WorldWideScience

Sample records for health centers serve

  1. Factors Affecting Sexual History Taking in a Health Center Serving Homeless Persons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sowicz, Timothy Joseph; Bradway, Christine K

    2018-03-01

    Low rates of documentation of sexual histories have been reported and research on sexual history taking (SHT) has focused on the content of, barriers to collecting, and interventions to improve documentation of sexual histories. Absent from this literature is an understanding of the contextual factors affecting SHT. To address this gap, a focused ethnography of one health center was conducted. Data were collected through observations of health care encounters and interviews with health care providers (HCPs). No SHT was observed and this was likely influenced by patients' characteristics, communication between patients and HCPs, the prioritization of patients' basic needs, and time constraints imposed upon encounters. Given that the health center studied serves patients experiencing homelessness, behavioral health concerns, and opioid use disorder, findings illuminate areas for future inquiry into a patient population affected by social as well as physiologic determinants of health and potentially at high risk for adverse sexual health outcomes.

  2. Nurse-midwives in federally funded health centers: understanding federal program requirements and benefits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Martha

    2012-01-01

    Midwives are working in federally funded health centers in increasing numbers. Health centers provide primary and preventive health care to almost 20 million people and are located in every US state and territory. While health centers serve the entire community, they also serve as a safety net for low-income and uninsured individuals. In 2010, 93% of health center patients had incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and 38% were uninsured. Health centers, including community health centers, migrant health centers, health care for the homeless programs, and public housing primary care programs, receive grant funding and enjoy other benefits due to status as federal grantees and designation as federally qualified health centers. Clinicians working in health centers are also eligible for financial and professional benefits because of their willingness to serve vulnerable populations and work in underserved areas. Midwives, midwifery students, and faculty working in, or interacting with, health centers need to be aware of the regulations that health centers must comply with in order to qualify for and maintain federal funding. This article provides an overview of health center regulations and policies affecting midwives, including health center program requirements, scope of project policy, provider credentialing and privileging, Federal Tort Claims Act malpractice coverage, the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and National Health Service Corps scholarship and loan repayment programs. © 2012 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  3. Environmental Finance Center Serving EPA's Region 8 States

    Science.gov (United States)

    The National Rural Water Association, headquartered in Duncan Oklahoma, has been selected through a competitive grants process to establish a regional Environmental Finance Center (EFC) serving EPA Region 8 states.

  4. Outcomes of Oral Health Screenings at Two Different Institutions Serving Individuals with Special Health Care Needs in Massachusetts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Kanika; Popat, Paiyal; Lee, Diane; Hill, Caterina; Kaplan, Marc; Factor, Cae Ellen; Seibel, Kristine; Schiano, Frank; De Leon, Risha; Itty, Abraham; Nalliah, Romesh R

    2015-01-01

    As part of the 2009-2010 Massachusetts Dental Society Leadership Institute, two oral health screening and prevention education programs were conducted at institutions in Massachusetts that serve individuals with special health care needs (ISHCN). Members of the Leadership Institute class of 2009-2010 built relationships with two institutions that served individuals with ISHCN-one that housed residents with special health care needs and another that served as a day-care facility. Oral health screenings were conducted at both institutions. Retrospective analysis of the data from the two screenings is presented in the current study. Forty-four oral health screenings were conducted at the organization that acted as a daycare/drop-in center for ISHCN who reside in a family home, and 21 screenings were conducted of ISHCN at a residential facility. Among those residing in family homes, 23 percent needed urgent care whereas only 5 percent who were living in an institution needed urgent care. Overall, a total of 40 percent had untreated caries and 48 percent were free of caries based on the oral health screenings. Sixteen percent of subjects were in pain from their mouth at the time of the screenings.

  5. Academic health centers and society: an ethical reflection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pellegrino, E D

    1999-08-01

    Academic health centers--which combine university, medical school, and hospital--exist to satisfy universal human needs and thus are by definition instruments of social purpose. Their core mission is threefold: to provide medical knowledge that can help relieve and prevent illness and suffering, to supply practitioners able to apply that knowledge wisely, and to serve as sites where optimal use of medical knowledge can be demonstrated and investigated. Maintaining a balance between core mission and responsiveness to social trends is a delicate exercise. Overly close accommodation to such trends can endanger the core mission, as has occurred in the United States with regard to managed care. Society and academic health centers have mutual obligations. Obligations of society include giving academic health centers financial and other support and allowing them sufficient freedom to pursue their mission; obligations of academic medical centers include accepting greater scrutiny by society and providing social criticism on matters relating to health. A task for the future is to discern how academic health centers can be responsive to social needs without being totally subservient to societal desires.

  6. Holistic Health Care for the Medically Uninsured: The Church Health Center of Memphis

    OpenAIRE

    Morris, G. Scott

    2015-01-01

    The Church Health Center (CHC) in Memphis was founded in 1987 to provide quality, affordable health care for working, uninsured people and their families. With numerous, dedicated financial supporters and health care volunteers, CHC has become the largest faith-based health care organization of its type nationally, serving >61,000 patients. CHC embraces a holistic approach to health by promoting wellness in every dimension of life. It offers on-site services including medical care, dentistry,...

  7. Patient-centered medical home model: do school-based health centers fit the model?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Satu A; Chapman, Susan A

    2013-01-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) are an important component of health care reform. The SBHC model of care offers accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, and compassionate care to infants, children, and adolescents. These same elements comprise the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care being promoted by the Affordable Care Act with the hope of lowering health care costs by rewarding clinicians for primary care services. PCMH survey tools have been developed to help payers determine whether a clinician/site serves as a PCMH. Our concern is that current survey tools will be unable to capture how a SBHC may provide a medical home and therefore be denied needed funding. This article describes how SBHCs might meet the requirements of one PCMH tool. SBHC stakeholders need to advocate for the creation or modification of existing survey tools that allow the unique characteristics of SBHCs to qualify as PCMHs.

  8. Behavioral Health and Health Care Reform Models: Patient-Centered Medical Home, Health Home, and Accountable Care Organization

    OpenAIRE

    Bao, Yuhua; Casalino, Lawrence P.; Pincus, Harold Alan

    2013-01-01

    Discussions of health care delivery and payment reforms have largely been silent about how behavioral health could be incorporated into reform initiatives. This paper draws attention to four patient populations defined by the severity of their behavioral health conditions and insurance status. It discusses the potentials and limitations of three prominent models promoted by the Affordable Care Act to serve populations with behavioral health conditions: the Patient Centered Medical Home, the H...

  9. Serving some and serving all: how providers navigate the challenges of providing racially targeted health services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Amy

    2017-10-01

    Racially targeted healthcare provides racial minorities with culturally and linguistically appropriate health services. This mandate, however, can conflict with the professional obligation of healthcare providers to serve patients based on their health needs. The dilemma between serving a particular population and serving all is heightened when the patients seeking care are racially diverse. This study examines how providers in a multi-racial context decide whom to include or exclude from health programs. This study draws on 12 months of ethnographic fieldwork at an Asian-specific HIV organization. Fieldwork included participant observation of HIV support groups, community outreach programs, and substance abuse recovery groups, as well as interviews with providers and clients. Providers managed the dilemma in different ways. While some programs in the organization focused on an Asian clientele, others de-emphasized race and served a predominantly Latino and African American clientele. Organizational structures shaped whether services were delivered according to racial categories. When funders examined client documents, providers prioritized finding Asian clients so that their documents reflected program goals to serve the Asian population. In contrast, when funders used qualitative methods, providers could construct an image of a program that targets Asians during evaluations while they included other racial minorities in their everyday practice. Program services were organized more broadly by health needs. Even within racially targeted programs, the meaning of race fluctuates and is contested. Patients' health needs cross cut racial boundaries, and in some circumstances, the boundaries of inclusion can expand beyond specific racial categories to include racial minorities and underserved populations more generally.

  10. Health Extension in New Mexico: An Academic Health Center and the Social Determinants of Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaufman, Arthur; Powell, Wayne; Alfero, Charles; Pacheco, Mario; Silverblatt, Helene; Anastasoff, Juliana; Ronquillo, Francisco; Lucero, Ken; Corriveau, Erin; Vanleit, Betsy; Alverson, Dale; Scott, Amy

    2010-01-01

    The Agricultural Cooperative Extension Service model offers academic health centers methodologies for community engagement that can address the social determinants of disease. The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center developed Health Extension Rural Offices (HEROs) as a vehicle for its model of health extension. Health extension agents are located in rural communities across the state and are supported by regional coordinators and the Office of the Vice President for Community Health at the Health Sciences Center. The role of agents is to work with different sectors of the community in identifying high-priority health needs and linking those needs with university resources in education, clinical service and research. Community needs, interventions, and outcomes are monitored by county health report cards. The Health Sciences Center is a large and varied resource, the breadth and accessibility of which are mostly unknown to communities. Community health needs vary, and agents are able to tap into an array of existing health center resources to address those needs. Agents serve a broader purpose beyond immediate, strictly medical needs by addressing underlying social determinants of disease, such as school retention, food insecurity, and local economic development. Developing local capacity to address local needs has become an overriding concern. Community-based health extension agents can effectively bridge those needs with academic health center resources and extend those resources to address the underlying social determinants of disease. PMID:20065282

  11. A Record Linkage Protocol for a Diabetes Registry at Ethnically Diverse Community Health Centers

    OpenAIRE

    Maizlish, Neil A.; Herrera, Linda

    2005-01-01

    Community health centers serve ethnically diverse populations that may pose challenges for record linkage based on name and date of birth. The objective was to identify an optimal deterministic algorithm to link patient encounters and laboratory results for hemoglobin A1c testing and examine its variability by health center site, patient ethnicity, and other variables. Based on data elements of last name, first name, date of birth, gender, and health center site, matches with ≥50% to < 100% o...

  12. Trends in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at the Nation’s Community Health Centers: 1998–2003

    Science.gov (United States)

    Druss, Benjamin G.; Bornemann, Thomas; Fry-Johnson, Yvonne W.; McCombs, Harriet G.; Politzer, Robert M.; Rust, George

    2006-01-01

    Objective. We examined trends in delivery of mental health and substance abuse services at the nation’s community health centers. Methods. Analyses used data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Primary Care’s (BPHC) 1998 and 2003 Uniform Data System, merged with county-level data. Results. Between 1998 and 2003, the number of patients diagnosed with a mental health/substance abuse disorder in community health centers increased from 210 000 to 800 000. There was an increase in the number of patients per specialty mental health/substance abuse treatment provider and a decline in the mean number of patient visits, from 7.3 visits per patient to 3.5 by 2003. Although most community health centers had some on-site mental health/substance abuse services, centers without on-site services were more likely to be located in counties with fewer mental health/substance abuse clinicians, psychiatric emergency rooms, and inpatient hospitals. Conclusions. Community health centers are playing an increasingly central role in providing mental health/substance abuse treatment services in the United States. It is critical both to ensure that these centers have adequate resources for providing mental health/substance abuse care and that they develop effective linkages with mental health/substance abuse clinicians in the communities they serve. PMID:17008573

  13. U.S. academic medical centers under the managed health care environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, K

    1999-06-01

    This research investigates the impact of managed health care on academic medical centers in the United States. Academic medical centers hold a unique position in the U.S. health care system through their missions of conducting cutting-edge biomedical research, pursuing clinical and technological innovations, providing state-of-the-art medical care and producing highly qualified health professionals. However, policies to control costs through the use of managed care and limiting resources are detrimental to academic medical centers and impede the advancement of medical science. To survive the threats of managed care in the health care environment, academic medical centers must rely on their upper level managers to derive successful strategies. The methods used in this study include qualitative approaches in the form of key informants and case studies. In addition, a survey questionnaire was sent to 108 CEOs in all the academic medical centers in the U.S. The findings revealed that managers who perform the liaison, monitor, entrepreneur and resource allocator roles are crucial to ensure the survival of academic medical centers, so that academic medical centers can continue their missions to serve the general public and promote their well-being.

  14. Customer Satisfaction Perceptions of Dislocated Workers Served by WIN Job Centers in the Mississippi Corridor Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Washburn, Dava Michelle

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of satisfaction of dislocated workers served by WIN Job Centers in the Mississippi Corridor Consortium. Four WIN Job Centers participated in this study: Northeast Mississippi Community College WIN Job Center in Corinth, Northwest Mississippi Community College WIN Job Center in Oxford,…

  15. The Oral Health Care Manager in a Patient-Centered Health Facility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Theile, Cheryl Westphal; Strauss, Shiela M; Northridge, Mary Evelyn; Birenz, Shirley

    2016-06-01

    The dental hygienist team member has an opportunity to coordinate care within an interprofessional practice as an oral health care manager. Although dental hygienists are currently practicing within interprofessional teams in settings such as pediatric offices, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and federally qualified health centers, they often still assume traditional responsibilities rather than practicing to the full extent of their training and licenses. This article explains the opportunity for the dental hygiene professional to embrace patient-centered care as an oral health care manager who can facilitate integration of oral and primary care in a variety of health care settings. Based on an innovative model of collaboration between a college of dentistry and a college of nursing, an idea emerged among several faculty members for a new management method for realizing continuity and coordination of comprehensive patient care. Involved faculty members began working on the development of an approach to interprofessional practice with the dental hygienist serving as an oral health care manager who would address both oral health care and a patient's related primary care issues through appropriate referrals and follow-up. This approach is explained in this article, along with the results of several pilot studies that begin to evaluate the feasibility of a dental hygienist as an oral health care manager. A health care provider with management skills and leadership qualities is required to coordinate the interprofessional provision of comprehensive health care. The dental hygienist has the opportunity to lead closer integration of oral and primary care as an oral health care manager, by coordinating the team of providers needed to implement comprehensive, patient-centered care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Behavioral health and health care reform models: patient-centered medical home, health home, and accountable care organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bao, Yuhua; Casalino, Lawrence P; Pincus, Harold Alan

    2013-01-01

    Discussions of health care delivery and payment reforms have largely been silent about how behavioral health could be incorporated into reform initiatives. This paper draws attention to four patient populations defined by the severity of their behavioral health conditions and insurance status. It discusses the potentials and limitations of three prominent models promoted by the Affordable Care Act to serve populations with behavioral health conditions: the Patient-Centered Medical Home, the Health Home initiative within Medicaid, and the Accountable Care Organization. To incorporate behavioral health into health reform, policymakers and practitioners may consider embedding in the reform efforts explicit tools-accountability measures and payment designs-to improve access to and quality of care for patients with behavioral health needs.

