social media platforms studied. Using search strategies developed with a health sciences reference librarian, one reviewer searched Medline (Ovid) and PsycInfo (Ovid) for articles related to systemic lupus erythematosus and social media. Following data extraction, preliminary findings and implications were also presented to key informants (n=2) to discuss the feasibility of recommendations for practice and priorities for future research. 186 articles were found in the search process, and sixteen articles were selected for review. Uses of social media identified in the literature included exchanging information, coping emotionally, learning about SLE and treatments, navigating health services, and advocacy. Most studies were observational in their study designs and sampled online postings for data collection and analysis. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods were all used. The United States was the most frequently represented country. Few studies were able to describe the racial and ethnic demographics of their sample, and of those, most included a majority or plurality of White participants. YouTube was the most frequently studied specific social media platform; varied forums were also frequently studied. Health issues frequently discussed online, benefits of social media use, preferred sources of information, and engagement with social media content are also explored. Recommendations for listening to and applying patients’ experiences of social media use to address unmet health needs are provided and priorities for future research are discussed
Enhancing the Outpatient Staff Experience at UPMC Department of Medicine
No full textHospitals and clinics have faced significant challenges in maintaining sufficient staffing for decades; staff shortages have continued to rise since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 due to employees leaving their professions. The increase in COVID-19 cases resulted in a heightened demand for healthcare services, coupled with a decrease in available staff, limited resources, and a continual reduction in usable clinical space. As healthcare facilities became overwhelmed, employees found themselves being forced to extend their working hours, fighting a highly contagious illness for which no cure was readily available. Given the nature of their work, frontline staff members were exposed to increased risks while caring for these patients, leading to many falling ill and needing to quarantine themselves further limiting staff levels.
The heightened workload, compounded by sleepless nights and the constant exposure to patient mortality, has prompted many frontline staff members to resign, due to mental health issues and severe burnout. Additionally, some clinical employees are hesitant to return to work, deeming the compensation and benefits insufficient to justify the daily risks they face. Although the pandemic is now under control and clinical appointments are returning to in-person care, the lasting effects are evident in the shortage of frontline clinical staff. Many employees remain absent due to burnout, a lack of work-life balance opportunities, safety concerns, career dissatisfaction, insufficient recognition and support, a problematic organizational culture, and, most significantly, inadequate compensation for the demanding work. To achieve proper staffing levels, we must first address and combat the underlying systemic issues within our healthcare system, such as access to care, health disparities, cost, and preventive health measures.
This essay aims to connect the following three projects, all undertaken to enhance the outpatient experience for employees within the DOM. These projects include implementing a Physician Educator Position for all Outpatient Centers within the DOM, training outpatient medical Assistants to perform Venipuncture, Injections, and Immunizations in hospital-based clinics (HBC), and improving the outpatient Rheumatology staffing model
Three Essays on Digital Transformation
No full textIn this dissertation, I investigate how firms leverage digital transformation initiatives to navigate
environmental disruptions. Three studies explore this theme through the lenses of the COVID-19
pandemic, a severe environmental shock that profoundly impacted economies and organizations,
and digitization of business processes. The first study examines the adoption of different digital
configurations (e.g., online presence, delivery services, and remote work) across various phases
of the pandemic, analyzing the causal impact of these configurations on sales growth. Building
on this, the second study explores the adoption of remote work, a practice widely adopted during
the pandemic, and the adaptations firms made to function remotely. This study investigates the
relationship between remote work arrangements, firm agility, resilience, and key firm-level
performance indicators. Finally, shifting focus to emerging economies undergoing digitization,
the third study examines the association between transparency-enhancing information
technologies and corruption. I investigate whether firms view bribe payments as a cost of doing
business, even with the adoption of these technologies. These studies collectively contribute to a
deeper understanding of how firms utilize digital transformation amidst environmental
turbulence. They shed light on the crucial linkages between adopting new technologies and
achieving positive performance outcomes
National Discrepancies: The Relationship Between Education Student Enrollment and Curriculum Materials Center/Collection Budget
No full textThe presentation covers our research using the Directory of Curriculum Materials Centers and Collections 8th Edition: Is there a statistical relationship between undergraduate education student enrollment, graduate education student enrollment, and total education student enrollment with funding levels of Curriculum Materials Centers (CMCs) across the United States
Beyond Welcome Week: Piloting Extended Orientation to Improve Master of Science Students’ Sense of Belonging
No full textThis dissertation explores the evolving landscape of graduate business education, highlighting the growing significance of specialized master’s programs alongside traditional MBAs at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. It recognizes the changing demographics and needs of students, emphasizing the critical importance of fostering a sense of belonging. This study argues that belonging significantly influences student satisfaction and success, paralleling the experience of undergraduate students who thrive in welcoming and supportive academic environments.
In response to these shifts, the dissertation proposes a strategic shift: advocating that academic units take responsibility for creating a sense of belonging rather than placing this burden solely on students. By examining how the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business has adapted to the rise of specialized master’s programs, the text reveals both challenges and opportunities in this educational transformation. It calls for a collaborative approach among faculty, staff, leadership, and students to effectively navigate and capitalize on these changes.
A specific program aimed at enhancing belonging and satisfaction among MS students within the Katz community is evaluated through pre- and post-session surveys. The program’s overarching objective is to increase students’ sense of belonging, as indicated by improved scores in annual satisfaction surveys.
Despite its positive impact on creating a more inclusive and satisfying educational environment, the program faces ongoing challenges within the Katz community that exceed its immediate scope. Participant data underscores the program’s role in fostering a reflective and cautiously optimistic outlook among students regarding their place within Katz. However, persistent feelings of alienation among certain groups, notably international students, highlight the need for continued enhancement efforts.
This study illuminates the evolving dynamics of graduate business education and offers a practical framework for promoting student belonging in specialized, short-term academic programs. The variability in student experiences, particularly among international cohorts, underscores the necessity for nuanced and inclusive strategies to ensure that all students feel fully integrated into the academic community