  17. PERCEPTION AND PERFORMANCE OF THE INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM IN SERVING DRUG DEPENDENTS IN SPECIALIZED NETWORK OF MENTAL HEALTH SINOP, MATO GROSSO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. V. C. Santos

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Chemical dependency is currently one of the most important public health problems in our country. The study deals with a quantitative and qualitative research, whose goal is to evaluate the perception and performance of the interdisciplinary team in serving drug dependents in specialized network of mental health Sinop, Mato Grosso. Applied a semi-structured questionnaire with objective and subjective questions with 11 professionals in health care at the Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS and Medical Specialties Center (EMC. The results reveal the importance of the preparation of these professionals to work in service to dependents and interdisciplinarity proved to be the best option to achieve a dignified and humane care

  18. The role of clinical toxicologists and poison control centers in public health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutter, Mark E; Bronstein, Alvin C; Heard, Stuart E; Barthold, Claudia L; Lando, James; Lewis, Lauren S; Schier, Joshua G

    2010-06-01

    Poison control centers and clinical toxicologists serve many roles within public health; however, the degree to which these entities collaborate is unknown. The objective of this survey was to identify successful collaborations of public health agencies with clinical toxicologists and poison control centers. Four areas including outbreak identification, syndromic surveillance, terrorism preparedness, and daily public health responsibilities amenable to poison control center resources were assessed. An online survey was sent to the directors of poison control centers, state epidemiologists, and the most senior public health official in each state and selected major metropolitan areas. This survey focused on three areas: service, structure within the local or state public health system, and remuneration. Questions regarding remuneration and poison control center location within the public health structure were asked to assess if these were critical factors of successful collaborations. Senior state and local public health officials were excluded because of a low response rate. The survey was completed in October 2007. A total of 111 respondents, 61 poison control centers and 50 state epidemiologists, were eligible for the survey. Sixty-nine (62%) of the 111 respondents, completed and returned the survey. Thirty-three (54%) of the 61 poison control centers responded, and 36 of the 50 state epidemiologists (72%) responded. The most frequent collaborations were terrorism preparedness and epidemic illness reporting. Additional collaborations also exist. Important collaborations exist outside of remuneration or poison control centers being a formal part of the public health structure. Poison control centers have expanded their efforts to include outbreak identification, syndromic surveillance, terrorism preparedness, and daily public health responsibilities amenable to poison control center resources. Collaboration in these areas and others should be expanded. Published

  19. Find a Health Center

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — HRSA Health Centers care for you, even if you have no health insurance – you pay what you can afford based on your income. Health centers provide services that...

  20. Building research infrastructure in community health centers: a Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN) report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Likumahuwa, Sonja; Song, Hui; Singal, Robbie; Weir, Rosy Chang; Crane, Heidi; Muench, John; Sim, Shao-Chee; DeVoe, Jennifer E

    2013-01-01

    This article introduces the Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN), a practice-based research network of community health centers (CHCs). Established by the Health Resources and Services Administration in 2010, CHARN is a network of 4 community research nodes, each with multiple affiliated CHCs and an academic center. The four nodes (18 individual CHCs and 4 academic partners in 9 states) are supported by a data coordinating center. Here we provide case studies detailing how CHARN is building research infrastructure and capacity in CHCs, with a particular focus on how community practice-academic partnerships were facilitated by the CHARN structure. The examples provided by the CHARN nodes include many of the building blocks of research capacity: communication capacity and "matchmaking" between providers and researchers; technology transfer; research methods tailored to community practice settings; and community institutional review board infrastructure to enable community oversight. We draw lessons learned from these case studies that we hope will serve as examples for other networks, with special relevance for community-based networks seeking to build research infrastructure in primary care settings.

  1. Serving the Needs of the Latina Community for Health Information

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. A. Yaros

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Latinos remain the largest US population with limited health literacy (Andrulis D.P. & Brach, 2007. Concerned with how local media can meet the information needs of underserved audiences, we interviewed Latinas who were pregnant or mothers of young children living in a Spanish speaking community, and surveyed 33 local health professionals. Findings are that Latina women’s most common source of health information was family and friends. They said they tune to Spanish television and radio programs, but gave low grades to news media for health information. Medical professionals agreed that Latinas generally get their health information through friends and family, and rated the media poorly in terms of serving Latinas’ needs. Since the data indicate that the local news media are not serving Latinas’ health information needs as much as they could, we offer recommendations to potentially exploit new technological affordances and suggest expansion of conventional definitions of health literacy.

  2. A model project in community mental health: Consultation to an urban welfare center serving a single-room occupancy hotel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levitt, L I; Brownlee, W H; Lewars, M H

    1968-12-01

    A continuing consultative relationship between a general hospital department of psychiatry and an urban welfare center serving the residents of a privately owned hotel is described-the relationship is based on biweekly seminars. Individual case study is the method of training, and an activity program the vehicle for development of indigenous resident leadership. Problems in residents' relationship to their community, worker-resident relationships, resistances of residents, anticipating both workers and residents' readiness to assume responsibility, and defining the role of consultant were confronted. The project demonstrates the effectiveness of the technique, pointing up the need for refinement of the process and the development of tools for measurement.

  3. Characterizing customers at medical center farmers' markets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraschnewski, Jennifer L; George, Daniel R; Rovniak, Liza S; Monroe, Diana L; Fiordalis, Elizabeth; Bates, Erica

    2014-08-01

    Approximately 100 farmers' markets operate on medical center campuses. Although these venues can uniquely serve community health needs, little is known about customer characteristics and outreach efforts. Intercept survey of markets and market customers between August 2010 and October 2011 at three medical centers in different geographic regions of the US (Duke University Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, and Penn State Hershey Medical Center) were conducted. Markets reported serving 180-2,000 customers per week and conducting preventive medicine education sessions and community health programs. Customers (n = 585) across markets were similar in sociodemographic characteristics--most were middle-aged, white, and female, who were employees of their respective medical center. Health behaviors of customers were similar to national data. The surveyed medical center farmers' markets currently serve mostly employees; however, markets have significant potential for community outreach efforts in preventive medicine. If farmers' markets can broaden their reach to more diverse populations, they may play an important role in contributing to community health.

  4. 42 CFR 124.515 - Compliance alternative for community health centers, migrant health centers and certain National...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ..., migrant health centers and certain National Health Service Corps sites. 124.515 Section 124.515 Public... Unable To Pay § 124.515 Compliance alternative for community health centers, migrant health centers and... migrant health center under section 329 of the Act is in substantial compliance with the terms and...

  5. Characterizing customers at medical center farmers’ markets1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraschnewski, Jennifer L.; George, Daniel R.; Rovniak, Liza S.; Monroe, Diana L.; Fiordalis, Elizabeth; Bates, Erica

    2014-01-01

    Approximately 100 farmers’ markets operate on medical center campuses. Although these venues can uniquely serve community health needs, little is known about customer characteristics and outreach efforts. Intercept survey of markets and market customers between August 2010-October 2011 at three medical centers in different geographic regions of the US: Duke University Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, and Penn State Hershey Medical Center were conducted. Markets reported serving 180–2000 customers per week and conducting preventive medicine education sessions and community health programs. Customers (n=585) across markets were similar in sociodemographic characteristics – most were middle-aged, white, and female, who were employees of their respective medical center. Health behaviors of customers were similar to national data. The surveyed medical center farmers’ markets currently serve mostly employees; however, markets have significant potential for community outreach efforts in preventive medicine. If farmers’ markets can broaden their reach to more diverse populations, they may play an important role in contributing to community health. PMID:24421001

  6. School-Based Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... care group, such as a community health center, hospital, or health department. A few are run by the school district itself. Centers often get money from charities and the government so they can give care ...

  7. Nutrient offerings from the meals and snacks served in four daycare centers in Guatemala City.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vossenaar, M.; Panday, B.; Hamelinck, V.; Soto-Méndez, M.J.; Doak, C.M.; Solomons, N.W.

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To assess the nutritional content and contribution to recommended nutrient intakes of the menu offerings in diverse daycare centers serving low-income urban families in Guatemala City. Methods: An observational study design was used to record all food and drink items offered to children

  8. Books, Read-Alouds, and Voluntary Book Interactions: What Do We Know about Centers Serving Three-Year-Olds?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mesmer, Heidi Anne

    2018-01-01

    This study examined the quality of books, the quality of read-alouds, and children's voluntary interactions with books in childcare centers serving low-income 3-year-olds (N = 30). Although a large percentage of centers had book areas, the features of book areas differed. The highest percentage of books was highly recommended and appropriate (39%)…

  9. The Union Health Center: a working model of clinical care linked to preventive occupational health services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbert, R; Plattus, B; Kellogg, L; Luo, J; Marcus, M; Mascolo, A; Landrigan, P J

    1997-03-01

    As health care provision in the United States shifts to primary care settings, it is vital that new models of occupational health services be developed that link clinical care to prevention. The model program described in this paper was developed at the Union Health Center (UHC), a comprehensive health care center supported by the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (now the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees) serving a population of approximately 50,000 primarily minority, female garment workers in New York City. The objective of this paper is to describe a model occupational medicine program in a union-based comprehensive health center linking accessible clinical care with primary and secondary disease prevention efforts. To assess the presence of symptoms suggestive of occupational disease, a health status questionnaire was administered to female workers attending the UHC for routine health maintenance. Based on the results of this survey, an occupational medicine clinic was developed that integrated direct clinical care with worker and employer education and workplace hazard abatement. To assess the success of this new approach, selected cases of sentinel health events were tracked and a chart review was conducted after 3 years of clinic operation. Prior to initiation of the occupational medicine clinic, 64% (648) of the workers surveyed reported symptoms indicative of occupational illnesses. However, only 42 (4%) reported having been told by a physician that they had an occupational illness and only 4 (.4%) reported having field a workers' compensation claim for an occupational disease. In the occupational medicine clinic established at the UHC, a health and safety specialist acts as a case manager, coordinating worker and employer education as well as workplace hazard abatement focused on disease prevention, ensuring that every case of occupational disease is treated as a potential sentinel health event. As examples of the success

  10. Sustainable Model for Public Health Emergency Operations Centers for Global Settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balajee, S Arunmozhi; Pasi, Omer G; Etoundi, Alain Georges M; Rzeszotarski, Peter; Do, Trang T; Hennessee, Ian; Merali, Sharifa; Alroy, Karen A; Phu, Tran Dac; Mounts, Anthony W

    2017-10-01

    Capacity to receive, verify, analyze, assess, and investigate public health events is essential for epidemic intelligence. Public health Emergency Operations Centers (PHEOCs) can be epidemic intelligence hubs by 1) having the capacity to receive, analyze, and visualize multiple data streams, including surveillance and 2) maintaining a trained workforce that can analyze and interpret data from real-time emerging events. Such PHEOCs could be physically located within a ministry of health epidemiology, surveillance, or equivalent department rather than exist as a stand-alone space and serve as operational hubs during nonoutbreak times but in emergencies can scale up according to the traditional Incident Command System structure.

  11. Holistic Health Care for the Medically Uninsured: The Church Health Center of Memphis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, G Scott

    2015-11-05

    The Church Health Center (CHC) in Memphis was founded in 1987 to provide quality, affordable health care for working, uninsured people and their families. With numerous, dedicated financial supporters and health care volunteers, CHC has become the largest faith-based health care organization of its type nationally, serving >61,000 patients. CHC embraces a holistic approach to health by promoting wellness in every dimension of life. It offers on-site services including medical care, dentistry, optometry, counseling, social work, and nutrition and fitness education, to promote wellness in every dimension of life. A 2012 economic analysis estimated that a $1 contribution to the CHC provided roughly $8 in health services. The CHC has trained >1200 Congregational Health Promoters to be health leaders and is conducting research on the effectiveness of faith community nurses partnering with congregations to assist in home care for patients recently discharged from Memphis hospitals. The MEMPHIS Plan, CHC's employer-sponsored health care plan for small business and the self-employed, offers uninsured people in lower-wage jobs access to quality, affordable health care. The CHC also conducts replications workshops several times a year to share their model with leaders in other communities. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) recently completed a case study that concluded: "The CHC is one of a very few organizations successfully embodying all three components of the IHI Triple Aim by improving population health outcomes, enhancing the individual's health care experience, and controlling costs. All three have been part of the Center's DNA since its inception, and as a transforming force in the community, the model is well worth national attention."

  12. An Evaluation of Army Wellness Center Clients' Health-Related Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivera, L Omar; Ford, Jessica Danielle; Hartzell, Meredith Marie; Hoover, Todd Allan

    2018-01-01

    To examine whether Army community members participating in a best-practice based workplace health promotion program (WHPP) experience goal-moderated improvements in health-related outcomes. Pretest/posttest outcome evaluation examining an autonomously participating client cohort over 1 year. Army Wellness Center facilities on 19 Army installations. Army community members sample (N = 5703), mostly Active Duty Soldiers (64%). Assessment of health risks with feedback, health assessments, health education classes, and health coaching sessions conducted by health educators at a recommended frequency of once a month for 3 to 12 months. Initial and follow-up outcome assessments of body mass index (BMI), body fat, cardiorespiratory fitness, blood pressure, and perceived stress. Mixed model linear regression testing for goal-moderated improvements in outcomes. Clients experienced significant improvements in body fat (-2% change), perceived stress (-6% to -12% change), cardiorespiratory fitness (+6% change), and blood pressure (-1% change) regardless of health-related goal. Only clients with a weight loss goal experienced BMI improvement (-1% change). Follow-up outcome assessment rates ranged from 44% (N = 2509) for BMI to 6% (N = 342) for perceived stress. Army Wellness Center clients with at least 1 follow-up outcome assessment experienced improvements in military readiness correlates and chronic disease risk factors. Evaluation design and follow-up-related limitations notwithstanding results suggest that best practices in WHPPs can effectively serve a globally distributed military force.

  13. Evaluation of the organizational cultural competence of a community health center: a multimethod approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherner, Rebecca; Olavarria, Marcela; Young, Marta; Aubry, Tim; Marchant, Christina

    2014-09-01

    Cultural competence is an important component of client-centered care in health promotion and community health services, especially considering the changing demographics of North America. Although a number of tools for evaluating cultural competence have been developed, few studies have reported on the results of organizational cultural competence evaluations in health care or social services settings. This article aims to fill this gap by providing a description of a cultural competence evaluation of a community health center serving a diverse population. Data collection included reviewing documents, and surveying staff, management, and the Board of Directors. The organization fully met 28 of 53 standards of cultural competence, partially met 21 standards, and did not meet 2 standards, and 2 standards could not be assessed due to missing information. The advantages and lessons learned from this organizational cultural competence evaluation are discussed. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

  14. 76 FR 17139 - Health Center Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Noncompetitive... Improvement Project (CIP) from Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers (SVCMC) of New York, current grantee...

  15. Health Services Cost Analyzing in Tabriz Health Centers 2008

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Massumeh gholizadeh

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Background and objectives : Health Services cost analyzing is an important management tool for evidence-based decision making in health system. This study was conducted with the purpose of cost analyzing and identifying the proportion of different factors on total cost of health services that are provided in urban health centers in Tabriz. Material and Methods : This study was a descriptive and analytic study. Activity Based Costing method (ABC was used for cost analyzing. This cross–sectional survey analyzed and identified the proportion of different factors on total cost of health services that are provided in Tabriz urban health centers. The statistical population of this study was comprised of urban community health centers in Tabriz. In this study, a multi-stage sampling method was used to collect data. Excel software was used for data analyzing. The results were described with tables and graphs. Results : The study results showed the portion of different factors in various health services. Human factors by 58%, physical space 8%, medical equipment 1.3% were allocated with high portion of expenditures and costs of health services in Tabriz urban health centers. Conclusion : Based on study results, since the human factors included the highest portion of health services costs and expenditures in Tabriz urban health centers, balancing workload with staff number, institutionalizing performance-based management and using multidisciplinary staffs may lead to reduced costs of services. ​

  16. Health science center faculty attitudes towards interprofessional education and teamwork.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gary, Jodie C; Gosselin, Kevin; Bentley, Regina

    2018-03-01

    The attitudes of faculty towards interprofessional education (IPE) and teamwork impact the education of health professions education (HPE) students. This paper reports on a study evaluating attitudes from health professions educators towards IPE and teamwork at one academic health science center (HSC) where modest IPE initiatives have commenced. Drawing from the results of a previous investigation, this study was conducted to examine current attitudes of the faculty responsible for the training of future healthcare professionals. Survey data were collected to evaluate attitudes from HSC faculty, dentistry, nursing, medicine, pharmacy and public health. In general, positive HSC faculty attitudes towards interprofessional learning, education, and teamwork were significantly predicted by those affiliated with the component of nursing. Faculty development aimed at changing attitudes and increasing understanding of IPE and teamwork are critical. Results of this study serve as an underpinning to leverage strengths and evaluate weakness in initiating IPE.

  17. Referral Practices Among U.S. Publicly Funded Health Centers That Offer Family Planning Services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Marion W; Robbins, Cheryl L; Gavin, Loretta; Moskosky, Susan

    2018-01-29

    Referrals to other medical services are central to healthcare, including family planning service providers; however, little information exists on the nature of referral practices among health centers that offer family planning. We used a nationally representative survey of administrators from 1,615 publicly funded health centers that offered family planning in 2013-14 to describe the use of six referral practices. We focused on associations between various health center characteristics and frequent use of three active referral practices. In the prior 3 months, a majority of health centers (73%) frequently asked clients about referrals at clients' next visit. Under half (43%) reported frequently following up with referral sources to find out if their clients had been seen. A third (32%) of all health centers reported frequently using three active referral practices. In adjusted analysis, Planned Parenthood clinics (adjusted odds ratio 0.55) and hospital-based clinics (AOR 0.39) had lower odds of using the three active referral practices compared with health departments, and Title X funding status was not associated with the outcome. The outcome was positively associated with serving rural areas (AOR 1.39), having a larger client volume (AOR 3.16), being a part of an insurance network (AOR 1.42), and using electronic health records (AOR 1.62). Publicly funded family planning providers were heavily engaged in referrals. Specific referral practices varied widely and by type of care. More assessment of these and other aspects of referral systems and practices is needed to better characterize the quality of care.

  18. Evaluation of a Person-Centered, Theory-Based Intervention to Promote Health Behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Worawong, Chiraporn; Borden, Mary Jo; Cooper, Karen M; Pérez, Oscar A; Lauver, Diane

    Effective promotion of health behaviors requires strong interventions. Applying person-centered approaches and concepts synthesized from two motivational theories could strengthen the effects of such interventions. The aim of the study was to report the effect sizes, fidelity, and acceptability of a person-centered, health behavior intervention based on self-regulation and self-determination theories. Using a pre- and postintervention design, with a 4-week follow-up, advanced practice registered nurses made six weekly contacts with 52 volunteer participants. Most participants were educated White women. Advanced practice registered nurses elicited participant motives and particular goals for either healthy diet or physical activity behaviors. Minutes and type of activity and servings of fat and fruit/vegetables were assessed. Effect sizes for engaging in moderate aerobic activity and in fruit/vegetable and fat intake were 0.53, 0.82, and -0.57, respectively. The fidelity of delivery was 80-97% across contacts, and fidelity of participants' receipt of intervention components was supported. Participant acceptance of the intervention was supported by positive ratings on aspects of relevance and usefulness. To advance the science of health behavior change and improve client health status, person-centered approaches and concepts synthesized from motivational theories can be applied and tested with a randomized, controlled design and diverse samples to replicate and extend this promising behavioral intervention.

  19. Sustaining a Focus on Health Equity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Through Organizational Structures and Functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dean, Hazel D; Roberts, George W; Bouye, Karen E; Green, Yvonne; McDonald, Marian

    2016-01-01

    The public health infrastructure required for achieving health equity is multidimensional and complex. The infrastructure should be responsive to current and emerging priorities and capable of providing the foundation for developing, planning, implementing, and evaluating health initiatives. This article discusses these infrastructure requirements by examining how they are operationalized in the organizational infrastructure for promoting health equity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, utilizing the nation's premier public health agency as a lens. Examples from the history of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's work in health equity from its centers, institute, and offices are provided to identify those structures and functions that are critical to achieving health equity. Challenges and facilitators to sustaining a health equity organizational infrastructure, as gleaned from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's experience, are noted. Finally, we provide additional considerations for expanding and sustaining a health equity infrastructure, which the authors hope will serve as "food for thought" for practitioners in state, tribal, or local health departments, community-based organizations, or nongovernmental organizations striving to create or maintain an impactful infrastructure to achieve health equity.

  20. Mental Health Screening Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Releases & Announcements Public Service Announcements Partnering with DBSA Mental Health Screening Center These online screening tools are not ... you have any concerns, see your doctor or mental health professional. Depression Screening for Adult Depression Screening for ...

  1. Utilization of Mental Health Services in School-Based Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bains, Ranbir M.; Cusson, Regina; White-Frese, Jesse; Walsh, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    Background: We summarize utilization patterns for mental health services in school-based health centers. Methods: Administrative data on school-based health center visits in New Haven, Connecticut were examined for the 2007-2009 school years. Relative frequencies of mental health visits by age were calculated as a percentage of all visits and were…

  2. Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Cervical Cancer Screening Rates in US Health Centers through Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga Moshkovich

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Over the last 50 years, the incidence of cervical cancer has dramatically decreased. However, health disparities in cervical cancer screening (CCS persist for women from racial and ethnic minorities and those residing in rural and poor communities. For more than 45 years, federally funded health centers (HCs have been providing comprehensive, culturally competent, and quality primary health care services to medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations. To enhance the quality of care and to ensure more women served at HCs are screened for cervical cancer, over eight HCs received funding to support patient-centered medical home (PCMH transformation with goals to increase CCS rates. The study conducted a qualitative analysis using Atlas.ti software to describe the barriers and challenges to CCS and PCMH transformation, to identify potential solutions and opportunities, and to examine patterns in barriers and solutions proposed by HCs. Interrater reliability was assessed using Cohen’s Kappa. The findings indicated that HCs more frequently described patient-level barriers to CCS, including demographic, cultural, and health belief/behavior factors. System-level barriers were the next commonly cited, particularly failure to use the full capability of electronic medical records (EMRs and problems coordinating with external labs or providers. Provider-level barriers were least frequently cited.

  3. Medical Waste Management in Community Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabrizi, Jafar Sadegh; Rezapour, Ramin; Saadati, Mohammad; Seifi, Samira; Amini, Behnam; Varmazyar, Farahnaz

    2018-02-01

    Non-standard management of medical waste leads to irreparable side effects. This issue is of double importance in health care centers in a city which are the most extensive system for providing Primary Health Care (PHC) across Iran cities. This study investigated the medical waste management standards observation in Tabriz community health care centers, northwestern Iran. In this triangulated cross-sectional study (qualitative-quantitative), data collecting tool was a valid checklist of waste management process developed based on Iranian medical waste management standards. The data were collected in 2015 through process observation and interviews with the health center's staff. The average rate of waste management standards observance in Tabriz community health centers, Tabriz, Iran was 29.8%. This case was 22.8% in dimension of management and training, 27.3% in separating and collecting, 31.2% in transport and temporary storage, and 42.9% in sterilization and disposal. Lack of principal separation of wastes, inappropriate collecting and disposal cycle of waste and disregarding safety tips (fertilizer device performance monitoring, microbial cultures and so on) were among the observed defects in health care centers supported by quantitative data. Medical waste management was not in a desirable situation in Tabriz community health centers. The expansion of community health centers in different regions and non-observance of standards could predispose to incidence the risks resulted from medical wastes. So it is necessary to adopt appropriate policies to promote waste management situation.

  4. School Based Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Children's Aid Society, 2012

    2012-01-01

    School Based Health Centers (SBHC) are considered by experts as one of the most effective and efficient ways to provide preventive health care to children. Few programs are as successful in delivering health care to children at no cost to the patient, and where they are: in school. For many underserved children, The Children's Aid Society's…

  5. Indian public health standards in primary health centers and community health centers in Shimla District of Himachal Pradesh: A descriptive evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raman Chauhan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The health planners in India have visualized primary health centers (PHCs and community health centers (CHCs as the key healthcare delivery institutions in rural areas. These centers are supposed to have health manpower, infrastructure, and service delivery as per the Indian public health standards (IPHS guidelines (2010. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in seven CHCs and 12 PHCs, randomly selected from eight blocks of Shimla District and evaluated in terms of health manpower, infrastructure, and services from September 2011 to August 2012. Data was collected from the selected units using structured data collection instruments designed by the IPHS. Results: The health centers were assessed according to IPHS guidelines. Outpatient department services and referral services were provided in all the centers studied. No specialist doctor was posted at any of CHCs against a sanctioned strength of at least four (surgeon, physician, obstetrician, and pediatrician per CHC. In 3 (42.8% CHCs and 8 (75% PHCs, no pharmacist was posted. Eight (75% PHCs did not have any staff nurse posted. Three (42.8% CHCs and 10 (83.3% PHCs did not have a laboratory technician. In CHCs, separate labor room was available in 6 (85.7% whereas a separate laboratory was available in all seven. Separate labor room and laboratory were available in four (25% PHCs. Conclusions: IPHS guidelines are not being followed at PHC and CHC levels of the district. Health manpower shortage is the key bottleneck in service delivery. Political advocacy is needed to ensure sufficient health manpower availability to deliver quality healthcare.

  6. Implementing health management information systems: measuring success in Korea's health centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chae, Y M; Kim, S I; Lee, B H; Choi, S H; Kim, I S

    1994-01-01

    This article analyses the effects that the introduction and adoption of a health management information system (HMIS) can have on both the productivity of health center staff as well as on user-satisfaction. The focus is upon the service provided by the Kwonsun Health Center located in Suwon City, Korea. Two surveys were conducted to measure the changes in productivity and adoption (knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation and confirmation) of health center staff over time. In addition, a third survey was conducted to measure the effects of HMIS on the level of satisfaction perceived by the visitors, by comparing the satisfaction level between the study health center and a similar health center identified as a control. The results suggest that HMIS increased the productivity and satisfaction of the staff but did not increase their persuasion and decision levels; and, that is also succeeded in increasing the levels of visitors' satisfaction with the services provided.

  7. Clinical quality performance in U.S. health centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Leiyu; Lebrun, Lydie A; Zhu, Jinsheng; Hayashi, Arthur S; Sharma, Ravi; Daly, Charles A; Sripipatana, Alek; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2012-12-01

    To describe current clinical quality among the nation's community health centers and to examine health center characteristics associated with performance excellence. National data from the 2009 Uniform Data System. Health centers reviewed patient records and reported aggregate data to the Uniform Data System. Six measures were examined: first-trimester prenatal care, childhood immunization completion, Pap tests, low birth weight, controlled hypertension, and controlled diabetes. The top 25 percent performing centers were compared with lower performing (bottom 75 percent) centers on these measures. Logistic regressions were utilized to assess the impact of patient, provider, and institutional characteristics on health center performance. Clinical care and outcomes among health centers were generally comparable to national averages. For instance, 67 percent of pregnant patients received timely prenatal care (national = 68 percent), 69 percent of children achieved immunization completion (national = 67 percent), and 63 percent of hypertensive patients had blood pressure under control (national = 48 percent). Depending on the measure, centers with more uninsured patients were less likely to do well, while centers with more physicians and enabling service providers were more likely to do well. Health centers provide quality care at rates comparable to national averages. Performance may be improved by increasing insurance coverage among patients and increasing the ratios of physicians and enabling service providers to patients. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  8. Academic Medical Centers as digital health catalysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DePasse, Jacqueline W; Chen, Connie E; Sawyer, Aenor; Jethwani, Kamal; Sim, Ida

    2014-09-01

    Emerging digital technologies offer enormous potential to improve quality, reduce cost, and increase patient-centeredness in healthcare. Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) play a key role in advancing medical care through cutting-edge medical research, yet traditional models for invention, validation and commercialization at AMCs have been designed around biomedical initiatives, and are less well suited for new digital health technologies. Recently, two large bi-coastal Academic Medical Centers, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) through the Center for Digital Health Innovation (CDHI) and Partners Healthcare through the Center for Connected Health (CCH) have launched centers focused on digital health innovation. These centers show great promise but are also subject to significant financial, organizational, and visionary challenges. We explore these AMC initiatives, which share the following characteristics: a focus on academic research methodology; integration of digital technology in educational programming; evolving models to support "clinician innovators"; strategic academic-industry collaboration and emergence of novel revenue models. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. The VISA Center: An Interdisciplinary Collaboration Serving Students Suspended from School for Violent or Aggressive Behavior, Substance Abuse, or Weapons Possession

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shulman, Lawrence; Maguin, Eugene

    2017-01-01

    The University at Buffalo School of Social Work established the VISA Center (the acronym stands for "vision, integrity, service, and accountability") in collaboration with the school district of Buffalo, New York. With funding from the New York State Education Department, a university on-campus center was set up to serve 30 students at a…

  10. Art and community health: lessons from an urban health center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegel, Wilma Bulkin; Bartley, Mary Anne

    2004-01-01

    Staff at a nurse-managed urban health center conducted a series of art sessions to benefit the community. The authors believe the program's success clearly communicated the relationship between art and community health. As a result of the success of the sessions, plans are in the works to make art a permanent part of the health center's services.

  11. Marketing and Community Mental Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferniany, Isaac W.; Garove, William E.

    1983-01-01

    Suggests that a marketing approach can be applied to community mental health centers. Marketing is a management orientation of providing services for, not to, patients in a systematic manner, which can help mental health centers improve services, strengthen community image, achieve financial independence and aid in staff recruitment. (Author)

  12. Nuclear Medical Science Officers: Army Health Physicists Serving and Defending Their Country Around the Globe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melanson, Mark; Bosley, William; Santiago, Jodi; Hamilton, Daniel

    2010-02-01

    Tracing their distinguished history back to the Manhattan Project that developed the world's first atomic bomb, the Nuclear Medical Science Officers are the Army's experts on radiation and its health effects. Serving around the globe, these commissioned Army officers serve as military health physicists that ensure the protection of Soldiers and those they defend against all sources of radiation, military and civilian. This poster will highlight the various roles and responsibilities that Nuclear Medical Science Officers fill in defense of the Nation. Areas where these officers serve include medical health physics, deployment health physics, homeland defense, emergency response, radiation dosimetry, radiation research and training, along with support to the Army's corporate radiation safety program and international collaborations. The poster will also share some of the unique military sources of radiation such as depleted uranium, which is used as an anti-armor munition and in armor plating because of its unique metallurgic properties. )

  13. [Effectiveness of support for asbestos health consultation in health centers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagamatsu, Yasuko

    2011-09-01

    In this research, we aimed to evaluate the support for asbestos health consultation in health centers. In this exploratory descriptive study, a self-administered original questionnaire was developed and used. Among all 517 health centers, valid responses were returned from 323 (62.5%) consenting centers. Consultations in the previous year ranged from 0-108 cases, with a facility median of 3.0 cases. Among staff members, 86.4% did not receive training and 35.4% had never used the manual. Workplaces that use asbestos within their jurisdiction were recognized by 39.2% of staff members, and 16.7% of these members always supported consultants psychologically. The staff members were not confident about asbestos health consultation: 71.2% for general questions, 76.2% for questions about asbestos-related diseases, and 76.4% for questions about risk of asbestos-related diseases; 51.4% were not confident about the Asbestos-Related Health Damage Relief System. Health center staff members who were significantly more confident were those who had more staff to work with; dealt with many consultations in the previous year; recognized the workplaces using asbestos within their jurisdiction; often used the manual and often psychologically supported consultants. According to the covariance structure analysis model, the 'use of support systems' consisting of 'the use of manual', 'training attendance' and 'recognition of workplaces that use asbestos' positively affected the frequency of psychological support (peffective in building the confidence of health center staff in relation to asbestos health consultation, although the use of these support systems was low.

  14. Senior Centers and Policy Advocacy: Changing Public Perceptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pardasani, Manoj; Goldkind, Lauri

    2012-01-01

    As critical components of the aging continuum of care, senior centers promote older adult health and well-being by providing opportunities for recreation, socialization, nutrition, health education, and access to vital social services. Nationally, a vast network of 11,000 senior centers serves over four million older adults annually. As the United…

  15. [Health centers: history and future prospects.].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colin, Marie-Pierre; Acker, Dominique

    2009-03-29

    Health houses and health centers are often hailed as specifically modern forms of medical practice in mobile healthcare provision. Yet the concept of health center emerged in the seventeenth century. The founding principles of these institutions were to promote access to good-quality universal healthcare and to practice a form of healthcare that treated patients in their globality (i.e. within their social and environmental context) based on public healthcare measures. Though they constitute a response to a specific healthcare project, healthcare centers face a number of specific difficulties that pose a challenge to their durability and development. Payment per consultation is ill-adapted to the remuneration of their services, and methods of remuneration that may be applicable to independent medical practitioners do not apply in the context of health centers, which may struggle to survive without the support of territorial collectivities (i.e. regional and local authorities) or associations. Health houses face similar difficulties in terms of their structural expenses. Expectations are high for trying out new methods of remuneration. The perspective and experience of healthcare centers will likely prove to be essential in this context. Their future needs to be envisaged alongside health houses and medical hubs. The growth of precarity and the increasing difficulties affecting access to healthcare provision need to be taken into account. The choice of the specific type of structure will depend on local realities, on the political will of regional authorities and on the specific projects of healthcare professionals. Yet whatever solution is envisaged, it will not be possible without public funding.

  16. 75 FR 2549 - Health Center Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-15

    ... Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS ACTION: Notice of Noncompetitive Replacement Award to Regional Health Care Affiliates. SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will be transferring Health Center Program (section 330 of the Public Health Service Act...

  17. 78 FR 42788 - School-Based Health Center Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-17

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration School-Based... Gadsden County. SUMMARY: HRSA will be transferring a School-Based Health Center Capital (SBHCC) Program... support the expansion of services at school-based health centers will continue. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION...

  18. Accelerated Adoption of Advanced Health Information Technology in Beacon Community Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Emily; Wittie, Michael

    2015-01-01

    To complement national and state-level HITECH Act programs, 17 Beacon communities were funded to fuel community-wide use of health information technology to improve quality. Health centers in Beacon communities received supplemental funding. This article explores the association between participation in the Beacon program and the adoption of electronic health records. Using the 2010-2012 Uniform Data System, trends in health information technology adoption among health centers located within and outside of Beacon communities were explored using differences in mean t tests and multivariate logistic regression. Electronic health record adoption was widespread and rapidly growing in all health centers, especially quality improvement functionalities: structured data capture, order and results management, and clinical decision support. Adoption lagged for functionalities supporting patient engagement, performance measurement, care coordination, and public health. The use of advanced functionalities such as care coordination grew faster in Beacon health centers, and Beacon health centers had 1.7 times higher odds of adopting health records with basic safety and quality functionalities in 2010-2012. Three factors likely underlie these findings: technical assistance, community-wide activation supporting health information exchange, and the layering of financial incentives. Additional technical assistance and community-wide activation is needed to support the use of functionalities that are currently lagging. © Copyright 2015 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

  19. 76 FR 1441 - Health Center Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Noncompetitive... for Services (IDS) and a portion of the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) from Saint Vincent's...

  20. Use of Community Health Workers and Patient Navigators to Improve Cancer Outcomes Among Patients Served by Federally Qualified Health Centers: A Systematic Literature Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roland, Katherine B; Milliken, Erin L; Rohan, Elizabeth A; DeGroff, Amy; White, Susan; Melillo, Stephanie; Rorie, William E; Signes, Carmita-Anita C; Young, Paul A

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: In the United States, disparities in cancer screening, morbidity, and mortality are well documented, and often are related to race/ethnicity and socioeconomic indicators including income, education, and healthcare access. Public health approaches that address social determinants of health have the greatest potential public health benefit, and can positively impact health disparities. As public health interventions, community health workers (CHWs), and patient navigators (PNs) work to address disparities and improve cancer outcomes through education, connecting patients to and navigating them through the healthcare system, supporting patient adherence to screening and diagnostic services, and providing social support and linkages to financial and community resources. Clinical settings, such as federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are mandated to provide care to medically underserved communities, and thus are also valuable in the effort to address health disparities. We conducted a systematic literature review to identify studies of cancer-related CHW/PN interventions in FQHCs, and to describe the components and characteristics of those interventions in order to guide future intervention development and evaluation. Method: We searched five databases for peer-reviewed CHW/PN intervention studies conducted in partnership with FQHCs with a focus on cancer, carried out in the United States, and published in English between January 1990 and December 2013. Results: We identified 24 articles, all reporting positive outcomes of CHW/PNs interventions in FQHCs. CHW/PN interventions most commonly promoted breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer screening and/or referral for diagnostic resolution. Studies were supported largely through federal funding. Partnerships with academic institutions and community-based organizations provided support and helped develop capacity among FQHC clinic leadership and community members. Discussion: Both the FQHC system and CHW

  1. Forging successful academic-community partnerships with community health centers: the California statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC) experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowkes, Virginia; Blossom, H John; Mitchell, Brenda; Herrera-Mata, Lydia

    2014-01-01

    Increased access to insurance under the Affordable Care Act will increase demands for clinical services in community health centers (CHCs). CHCs also have an increasingly important educational role to train clinicians who will remain to practice in community clinics. CHCs and Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) are logical partners to prepare the health workforce for the future. Both are sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration, and they share a mission to improve quality of care in medically underserved communities. AHECs emphasize the educational side of the mission, and CHCs the service side. Building stronger partnerships between them can facilitate a balance between education and service needs.From 2004 to 2011, the California Statewide AHEC program and its 12 community AHECs (centers) reorganized to align training with CHC workforce priorities. Eight centers merged into CHC consortia; others established close partnerships with CHCs in their respective regions. The authors discuss issues considered and approaches taken to make these changes. Collaborative innovative processes with program leadership, staff, and center directors revised the program mission, developed common training objectives with an evaluation plan, and defined organizational, functional, and impact characteristics for successful AHECs in California. During this planning, centers gained confidence as educational arms for the safety net and began collaborations with statewide programs as well as among themselves. The AHEC reorganization and the processes used to develop, strengthen, and identify standards for centers forged the development of new partnerships and established academic-community trust in planning and implementing programs with CHCs.

  2. Ethical considerations for conducting health disparities research in community health centers: a social-ecological perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boutin-Foster, Carla; Scott, Ebony; Melendez, Jennifer; Rodriguez, Anna; Ramos, Rosio; Kanna, Balavenkatesh; Michelen, Walid

    2013-12-01

    Community health centers (CHCs) provide optimal research settings. They serve a high-risk, medically underserved population in the greatest need of intervention. Low socioeconomic status renders this population particularly vulnerable to research misconduct. Traditional principles of research ethics are often applied to participants only. The social-ecological model offers a comprehensive framework for applying these principles across multiple levels (participants, providers, organizations, communities, and policy). Our experience with the Trial Using Motivational Interviewing, Positive Affect and Self-Affirmation in African-Americans with Hypertension, a randomized trial conducted in CHCs, led us to propose a new platform for discussing research ethics; examine the social, community, and political factors surrounding research conducted in CHCs; and recommend how future research should be conducted in such settings.

  3. Barriers to colorectal cancer screening in community health centers: A qualitative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fletcher Robert H

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Colorectal cancer screening rates are low among disadvantaged patients; few studies have explored barriers to screening in community health centers. The purpose of this study was to describe barriers to/facilitators of colorectal cancer screening among diverse patients served by community health centers. Methods We identified twenty-three outpatients who were eligible for colorectal cancer screening and their 10 primary care physicians. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews, we asked patients to describe factors influencing their screening decisions. For each unscreened patient, we asked his or her physician to describe barriers to screening. We conducted patient interviews in English (n = 8, Spanish (n = 2, Portuguese (n = 5, Portuguese Creole (n = 1, and Haitian Creole (n = 7. We audiotaped and transcribed the interviews, and then identified major themes in the interviews. Results Four themes emerged: 1 Unscreened patients cited lack of trust in doctors as a barrier to screening whereas few physicians identified this barrier; 2 Unscreened patients identified lack of symptoms as the reason they had not been screened; 3 A doctor's recommendation, or lack thereof, significantly influenced patients' decisions to be screened; 4 Patients, but not their physicians, cited fatalistic views about cancer as a barrier. Conversely, physicians identified competing priorities, such as psychosocial stressors or comorbid medical illness, as barriers to screening. In this culturally diverse group of patients seen at community health centers, similar barriers to screening were reported by patients of different backgrounds, but physicians perceived other factors as more important. Conclusion Further study of these barriers is warranted.

  4. Oral health knowledge of health care workers in special?children?s center

    OpenAIRE

    Wyne, Amjad; Hammad, Nouf; Splieth, Christian

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To determine the oral health knowledge of health care workers in special children?s center. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect following information: demographics, oral hygiene practices, importance of fluoride, dental visits, cause of tooth decay, gingival health, and sources of oral health information. The study was conducted at Riyadh Center for Special Children in Riyadh City from December 2013 to May 2014. Results: All 60 health care workers in the ...

  5. Evaluating the Mental Health Training Needs of Community-based Organizations Serving Refugees

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Anne Simmelink

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available This exploratory study examines the mental health knowledge and training needs of refugee-serving community based organizations in a Midwestern state. A survey was administered to 31 staff members at 27 community based organizations (CBOs to assess the ability of staff to recognize and screen for mental health symptoms that may interfere with successful resettlement. Of the 31 respondents 93.5% (n=29 see refugees with mental health issues and 48.4% (n=15 assess refugees for mental health symptoms – primarily through informal assessment. Mainstream organizations were more likely than ethnic organizations to have received training related to the mental health needs of refugees. Results indicate that while refugee led CBOs recognize mental health symptoms of refugees they may be less likely to assess mental health symptoms and refer for treatment. Policy recommendations for improving CBO services to refugees are offered.

  6. Job autonomy, its predispositions and its relation to work outcomes in community health centers in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Blossom Yen-Ju; Lin, Yung-Kai; Lin, Cheng-Chieh; Lin, Tien-Tse

    2013-06-01

    It has been debated that employees in a government or public ownership agency may perceive less need for growth opportunities or high-powered incentives than is the case for employees in private organizations. This study examined employees' job autonomy in government-run community health centers, its predispositions and its relation to their work outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Taiwan. From 230 responding community health centers, 1380 staff members responded to the self-completed, structured questionnaire. Structural equation modeling revealed that employees' job autonomy has positive work outcomes: greater work satisfaction, and less intent to transfer and intentions to leave. In addition, job autonomy was related to employees' higher education levels, medical profession, permanent employment and serving smaller populations. Moreover, employees' age, educational levels, medical profession and employment status were found to be related to their work satisfaction, intent to transfer and intent to leave.

  7. Role of the health center in health crisis management, especially in a radiation disaster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurahashi, Toshiyuki

    2013-01-01

    In a disaster, in particular a radiation disaster, health centers should play an active role in taking advantage of its own expertise. There are various causes of a health crisis; the response to a health crisis is defined according to each cause. However, it should be adequately addressed by assuming the worst case for a health crisis of unknown cause. The role of health centers, in addition to the implementation of appropriate and timely treatment of any health crisis, is prevention of a future health crisis, advanced preparation, and damage recovery; activities during normal times are also important to maintain. Regarding the specific activities of the health center, judgment in the preference of measures to be performed is important. That the information is collected properly based on the idea of risk communication, coordination, and public relations transmission is required also for health centers. (author)

  8. Family Support in Nursing Homes Serving Residents with a Mental Health History

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frahm, Kathryn; Gammonley, Denise; Zhang, Ning Jackie; Paek, Seung Chun

    2010-01-01

    Using 2003 nursing home data from the Minimum Data Set (MDS) database, this study investigated the role of family support among nursing homes serving residents with a mental health history. Exploratory factor analysis was used to create and test a conceptual model of family support using indicators located within the MDS database. Families were…

  9. Creating a longitudinal integrated clerkship with mutual benefits for an academic medical center and a community health system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poncelet, Ann Noelle; Mazotti, Lindsay A; Blumberg, Bruce; Wamsley, Maria A; Grennan, Tim; Shore, William B

    2014-01-01

    The longitudinal integrated clerkship is a model of clinical education driven by tenets of social cognitive theory, situated learning, and workplace learning theories, and built on a foundation of continuity between students, patients, clinicians, and a system of care. Principles and goals of this type of clerkship are aligned with primary care principles, including patient-centered care and systems-based practice. Academic medical centers can partner with community health systems around a longitudinal integrated clerkship to provide mutual benefits for both organizations, creating a sustainable model of clinical training that addresses medical education and community health needs. A successful one-year longitudinal integrated clerkship was created in partnership between an academic medical center and an integrated community health system. Compared with traditional clerkship students, students in this clerkship had better scores on Clinical Performance Examinations, internal medicine examinations, and high perceptions of direct observation of clinical skills.Advantages for the academic medical center include mitigating the resources required to run a longitudinal integrated clerkship while providing primary care training and addressing core competencies such as systems-based practice, practice-based learning, and interprofessional care. Advantages for the community health system include faculty development, academic appointments, professional satisfaction, and recruitment.Success factors include continued support and investment from both organizations' leadership, high-quality faculty development, incentives for community-based physician educators, and emphasis on the mutually beneficial relationship for both organizations. Development of a longitudinal integrated clerkship in a community health system can serve as a model for developing and expanding these clerkship options for academic medical centers.

  10. Recruiting community health centers into pragmatic research: Findings from STOP CRC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coronado, Gloria D; Retecki, Sally; Schneider, Jennifer; Taplin, Stephen H; Burdick, Tim; Green, Beverly B

    2016-04-01

    Challenges of recruiting participants into pragmatic trials, particularly at the level of the health system, remain largely unexplored. As part of Strategies and Opportunities to STOP Colon Cancer in Priority Populations (STOP CRC), we recruited eight separate community health centers (consisting of 26 individual safety net clinics) into a large comparative effectiveness pragmatic study to evaluate methods of raising the rates of colorectal cancer screening. In partnership with STOP CRC's advisory board, we defined criteria to identify eligible health centers and applied these criteria to a list of health centers in Washington, Oregon, and California affiliated with Oregon Community Health Information Network, a 16-state practice-based research network of federally sponsored health centers. Project staff contacted centers that met eligibility criteria and arranged in-person meetings of key study investigators with health center leadership teams. We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to thematically analyze the content of discussions during these meetings to identify major facilitators of and barriers to health center participation. From an initial list of 41 health centers, 11 met the initial inclusion criteria. Of these, leaders at three centers declined and at eight centers (26 clinic sites) agreed to participate (73%). Participating and nonparticipating health centers were similar with respect to clinic size, percent Hispanic patients, and percent uninsured patients. Participating health centers had higher proportions of Medicaid patients and higher baseline colorectal cancer screening rates. Common facilitators of participation were perception by center leadership that the project was an opportunity to increase colorectal cancer screening rates and to use electronic health record tools for population management. Barriers to participation were concerns of center leaders about ability to provide fecal testing to and assure follow-up of

  11. Development of a Community-Based Palliative Care Model for Advance Cancer Patients in Public Health Centers in Busan, Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sook-Nam; Choi, Soon-Ock; Shin, Seong Hoon; Ryu, Ji-Sun; Baik, Jeong-Won

    2017-07-01

    A feasible palliative care model for advance cancer patients is needed in Korea with its rapidly aging population and corresponding increase in cancer prevalence. This study describes the process involved in the development of a community-based palliative care (CBPC) model implemented originally in a Busan pilot project. The model development included steps I and II of the pilot project, identification of the service types, a survey exploring the community demand for palliative care, construction of an operational infrastructure, and the establishment of a service delivery system. Public health centers (including Busan regional cancer centers, palliative care centers, and social welfare centers) served as the regional hubs in the development of a palliative care model. The palliative care project included the provision of palliative care, establishment of a support system for the operations, improvement of personnel capacity, development of an educational and promotional program, and the establishment of an assessment system to improve quality. The operational infrastructure included a service management team, provision teams, and a support team. The Busan Metropolitan City CBPC model was based on the principles of palliative care as well as the characteristics of public health centers that implemented the community health projects. The potential use of the Busan CBPC model in Korea should be explored further through service evaluations.

  12. Federally qualified health center dental clinics: financial information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailit, Howard L; Devitto, Judy; Myne-Joslin, Ronnie; Beazoglou, Tryfon; McGowan, Taegan

    2013-01-01

    Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) dental clinics are a major component of the dental safety net system, providing care to 3.75 million patients annually. This study describes the financial and clinical operations of a sample of FQHCs. In cooperation with the National Network for Oral Health Access, FQHC dental clinics that could provide 12 months of electronic dental record information were asked to participate in the study. Based on data from 28 dental clinics (14 FQHCs), 50 percent of patients were under 21 years of age. The primary payers were Medicaid (72.4 percent) and sliding-scale/self-pay patients (17.5 percent). Sites averaged 3.1 operatories, 0.66 dental hygienists, and 1.9 other staff per dentist. Annually, each FTE dentist and hygienist provided 2,801 and 2,073 patient visits, respectively. Eighty percent of services were diagnostic, preventive, and restorative. Patient care accounted for 82 percent of revenues, and personnel (64.2 percent) and central administration (13.4 percent) accounted for most expenses. Based on a small convenience sample of FQHC dental clinics, this study presents descriptive data on their clinical and financial operations. Compared with data from the UDS (Uniform Data System) report, study FQHCs were larger in terms of space, staff, and patients served. However, there was substantial variation among clinics for almost all measures. As the number and size of FQHC dental clinics increase, the Health Resources and Services Administration needs to provide them access to comparative data that they can use to benchmark their operations. © 2013 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

  13. Center for Environmental Health Sciences

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The primary research objective of the Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS) at the University of Montana is to advance knowledge of environmental impacts...

  14. Center for Devices and Radiological Health Publications Index, August 1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-08-01

    This is the first Publications Index to be published by the Center for Devices and Radiological Health. Previous indexes, titled 'Bureau of Radiological Health Publications Index', were published before the Center was formed in 1982 through the merger of the Bureau of Radiological Health and the Bureau of Medical Devices; the last of these indexes was published in October 1980. The 1988 edition contains records of medical device and radiological health documents authored or published by the Center from 1978 through 1986. It should not be considered all-inclusive since those documents for which bibliographic information was not available have been excluded. The Publications Index is being distributed to Center staff, state radiological health programs, and libraries on the Center's publication mailing list. The Center plans to update and publish the Index every other year to provide a convenient record of published Center documents

  15. Mental Health Services in School-Based Health Centers: Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bains, Ranbir Mangat; Diallo, Ana F.

    2016-01-01

    Mental health issues affect 20-25% of children and adolescents, of which few receive services. School-based health centers (SBHCs) provide access to mental health services to children and adolescents within their schools. A systematic review of literature was undertaken to review evidence on the effectiveness of delivery of mental health services…

  16. Research Productivity in Rehabilitation, Disability, and Allied Health Programs: A Focus Group Perspective on Minority-Serving Institutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aref, Fariborz; Manyibe, Edward O.; Washington, Andre L.; Johnson, Jean; Davis, Dytisha; Eugene-Cross, Kenyotta; Moore, Cayla A.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The article outlines select individual and institutional factors that could contribute to rehabilitation, disability, and health research productivity among minority-serving institutions (MSIs; i.e., historically Black colleges/universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and American Indian tribal colleges/universities). Method: We…

  17. Are health centers in Thailand ready for health information technology? : a national survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kijsanayotin, Boonchai; Speedie, Stuart

    2006-01-01

    The Thailand universal health care coverage scheme was instituted in 2001 and The Thailand Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) is restructuring its information systems to support this reform. The MOPH anticipates developing computerized health information systems which can provide information for administration tasks and can improve both healthcare delivery and public health services. To achieve these target goals, knowledge about users and organizations is vital. The knowledge of how health center workers currently use information technology (IT), their knowledge of IT, and acceptance of IT are not only beneficial to policy makers but also to system designers and implementers. The primary objective of this study is to learn how health centers in Thailand use IT, the level of basic IT knowledge among their workers, and their acceptance of health IT. We surveyed a random cross sectional sample of 1,607 health centers representing the total of 9,806 in Thailand in 2005. With an 82% response rate, the preliminary results indicate that information technology usage is pervasive in health centers. The respondents showed a moderately high degree of health information technology acceptance with a modest level of basic IT knowledge. There were no differences in degrees of acceptance among the four geographic regions. The mean score of "intention to use IT" was 5.6 on a scale of 7 and the average basic IT knowledge score was 13 out of 20. These results suggests the possibility of project success if the national health center information system projects are developed and implemented.

  18. Mental health courts: serving justice and promoting recovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wren, Ginger Lerner

    2010-01-01

    This article begins and ends with a call for more empirical research to understand the connection between societal views of mental illness and the legal system. The author asserts that changing social perceptions of mental illness certainly affect legal outcomes and commitment levels, but the degree remains unknown. This article explores the above two topics through the framework of the Circuit Court 'split' regarding the Constitutional rights of persons committed to state mental health institutions. A main facet of the 'split' is centered on the Circuits' disagreement about whether or not all mentally ill patients committed to institutions deserve the same Constitutional protections.

  19. COMMUNITTY HEALTH II – SUBJECT THAT PROMOTES THE LEARNING- SERVING-COMUNITTY INTERACTION AIMING THE PROMOTION OF HEALTH, CARE AND COMFORT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Onã Silva

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: In the context of the teaching and learning process, the communication between the fields of study and their subjects is important, once such integration reflects on the formation and the learning-serving-community triad. This pedagogical basis figures in the syllabi of the subjects Community Health II and its Training Course, offered by the Nursing Program. Objective: Reporting the teaching and learning process for the academic subject Community Health II, as being an inclusive part of learning-serving-community triad, with regards of developing care for the health of individuals, family and community, according to the reports of the experiences of this author during the training course. Methodological Description: It was reported the events dealing with the data experienced by the author over the second term of 2012. The following places were used in that report. In the academic environment and in the training course which took place in one of the administrative regions of Distrito Federal. The pedagogical theoretical basis was made on Paulo Freire. Data were collected from the studied subjects, legislation, theoretical and practical meetings, communication materials on the virtual environment among other sources. Results and discussion: this experience revealed that the subject CH-II presents an interdisciplinary, multiprofessional and inclusive view of learning-serving-community triad. The participants mediated by the problematization contributed for the construction of theoretical and practical knowledge using reflections, debates, and discussions according to the Pedagogy of Autonomy. The teaching and learning methods permitted the development of independence, competencies and abilities contained in the political project. Conclusion: The training course experienced in the environment of CH-II was an unique experience, generating benefits to all the people involved in the process, besides the resignification of their practices

  20. Adolescent Health Care in School-Based Health Centers. Position Statement

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, 2008

    2008-01-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) are considered one of the most effective strategies for delivering preventive care, including reproductive and mental health care services, to adolescents--a population long considered difficult to reach. National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC) recommends practices and policies to assure…

  1. Health care employee perceptions of patient-centered care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balbale, Salva Najib; Turcios, Stephanie; LaVela, Sherri L

    2015-03-01

    Given the importance of health care employees in the delivery of patient-centered care, understanding their unique perspectives is essential for quality improvement. The purpose of this study was to use photovoice to evaluate perceptions and experiences around patient-centered care among U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) health care employees. We asked participants to take photographs of salient features in their environment related to patient-centered care. We used the photographs to facilitate dialogue during follow-up interviews. Twelve VA health care employees across two VA sites participated in the project. Although most participants felt satisfied with their work environment and experiences at the VA, they identified several areas for improvement. These included a need for more employee health and wellness initiatives and a need for enhanced opportunities for training and professional growth. Application of photovoice enabled us to learn about employees' unique perspectives around patient-centered care while engaging them in an evaluation of care delivery. © The Author(s) 2014.

  2. Campus Health Centers' Lack of Information Regarding Providers: A Content Analysis of Division-I Campus Health Centers' Provider Websites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perrault, Evan K

    2018-07-01

    Campus health centers are a convenient, and usually affordable, location for college students to obtain health care. Staffed by licensed and trained professionals, these providers can generally offer similar levels of care that providers at off-campus clinics can deliver. Yet, previous research finds students may forgo this convenient, on-campus option partially because of a lack of knowledge regarding the quality of providers at these campus clinics. This study sought to examine where this information deficit may come from by analyzing campus health centers' online provider information. All Division-I colleges or universities with an on-campus health center, which had information on their websites about their providers (n = 294), had their providers' online information analyzed (n = 2,127 providers). Results revealed that schools commonly offer professional information (e.g., provider specialties, education), but very little about their providers outside of the medical context (e.g., hobbies) that would allow a prospective student patient to more easily relate. While 181 different kinds of credentials were provided next to providers' names (e.g., MD, PA-C, FNP-BC), only nine schools offered information to help students understand what these different credentials meant. Most schools had information about their providers within one-click of the homepage. Recommendations for improving online information about campus health center providers are offered.

  3. Utilization of maternal health services in rural primary health centers ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Utilization of maternal health services in rural primary health centers in Sub- Saharan Africa. ... their pregnancies were normal during antenatal care visits, hostile attitude of health workers, poverty and mode of payment. Majority of the PHCs provided antenatal, normal delivery, and post natal services. Rural mothers lacked ...

  4. Factors associated with daily consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among adult patients at four federally qualified health centers, Bronx, New York, 2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kristal, Ross B; Blank, Arthur E; Wylie-Rosett, Judith; Selwyn, Peter A

    2015-01-08

    Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors. This study examined the relationships between SSB consumption and demographic, health behavior, health service, and health condition characteristics of adult patients of a network of federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in a low-income, urban setting. Validated, standardized self-reported health behavior questions were incorporated into the electronic health record (EHR) and asked of patients yearly, at 4 FQHCs. We conducted cross-sectional analysis of EHR data collected in 2013 from 12,214 adult patients by using logistic regression. Forty percent of adult patients consumed 1 or more SSBs daily. The adjusted odds ratios indicated that patients who consumed more than 1 SSB daily were more likely to be aged 18 to 29 years versus age 70 or older, current smokers versus never smoking, eating no servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily or 1 to 4 servings daily versus 5 or more servings daily, and not walking or biking more than 10 blocks in the past 30 days. Patients consuming 1 or more servings of SSBs daily were less likely to speak Spanish than English, be women than men, be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes versus no diabetes, and be diagnosed with hypertension versus no hypertension. SSB consumption differed by certain demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and health conditions. Recording SSB intake and other health behaviors data in the EHR could help clinicians in identifying and counseling patients to promote health behavior changes. Future studies should investigate how EHR data on patient health behavior can be used to improve the health of patients and communities.

  5. Oral health knowledge of health care workers in special children's center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wyne, Amjad; Hammad, Nouf; Splieth, Christian

    2015-01-01

    To determine the oral health knowledge of health care workers in special children's center. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect following information: demographics, oral hygiene practices, importance of fluoride, dental visits, cause of tooth decay, gingival health, and sources of oral health information. The study was conducted at Riyadh Center for Special Children in Riyadh City from December 2013 to May 2014. All 60 health care workers in the center completed the questionnaire. A great majority (95%) of the workers brushed their teeth twice or more daily. More than two-third (71.7%) of the workers knew that fluoride helps in caries prevention. One in five (21.7%) workers thought that a dental visit only becomes necessary in case of a dental problem. Similarly, 13.3% of the workers thought to "wait till there is some pain in case of a dental cavity" before seeking dental treatment. The workers ranked soft drinks/soda (98.3%), flavored fizzy drinks (60%) and sweetened/flavored milks (43.3%) as top three cariogenic drinks. A great majority (95%) of the workers correctly responded that blood on toothbrush most probably is a sign of "gum disease". Dentists (50%) and media (45%) were the main source of their oral health information. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in workers' response in relation to their specific job. The special health care workers in the disabled children's center generally had satisfactory oral health knowledge and practices.

  6. 78 FR 49357 - National Health Center Week, 2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-14

    ... America A Proclamation Community health centers play a critical role in providing affordable, high-quality... people living in the United States depends on their services. They are an important source of jobs in... extend our thanks to the women and men who operate America's health centers. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK...

  7. National Center for Health Statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Submit Search the CDC National Center for Health Statistics Note: Javascript is disabled or is not supported ... Survey of Family Growth Vital Records National Vital Statistics System National Death Index Vital Statistics Rapid Release ...

  8. Cost-income analysis of oral health units of health care centers in Yazd city

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hosein Fallahzadeh

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aims: Increasing demands for health care's services on one hand and limited resources on the other hand brings about pressure over governments to find out a mechanism for fair and appropriate distribution of resources. Economic analysis is one of the appropriate tools for policy making on this priority. The aim of this study was to assess capital and consumption of oral health units of health care centers in Yazd city and comparing it with revenue of these centers and determining of cost effectiveness.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross sectional study, all health care centers of Yazd city with active dentistry department were evaluated. The data has been extracted from current documents in health care center of county based issued receipts and daily information registers.Results: Expended cost for providing of oral hygiene services in second half of 2008 in 13 medical health centers of Yazd included active dentistry section was 557.887.500 Rials and revenue to cost ratio was about 34%. The most provided service was related to tooth extraction and the average of tooth restoration in each working day was 0.48.Conclusion: With attention to low tariffs of dentistry services in medical health centers and paying subsidy to target groups, expenses of oral hygiene are always more than its revenue.

  9. 75 FR 55587 - Family-to-Family Health Information Center Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Family-to-Family Health Information Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS... Vermont Family-to-Family Health Information Center (F2F HIC) grant (H84MC00002) from the Parent to Parent...

  10. 76 FR 49771 - Request for Nominations of Candidates To Serve on the Advisory Committee on Immunization...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-11

    ... Nominations of Candidates To Serve on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) The Centers for... consists of 15 experts in fields associated with immunization, who are selected by the Secretary of the U.S... immunization practices; multi-disciplinary expertise in public health; expertise in the use of vaccines and...

  11. Planning for the Mercy Center for Breast Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olivares, V Ed

    2002-01-01

    During the last months of 2000, administrators at the Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael, Calif., convened a steering committee to plan the Mercy Center for Breast Health. The Steering Committee was composed of the director of ancillary and support services, the oncology clinical nurse specialist, the RN manager of the oncology nursing unit, the RN surgery center manager, and me, the manager of imaging services. The committee was responsible for creating a new business with five specific objectives: to position the Center as a comprehensive diagnostic and resource center for women; to generate physician referrals to the Breast Center through various vehicles; to create awareness of the Breast Center's capabilities among area radiologists; to create awareness of the Breast Center among employees of six sister facilities; to create "brand awareness" for the Mercy Center for Breast Health among referring physicians and patients who could use competing centers in the area. The Steering Committee's charter was to design a center with a feminine touch and ambience and to provide a "one-stop shopping" experience for patients. A major component of the Breast Center is the Dianne Haselwood Resource Center, which provides patients with educational support and information. The Steering Committee brought its diverse experience and interests to bear on arranging for equipment acquisition, information and clerical systems, staffing, clinic office design, patient care and marketing. Planning the Mercy Center for Breast Health has been a positive challenge that brought together many elements of the organization and people from different departments and specialties to create a new business venture. Our charge now is to grow and to live up to our vision of offering complete breast diagnostic, education and support services in one location.

  12. UNDER-UTILIZATION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS IN PURWOREJO REGENCY, CENTRAL JAVA

    OpenAIRE

    Atik Triratnawati

    2006-01-01

    The basic strategy of the Ministry of Health to achieve Health For All In Indonesia 2010 is through health paradigm, decentralization, professionalism and health service management. Community health centers play an important role to achieve the goal. Unfortunately, underutilization of community health centers is still a problem in Purworejo. The purpose of this study was to know the utilization of community health centers using a sociological health approach. Qualitative research by observati...

  13. Center for Maritime Safety and Health Studies

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — Established in November 2015, the Center for Maritime Safety and Health Studies (CMSHS) promotes safety and health for all maritime workers, including those employed...

  14. Health professionals’ experiences of person-centered collaboration in mental health care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rita Sommerseth

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Rita Sommerseth, Elin DysvikUniversity of Stavanger, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Health Studies, Stavanger, NorwayObjective: The basic aim in this paper is to discuss health care professionals’ experiences of person-centered collaboration and involvement in mental health rehabilitation and suggest ways of improving this perspective. Furthermore, the paper explains the supportive systems that are at work throughout the process of rehabilitation.Method: The study design is a qualitative approach using three focus group interviews with a total of 17 informants with different professional backgrounds such as nurses, social workers, and social pedagogies. In addition, one nurse and one social worker participated in a semistructured in-depth interview to judge validity.Results: Our results may demonstrate deficits concerning mental health care on several levels. This understanding suggests firstly, that a person-centered perspective and involvement still are uncommon. Secondly, multidisciplinary work seems uncommon and only sporadically follows recommendations. Thirdly, family support is seldom involved. Lastly, firm leadership and knowledge about laws and regulations seems not to be systematically integrated in daily care.Conclusion: Taking these matters together, the improvement of a person-centered perspective implies cooperation between different services and levels in mental health care. In order to bring about improvement the health care workers must critically consider their own culture, coordination of competence must be increased, and leadership at an institutional and organizational level must be improved so that scarce rehabilitation resources are used to the optimal benefit of people with a mental illness.Keywords: multidisciplinary teams, person-centered collaboration, supportive systems, rehabilitation

  15. 75 FR 39265 - National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, Announces the... Prevention, Classifications and Public Health Data Standards, 3311 Toledo Road, Room 2337, Hyattsville, MD...

  16. 78 FR 53148 - National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, Announces the... Administrator, Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, NCHS, 3311 Toledo Road, Room 2337...

  17. 78 FR 9055 - National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-07

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, Announces the..., Medical Systems Administrator, Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, NCHS, 3311 Toledo...

  18. Population Neuroscience: Dementia Epidemiology Serving Precision Medicine and Population Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganguli, Mary; Albanese, Emiliano; Seshadri, Sudha; Bennett, David A; Lyketsos, Constantine; Kukull, Walter A; Skoog, Ingmar; Hendrie, Hugh C

    2018-01-01

    Over recent decades, epidemiology has made significant contributions to our understanding of dementia, translating scientific discoveries into population health. Here, we propose reframing dementia epidemiology as "population neuroscience," blending techniques and models from contemporary neuroscience with those of epidemiology and biostatistics. On the basis of emerging evidence and newer paradigms and methods, population neuroscience will minimize the bias typical of traditional clinical research, identify the relatively homogenous subgroups that comprise the general population, and investigate broader and denser phenotypes of dementia and cognitive impairment. Long-term follow-up of sufficiently large study cohorts will allow the identification of cohort effects and critical windows of exposure. Molecular epidemiology and omics will allow us to unravel the key distinctions within and among subgroups and better understand individuals' risk profiles. Interventional epidemiology will allow us to identify the different subgroups that respond to different treatment/prevention strategies. These strategies will inform precision medicine. In addition, insights into interactions between disease biology, personal and environmental factors, and social determinants of health will allow us to measure and track disease in communities and improve population health. By placing neuroscience within a real-world context, population neuroscience can fulfill its potential to serve both precision medicine and population health.

  19. 42 CFR 405.2462 - Payment for rural health clinic and Federally qualified health center services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... integral and subordinate part of a hospital, skilled nursing facility or home health agency participating... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Payment for rural health clinic and Federally qualified health center services. 405.2462 Section 405.2462 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID...

  20. 75 FR 56549 - National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-16

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff, Announces the... Public Health Data Standards Staff, NCHS, 3311 Toledo Road, Room 2337, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782, e...

  1. Barriers to the use of Veterans Affairs health care services among female veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newins, Amie R; Wilson, Sarah M; Hopkins, Tiffany A; Straits-Troster, Kristy; Kudler, Harold; Calhoun, Patrick S

    2018-02-08

    The study investigated barriers to the utilization of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care services among female veterans who served in served in Iraq and Afghanistan, including reasons for not choosing VA health care, reasons for not seeking mental health treatment, and types of desired VA services. Female respondents to a survey assessing Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans' needs and health (N = 186) completed measures of military history, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, barriers to VA health care, and preferences for services. Barriers to use of VA health care endorsed by female veterans included receiving care elsewhere and logistical issues. Barriers to utilization of mental health services among female veterans who screened positive for depression or posttraumatic stress disorder included negative treatment biases and concerns about stigma, privacy, and cost. Female veterans endorsed preferences for services related to eligibility education, nonprimary care physical health services, vocational assistance, and a few behavioral/mental health services. Findings highlight the need for ongoing outreach and education regarding eligibility and types of resources for physical and mental health problems experienced by female veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as inform types of VA programming and services desired by female veterans. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. New York State Health Foundation grant helps health centers win federal expansion funds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandman, David; Cozine, Maureen

    2012-11-01

    With approximately 1.2 million New Yorkers poised to gain health insurance coverage as a result of federal health reform, demand for primary care services is likely to increase greatly. The Affordable Care Act includes $11 billion in funding to enhance primary care access at community health centers. Recognizing a need and an opportunity, in August 2010 the New York State Health Foundation made a grant of nearly $400,000 to the Community Health Care Association of New York State to work with twelve health centers to develop successful proposals for obtaining and using these federal funds. Ultimately, eleven of the twelve sites are expected to receive $25.6 million in federal grants over a five-year period-a sixty-four-fold return on the foundation's investment. This article describes the strategy for investing in community health centers; identifies key project activities, challenges, and lessons; and highlights its next steps for strengthening primary care.

  3. Kennedy Space Center environmental health program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marmaro, G.M.; Cardinale, M.A.; Summerfield, B.R.; Tipton, D.A.

    1992-01-01

    The Kennedy Space Center's environmental health organization is responsible for programs which assure its employees a healthful workplace under diverse and varied working conditions. These programs encompass the disciplines of industrial hygiene, radiation protection (health physics), and environmental sanitation/pollution control. Activities range from the routine, such as normal office work, to the highly specialized, such as the processing of highly toxic and hazardous materials

  4. Johnson Space Center Health and Medical Technical Authority

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fogarty, Jennifer A.

    2010-01-01

    1.HMTA responsibilities: a) Assure program/project compliance with Agency health and medical requirements at identified key decision points. b) Certify that programs/projects comply with Agency health and medical requirements prior to spaceflight missions. c) Assure technical excellence. 2. Designation of applicable NASA Centers for HMTA implementation and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) appointment. 3. Center CMO responsible for HMTA implementation for programs and projects at the center. JSC HMTA captured in "JSC HMTA Implementation Plan". 4. Establishes specifics of dissenting opinion process consistent with NASA procedural requirements.

  5. Utilization of Mental Health Services in School-Based Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bains, Ranbir M; Cusson, Regina; White-Frese, Jesse; Walsh, Stephen

    2017-08-01

    We summarize utilization patterns for mental health services in school-based health centers. Administrative data on school-based health center visits in New Haven, Connecticut were examined for the 2007-2009 school years. Relative frequencies of mental health visits by age were calculated as a percentage of all visits and were stratified by sex, ethnicity/race, and insurance status. Mental health visits accounted for the highest proportion of visits (31.8%). The proportion of mental health visits was highest at 8 years (42.8%) and at 13 years (39.0%). The proportion of mental health visits among boys (38.4%) was higher than among girls (26.7%). Hispanic students had a lower proportion of mental health visits than black students (23.5% vs 35.8%) in all but 2 age groups. Students in the white/other ethnicity category had higher proportions of mental health visits than Hispanic and black students between ages 12 and 15. Students with no health insurance (22.5%) had lower proportions of mental health visits than students covered by Medicaid (34.3%) or private insurance (33.9%). The percentage of mental health visits by students with private insurance was highest (37.2%-49%) in the 13-15 age range. Usage patterns for mental health issues show pronounced, nonrandom variation relative to age and other demographic characteristics especially with 8-year-old boys. © 2017, American School Health Association.

  6. UNDER-UTILIZATION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS IN PURWOREJO REGENCY, CENTRAL JAVA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atik Triratnawati

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available The basic strategy of the Ministry of Health to achieve Health For All In Indonesia 2010 is through health paradigm, decentralization, professionalism and health service management. Community health centers play an important role to achieve the goal. Unfortunately, underutilization of community health centers is still a problem in Purworejo. The purpose of this study was to know the utilization of community health centers using a sociological health approach. Qualitative research by observation, in-depth interview and focus group discussion were done among different types of group. The study was done in Purworejo District on February and March 2000. The main problems related to underutilization of community health centers are mostly on administration (less quality services, un-efficient, long hours waiting, strong bureaucratic system (physician has a dominant power, overlapping programs, poor coordination and integration with other divisions and cultural behavior of the community (labeling/stigma, self-care dominant, lack of community participation. To overcome under-utilization of community health centers the administration and bureaucracy should be changed into more efficient, not bureaucratic management. In addition social changes of the community culture is needed. As a consequence through these changes the staff of the health centers will be more efficient and effective.

  7. National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH) is an academic center tasked with leading federal, and coordinating national, efforts to develop...

  8. The role of health centers in preventive care provision

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shemetova G.N.

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim: to assess the importance of the Centers of Health in the organization and provision of preventive care to the population, in the early detection of risk factors for the development of chronic non-communicable diseases and the development of a healthy lifestyle. Material and Methods. On the basis of the Health Center of Engels Center for Medical Prevention in the Saratov Region, the detection of risk factors for 2011-2015 was analyzed according to statistical reporting (form No. 68 and health cards (form025-CZ/y of 207 patients. To assess the satisfaction of visitors with the work of the Center, a specially developed questionnaire was conducted, which included 22 questions that characterize the patient profile, his attitude to the organization and the results of the survey, and the motivation to modify the way of life. Results. The study confirmed the important role of the Centers of Health in the organization and provision of preventive care to the population, the formation of a healthy lifestyle and the early detection of diseases and risk factors for their development. Conclusion. Only joint efforts of medical institutions, authorities, educational organizations, mass media can lead to the formation of the population's responsibility for their health and readiness to modify the way of life.

  9. The potential conflict between policy and ethics in caring for undocumented immigrants at academic health centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cacari Stone, Lisa; Steimel, Leah; Vasquez-Guzman, Estela; Kaufman, Arthur

    2014-04-01

    Academic health centers (AHCs) are at the forefront of delivering care to the diverse medically underserved and uninsured populations in the United States, as well as training the majority of the health care workforce, who are professionally obligated to serve all patients regardless of race or immigration status. Despite AHCs' central leadership role in these endeavors, few consolidated efforts have emerged to resolve potential conflicts between national, state, and local policies that exclude certain classifications of immigrants from receiving federal public assistance and health professionals' social missions and ethical oath to serve humanity. For instance, whereas the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provides a pathway to insurance coverage for more than 30 million Americans, undocumented immigrants and legally documented immigrants residing in the United States for less than five years are ineligible for Medicaid and excluded from purchasing any type of coverage through state exchanges. To inform this debate, the authors describe their experience at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) and discuss how the UNMH has responded to this challenge and overcome barriers. They offer three recommendations for aligning AHCs' social missions and professional ethics with organizational policies: (1) that AHCs determine eligibility for financial assistance based on residency rather than citizenship, (2) that models of medical education and health professions training provide students with service-learning opportunities and applied community experience, and (3) that frontline staff and health care professionals receive standardized training on eligibility policies to minimize discrimination towards immigrant patients.

  10. Defining the medical imaging requirements for a rural health center

    CERN Document Server

    2017-01-01

    This book establishes the criteria for the type of medical imaging services that should be made available to rural health centers, providing professional rural hospital managers with information that makes their work more effective and efficient. It also offers valuable insights into government, non-governmental and religious organizations involved in the planning, establishment and operation of medical facilities in rural areas. Rural health centers are established to prevent patients from being forced to travel to distant urban medical facilities. To manage patients properly, rural health centers should be part of regional and more complete systems of medical health care installations in the country on the basis of a referral and counter-referral program, and thus, they should have the infrastructure needed to transport patients to urban hospitals when they need more complex health care. The coordination of all the activities is only possible if rural health centers are led by strong and dedicated managers....

  11. The Community Mental Health Center as a Matrix Organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Stephen L.

    1978-01-01

    This article briefly reviews the literature on matrix organizational designs and discusses the ways in which the matrix design might be applied to the special features of a community mental health center. The phases of one community mental health center's experience in adopting a matrix organizational structure are described. (Author)

  12. Evaluation of health care services provided for older adults in primary health care centers and its internal environment. A step towards age-friendly health centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alhamdan, Adel A; Alshammari, Sulaiman A; Al-Amoud, Maysoon M; Hameed, Tariq A; Al-Muammar, May N; Bindawas, Saad M; Al-Orf, Saada M; Mohamed, Ashry G; Al-Ghamdi, Essam A; Calder, Philip C

    2015-09-01

    To evaluate the health care services provided for older adults by primary health care centers (PHCCs) in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the ease of use of these centers by older adults. Between October 2013 and January 2014, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of 15 randomly selected PHCCs in Riyadh City, KSA. The evaluation focused on basic indicators of clinical services offered and factors indicative of the ease of use of the centers by older adults. Evaluations were based upon the age-friendly PHCCs toolkit of the World Health Organization. Coverage of basic health assessments (such as blood pressure, diabetes, and blood cholesterol) was generally good. However, fewer than half of the PHCCs offered annual comprehensive screening for the common age-related conditions. There was no screening for cancer. Counseling on improving lifestyle was provided by most centers. However, there was no standard protocol for counseling. Coverage of common vaccinations was poor. The layout of most PHCCs and their signage were good, except for lack of Braille signage. There may be issues of access of older adults to PHCCs through lack of public transport, limited parking opportunities, the presence of steps, ramps, and internal stairs, and the lack of handrails. Clinical services and the internal environment of PHCCs can be improved. The data will be useful for health-policy makers to improve PHCCs to be more age-friendly.

  13. Evaluation of health care services provided for older adults in primary health care centers and its internal environment. A step towards age-friendly health centers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adel A. Alhamdan

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To evaluate the health care services provided for older adults by primary health care centers (PHCCs in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA, and the ease of use of these centers by older adults. Methods: Between October 2013 and January 2014, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of 15 randomly selected PHCCs in Riyadh City, KSA. The evaluation focused on basic indicators of clinical services offered and factors indicative of the ease of use of the centers by older adults. Evaluations were based upon the age-friendly PHCCs toolkit of the World Health Organization. Results: Coverage of basic health assessments (such as blood pressure, diabetes, and blood cholesterol was generally good. However, fewer than half of the PHCCs offered annual comprehensive screening for the common age-related conditions. There was no screening for cancer. Counseling on improving lifestyle was provided by most centers. However, there was no standard protocol for counseling. Coverage of common vaccinations was poor. The layout of most PHCCs and their signage were good, except for lack of Braille signage. There may be issues of access of older adults to PHCCs through lack of public transport, limited parking opportunities, the presence of steps, ramps, and internal stairs, and the lack of handrails. Conclusions: Clinical services and the internal environment of PHCCs can be improved. The data will be useful for health-policy makers to improve PHCCs to be more age-friendly.

  14. Oral health knowledge of health care workers in special children’s center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wyne, Amjad; Hammad, Nouf; Splieth, Christian

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To determine the oral health knowledge of health care workers in special children’s center. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect following information: demographics, oral hygiene practices, importance of fluoride, dental visits, cause of tooth decay, gingival health, and sources of oral health information. The study was conducted at Riyadh Center for Special Children in Riyadh City from December 2013 to May 2014. Results: All 60 health care workers in the center completed the questionnaire. A great majority (95%) of the workers brushed their teeth twice or more daily. More than two-third (71.7%) of the workers knew that fluoride helps in caries prevention. One in five (21.7%) workers thought that a dental visit only becomes necessary in case of a dental problem. Similarly, 13.3% of the workers thought to “wait till there is some pain in case of a dental cavity” before seeking dental treatment. The workers ranked soft drinks/soda (98.3%), flavored fizzy drinks (60%) and sweetened/flavored milks (43.3%) as top three cariogenic drinks. A great majority (95%) of the workers correctly responded that blood on toothbrush most probably is a sign of “gum disease”. Dentists (50%) and media (45%) were the main source of their oral health information. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in workers’ response in relation to their specific job. Conclusion: The special health care workers in the disabled children’s center generally had satisfactory oral health knowledge and practices. PMID:25878636

  15. Revolving Loan Fund: A Novel Approach to Increasing Access to Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Methods in Community Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Megan L; Breeze, Janis L; Paulus, Jessica K; Meadows, Audra

    The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a revolving loan fund (RLF) on timing of device insertion and long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) access among a high-risk urban population at 3 Boston community health centers. Three health centers were identified to implement a RLF. Each clinic received $5000 from the RLF to purchase LARC devices. Data collected through medical record review retrospectively 1 year prior to start of the RLF and prospectively for 1 year thereafter included patient demographics, type of LARC selected, patient's date of documented interest in a LARC device, and date of insertion. The effect of a RLF on delay to LARC insertion was tested using negative binomial regression, controlling for site and potential confounding variables between the pre- and post-RLF periods. Three urban community health centers. Reproductive-aged women who received family planning services at the 3 participating health centers. Increasing access to LARC and decreasing wait times to LARC insertion after implementation of the RLF. Data on 133 patients in the pre-RLF group and 205 in the post-RLF group were collected. There were no statistically significant differences in demographic or clinical characteristics between the 2 time periods. LARC uptake increased significantly from the pre- to post-RLF period, specifically among implant users. There was a statistically significant decrease in the mean number of days in delay from interest to insertion from the pre- to post-RLF period (pre-RLF: 31.3 ± 50.6 days; post-RLF: 13.6 ± 16.7 days, adjusted P < .001). The reasons for the delay did not differ significantly between the 2 time periods. The RLF decreased wait time for the devices and increased overall insertion rates. This may serve as a promising solution to improve LARC access in community health centers. This project could be expanded to include more health centers, creating a city wide RLF. This expansion could allow for further data analysis

  16. The Healthy Meal Index: A tool for measuring the healthfulness of meals served to children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasper, Nicole; Mandell, Cami; Ball, Sarah; Miller, Alison L; Lumeng, Julie; Peterson, Karen E

    2016-08-01

    Family meals have been associated with higher diet quality and reduced risk of obesity in children. Observational studies of the family meal have been employed with increasing frequency, yet there is currently no tool available for measuring the healthfulness of food served during the meal. Here we present the development and validation of the Healthy Meal Index (HMI), a novel tool for scoring the healthfulness of foods served to children during a meal, as well as sociodemographic predictors of meal scores. Parents of 233 children, aged 4-8 years, self-recorded three home dinners. A research assistant obtained a list of foods available during the meal (meal report) via phone call on the night of each video-recorded meal. This meal report was coded into component food groups. Subsequently, meals were scored based on the availability of more healthy "Adequacy foods" and the absence of "Moderation foods", (of which reduced consumption is recommended, according to pediatric dietary guidelines). Adjusted linear regression tested the association of sociodemographic characteristics with HMI scores. A validation study was conducted in a separate sample of 133 children with detailed meal data. In adjusted models, female children had higher HMI Moderation scores (p = 0.02), but did not differ in HMI Adequacy or Total scores. Parents with more education served meals with higher HMI Adequacy (p = 0.001) and Total scores (p = 0.001), though no significant difference was seen in HMI Moderation score (p = 0.21). The validation study demonstrated that the HMI was highly correlated with servings of foods and nutrients estimated from observations conducted by research staff. The HMI is a valuable tool for measuring the quality of meals served to children. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. 78 FR 45543 - Center for Mental Health Services; Notice of Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Mental...

  18. Advancing organizational health literacy in health care organizations serving high-needs populations: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weaver, Nancy L; Wray, Ricardo J; Zellin, Stacie; Gautam, Kanak; Jupka, Keri

    2012-01-01

    Health care organizations, well positioned to address health literacy, are beginning to shift their systems and policies to support health literacy efforts. Organizations can identify barriers, emphasize and leverage their strengths, and initiate activities that promote health literacy-related practices. The current project employed an open-ended approach to conduct a needs assessment of rural federally qualified health center clinics. Using customized assessment tools, the collaborators were then able to determine priorities for changing organizational structures and policies in order to support continued health literacy efforts. Six domains of organizational health literacy were measured with three methods: environmental assessments, patient interviews, and key informant interviews with staff and providers. Subsequent strategic planning was conducted by collaborators from the academic and clinic teams and resulted in a focused, context-appropriate action plan. The needs assessment revealed several gaps in organizational health literacy practices, such as low awareness of health literacy within the organization and variation in perceived values of protocols, interstaff communication, and patient communication. Facilitators included high employee morale and patient satisfaction. The resulting targeted action plan considered the organization's culture as revealed in the interviews, informing a collaborative process well suited to improving organizational structures and systems to support health literacy best practices. The customized needs assessment contributed to an ongoing collaborative process to implement organizational changes that aided in addressing health literacy needs.

  19. Clinical Supervision of Mental Health Professionals Serving Youth: Format and Microskills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailin, Abby; Bearman, Sarah Kate; Sale, Rafaella

    2018-03-21

    Clinical supervision is an element of quality assurance in routine mental health care settings serving children; however, there is limited scientific evaluation of its components. This study examines the format and microskills of routine supervision. Supervisors (n = 13) and supervisees (n = 20) reported on 100 supervision sessions, and trained coders completed observational coding on a subset of recorded sessions (n = 57). Results indicate that microskills shown to enhance supervisee competency in effectiveness trials and experiments were largely absent from routine supervision, highlighting potential missed opportunities to impart knowledge to therapists. Findings suggest areas for quality improvement within routine care settings.

  20. 76 FR 40733 - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH), World Trade Center Health Program...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH), World Trade Center Health Program Science/Technical Advisory Committee (WTCHP-STAC) Correction: This notice was published in the Federal Register on June 23...

  1. Four aspects of the scope and quality of family planning services in US publicly funded health centers: Results from a survey of health center administrators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Marion W; Gavin, Loretta; Zapata, Lauren B; Bornstein, Marta; Mautone-Smith, Nancy; Moskosky, Susan B

    2016-10-01

    This study aims to describe aspects of the scope and quality of family planning services provided by US publicly funded health centers before the release of relevant federal recommendations. Using nationally representative survey data (N=1615), we describe four aspects of service delivery: family planning services provided, contraceptive methods provided onsite, written contraceptive counseling protocols and youth-friendly services. We created a count index for each issue and used multivariable ordered logistic regression to identify health center characteristics associated with scoring higher on each. Half of the sample received Title X funding and about a third each were a community health center or health department clinic. The vast majority reported frequently providing contraceptive services (89%) and STD services (87%) for women in the past 3 months. Service provision to males was substantially lower except for STD screening. A total of 63% and 48% of health centers provided hormonal IUDs and implants onsite in the past 3 months, respectively. Forty percent of health centers included all five recommended contraceptive counseling practices in written protocols. Of youth-friendly services, active promotion of confidential services was among the most commonly reported (83%); offering weekend/evening hours was among the least (42%). In multivariable analyses, receiving Title X funding, having larger volumes of family planning clients and being a Planned Parenthood clinic were associated with higher scores on most indices. Many services were consistent with the recommendations for providing quality family planning services, but there was room for improvement across domains and health centers types. As assessed in this paper, the scope and quality of these family planning services was relatively high, particularly among Planned Parenthood clinics and Title X-funded centers. However, results point to important areas for improvement. Future studies should assess

  2. Advancing a conceptual model to improve maternal health quality: The Person-Centered Care Framework for Reproductive Health Equity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sudhinaraset, May; Afulani, Patience; Diamond-Smith, Nadia; Bhattacharyya, Sanghita; Donnay, France; Montagu, Dominic

    2017-11-06

    Background: Globally, substantial health inequities exist with regard to maternal, newborn and reproductive health. Lack of access to good quality care-across its many dimensions-is a key factor driving these inequities. Significant global efforts have been made towards improving the quality of care within facilities for maternal and reproductive health. However, one critically overlooked aspect of quality improvement activities is person-centered care. Main body: The objective of this paper is to review existing literature and theories related to person-centered reproductive health care to develop a framework for improving the quality of reproductive health, particularly in low and middle-income countries. This paper proposes the Person-Centered Care Framework for Reproductive Health Equity, which describes three levels of interdependent contexts for women's reproductive health: societal and community determinants of health equity, women's health-seeking behaviors, and the quality of care within the walls of the facility. It lays out eight domains of person-centered care for maternal and reproductive health. Conclusions: Person-centered care has been shown to improve outcomes; yet, there is no consensus on definitions and measures in the area of women's reproductive health care. The proposed Framework reviews essential aspects of person-centered reproductive health care.

  3. The Breast Health Center at Women & Infants Hospital: origin, philosophy, and features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falkenberry, S S; Chung, M; Legare, R; Strenger, R; Wallace, D; Phillips, G; Morry, S; Marchant, D J; Cady, B

    2000-04-01

    The Breast Health Center, a component of the program in Women's Oncology at Women & Infants Hospital, is a multidisciplinary center devoted to the treatment and study of benign and malignant breast diseases. The philosophy, structure, and function of The Breast Health Center are described along with its specific components. The Breast Health Center's three fundamental missions of patient care, education, and research are discussed.

  4. What's Being Served for Dinner? An Exploratory Investigation of the Associations between the Healthfulness of Family Meals and Child Dietary Intake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trofholz, Amanda C; Tate, Allan D; Draxten, Michelle L; Rowley, Seth S; Schulte, Anna K; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne; MacLehose, Richard F; Berge, Jerica M

    2017-01-01

    Little is known about the healthfulness of foods offered at family meals or the relationship between the food's healthfulness and child overall dietary intake. This exploratory study uses a newly developed Healthfulness of Meal Index to examine the association between the healthfulness of foods served at family dinners and child dietary intake. Direct observational, cross-sectional study. Primarily low-income, minority families (n=120) video recorded 8 days of family dinners and completed a corresponding meal screener. Dietary recalls were completed on the target child (6 to 12 years old). The Healthfulness of Meal Index was used to measure meal healthfulness and included component scores for whole fruit, 100% juice, vegetables, dark green vegetables, dairy, protein, added sugars, and high-sodium foods. Child dietary intake measured by three 24-hour dietary recalls. Linear regression models estimated the association between the healthfulness of foods served at dinner meals and overall child HEI. The majority of coded meals included foods from protein and high-sodium components; more than half included foods from dairy and vegetable components. Nearly half of the meals had an added-sugar component food (eg, soda or dessert). Few meals served foods from fruit, 100% juice, or dark green vegetable components. Many components served at family dinner meals were significantly associated with child daily intake of those same foods (ie, dark green vegetable, non-dark green vegetables, dairy, and added sugars). The Healthfulness of Meal Index total score was significantly associated with child HEI score. This study represents the first report of a new methodology to collect data of foods served at family dinners. Results indicated a significant association between the majority of components served at family dinner meals and child overall dietary intake. Validation of the Healthfulness of Meal Index and video-recorded family meal methodology is needed to strengthen these

  5. Serving the Community: A Small, Liberal Arts College Writing Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossini, Carol

    The word "service" certainly conjures some undesirable connotations, and theorists such as Nancy Grimm propose that writing centers need to shed their service labels to attain respectability. In this paper, the writing center director of a small liberal arts college shares her perspective and juxtaposes that with Grimm's position that…

  6. Models of Interinstitutional Partnerships between Research Intensive Universities and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) across the Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fair, Alecia; Norris, Keith; Verbalis, Joseph G.; Poland, Russell; Bernard, Gordon; Stephens, David S.; Dubinett, Steven M.; Imperato‐McGinley, Julianne; Dottin, Robert P.; Pulley, Jill; West, Andrew; Brown, Arleen; Mellman, Thomas A.

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Health disparities are an immense challenge to American society. Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) housed within the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) are designed to accelerate the translation of experimental findings into clinically meaningful practices and bring new therapies to the doorsteps of all patients. Research Centers at Minority Institutions (RCMI) program at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) are designed to build capacity for biomedical research and training at minority serving institutions. The CTSA created a mechanism fostering formal collaborations between research intensive universities and minority serving institutions (MSI) supported by the RCMI program. These consortium‐level collaborations activate unique translational research approaches to reduce health disparities with credence to each academic institutions history and unique characteristics. Five formal partnerships between research intensive universities and MSI have formed as a result of the CTSA and RCMI programs. These partnerships present a multifocal approach; shifting cultural change and consciousness toward addressing health disparities, and training the next generation of minority scientists. This collaborative model is based on the respective strengths and contributions of the partnering institutions, allowing bidirectional interchange and leveraging NIH and institutional investments providing measurable benchmarks toward the elimination of health disparities. PMID:24119157

  7. Job satisfaction survey among health centers staff

    OpenAIRE

    Shahnazi, Hossein; Daniali, Seyede Shahrbanoo; Sharifirad, Gholamreza

    2014-01-01

    Background: Due to the importance of health care organizations with significant responsibility for prevention and care, assessment of job satisfaction among health care staff is essential. Quality of health services will be decreased provided they are not satisfied. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional analysis of health care staff in Khomeinishahr (centers, buildings, and networks) If they had at least 6 months work experience, they could enter the study. Data included a t...

  8. A revisionist view of the integrated academic health center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodin, Judith

    2004-02-01

    Like many academic health centers that had expanded aggressively during the 1990s, the nation's first vertically integrated academic health center, the University of Pennsylvania Health System, was profoundly challenged by the dramatic and unanticipated financial impacts of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The author explains why-although Penn's Health System had lost $300 million over two years and its debts threatened to cause serious financial and educational damage to the rest of the University-Penn chose to manage its way out of the financial crisis (instead of selling or spinning off its four hospitals, clinical practices, and possibly even its medical school). A strategy of comprehensive integration has not only stabilized Penn's Health System financially, but strengthened its position of leadership in medical education, research, and health care delivery. The author argues that a strategy of greater horizontal integration offers important strategic advantages to academic health centers. In an era when major social and scientific problems demand broadly multidisciplinary and highly-integrated approaches, such horizontally integrated institutions will be better able to educate citizens and train physicians, develop new approaches to health care policy, and answer pressing biomedical research questions. Institutional cultural integration is also crucial to create new, innovative organizational structures that bridge traditional disciplinary, school, and clinical boundaries.

  9. 77 FR 50519 - Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS); Amendment of Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS); Amendment of Meeting Pursuant to Public Law 92-463, notice is... Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services...

  10. 75 FR 48853 - National Health Center Week, 2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-11

    ... communities by conducting outreach and education, ensuring patients can communicate with their providers, and... information technology systems, and meet their critical care needs. The reforms in the landmark new health.... Community health centers are at the heart of a modern, reformed health care system in America. We must...

  11. Health Status of Gulf War and Era Veterans Serving in the US Military in 2000.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Ben; Long, Kyna; Rull, Rudolph P; Dursa, Erin K

    2018-05-01

    This research describes Gulf War and era veterans enrolled in the Millennium Cohort Study, who were sampled from US military personnel serving in 2000, and compares health characteristics of this sample to a Department of Veterans Affairs study sampled from the complete population. Demographics characteristics of this sample were described. Self-reported health characteristics were compared between the two studies. Gulf War and era veterans in the Millennium Cohort were generally healthier than in the VA study; they had fewer medical conditions and mental health disorders and better self-reported health. In both studies, Gulf War veterans had poorer health outcomes than era veterans. The Millennium Cohort Study is a unique resource for examining the long-term health effects of Gulf War deployment, particularly comparing deployed and nondeployed personnel and examining illnesses with long latencies.

  12. National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... State Offices Search the Organizations Database Center for Oral Health Systems Integration and Improvement (COHSII) COHSII is a ... needs of the MCH population. Brush Up on Oral Health This monthly newsletter provides Head Start staff with ...

  13. Audit of a diabetic health education program at a large Primary Health Care Center in Asir region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Khaldi, Y M; Khan, M Y

    2000-09-01

    To evaluate the health education program in a large Primary Health Care Center, to find out the problems faced by the staff and to suggest the practical and relevant solutions. This study was carried out at Wasat Abha Primary Health Care Center, Asir region during 1997. The files of diabetics who attended the center were evaluated for health education topics by using a checklist. The essential structure of diabetic health education program was assessed by using another check list designed by the investigators. Data entry and analysis was carried out through SPSS package. Chi-square test was applied wherever necessary. The total number of diabetics who attended Wasat Abha Primary Health Care Center was 198. The duration of diabetes mellitus was 7.7+5.8 years. Ninety percent of these were married, 50.5% were educated and 79% were employed. Compliance to appointment was good in 60% and poor in 30% of diabetics. About 73% of the diabetics received at least one health education topic while 27% did not receive any health education at all. Only 33% of diabetic patients had adequate health education. Ninety one percent were provided with diabetic identification cards, 80% were explained about diabetes and 77% were educated about the role of diet. Essential structure for diabetes education program was found to be unsatisfactory. Effective diabetic health education program needs the availability of all essential structures, community participation and integration of the government and private sectors. The deficiencies in the structures and the process of health education programs in our practice are almost universal to other Primary Health Care Centers in the Asir region. Providing the Primary Health Care Centers with all essential structures and annual auditing are complimentary to a successful diabetic health education program.

  14. Health Status and Health Care Experiences among Homeless Patients in Federally Supported Health Centers: Findings from the 2009 Patient Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebrun-Harris, Lydie A; Baggett, Travis P; Jenkins, Darlene M; Sripipatana, Alek; Sharma, Ravi; Hayashi, A Seiji; Daly, Charles A; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2013-01-01

    Objective To examine health status and health care experiences of homeless patients in health centers and to compare them with their nonhomeless counterparts. Data Sources/Study Setting Nationally representative data from the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey. Study Design Cross-sectional analyses were limited to adults (n = 2,683). We compared sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, access to health care, and utilization of services among homeless and nonhomeless patients. We also examined the independent effect of homelessness on health care access and utilization, as well as factors that influenced homeless patients' health care experiences. Data Collection Computer-assisted personal interviews were conducted with health center patients. Principal Findings Homeless patients had worse health status—lifetime burden of chronic conditions, mental health problems, and substance use problems—compared with housed respondents. In adjusted analyses, homeless patients had twice the odds as housed patients of having unmet medical care needs in the past year (OR = 1.98, 95 percent CI: 1.24–3.16) and twice the odds of having an ED visit in the past year (OR = 2.00, 95 percent CI: 1.37–2.92). Conclusions There is an ongoing need to focus on the health issues that disproportionately affect homeless populations. Among health center patients, homelessness is an independent risk factor for unmet medical needs and ED use. PMID:23134588

  15. Employee health benefit redesign at the academic health center: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, Julie; Weaver, Deirdre C; Splaine, Kevin; Hefner, David S; Kirch, Darrell G; Paz, Harold L

    2013-03-01

    The rapidly escalating cost of health care, including the cost of providing health care benefits, is a significant concern for many employers. In this article, the authors examine a case study of an academic health center that undertook a complete redesign of its health benefit structure to control rising costs, encourage use of its own provider network, and support employee wellness. With the implementation in 2006 of a high-deductible health plan combined with health reimbursement arrangements and wellness incentives, the Penn State Hershey Medical Center (PSHMC) was able to realize significant cost savings and increase use of its own network while maintaining a high level of employee satisfaction. By contracting with a single third-party administrator for its self-insured plan, PSHMC reduced its administrative costs and simplified benefit choices for employees. In addition, indexing employee costs to salary ensured that this change was equitable for all employees, and the shift to a consumer-driven health plan led to greater employee awareness of health care costs. The new health benefit plan's strong focus on employee wellness and preventive health has led to significant increases in the use of preventive health services, including health risk assessments, cancer screenings, and flu shots. PSHMC's experience demonstrates the importance of clear and ongoing communication with employees throughout--before, during, and even after--the process of health benefit redesign.

  16. Assessing the integration of health center and community emergency preparedness and response planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wineman, Nicole V; Braun, Barbara I; Barbera, Joseph A; Loeb, Jerod M

    2007-11-01

    To assess the state of health center integration into community preparedness, we undertook a national study of linkages between health centers and the emergency preparedness and response planning initiatives in their communities. The key objectives of this project were to gain a better understanding of existing linkages in a nationally representative sample of health centers, and identify health center demographic and experience factors that were associated with strong linkages. The objectives of the study were to gain a baseline understanding of existing health center linkages to community emergency preparedness and response systems and to identify factors that were associated with strong linkages. A 60-item questionnaire was mailed to the population of health centers supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Bureau of Primary Health Care in February 2005. Results were aggregated and a chi square analysis identified factors associated with stronger linkages. Overall performance on study-defined indicators of strong linkages was low: 34% had completed a hazard vulnerability analysis in collaboration with the community emergency management agency, 30% had their role documented in the community plan, and 24% participated in community-wide exercises. Stronger linkages were associated with experience responding to a disaster and a perception of high risk for experiencing a disaster. The potential for health centers to participate in an integrated response is not fully realized, and their absence from community-based planning leaves an already vulnerable population at greater risk. Community planners should be encouraged to include health centers in planning and response and centers should receive more targeted resources for community integration.

  17. A Generic System-Level Framework for Self-Serve Health Monitoring System through Internet of Things (IoT).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Mobyen Uddin; Björkman, Mats; Lindén, Maria

    2015-01-01

    Sensor data are traveling from sensors to a remote server, data is analyzed remotely in a distributed manner, and health status of a user is presented in real-time. This paper presents a generic system-level framework for a self-served health monitoring system through the Internet of Things (IoT) to facilities an efficient sensor data management.

  18. Violence against health workers in Family Medicine Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Turki, Nouf; Afify, Ayman Am; AlAteeq, Mohammed

    2016-01-01

    Health care violence is a significant worldwide problem with negative consequences on both the safety and well-being of health care workers as well as workplace activities. Reports examining health care violence in Saudi Arabia are limited and the results are conflicting. To estimate the prevalence and determine the demographic and occupational characteristics associated with workplace violence in primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study included 270 health care workers in 12 family medicine centers in Riyadh during November and December 2014. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to estimate the frequency, timing, causes, reactions, and consequences of workplace violence plus participants' demographic and occupational data. A total 123 health care workers (45.6%) experienced some kind of violence over 12 months prior to the study. These included physical (6.5%) and nonphysical violence (99.2%), including verbal violence (94.3%) and intimidation (22.0%). Offenders were patients (71.5%) in the majority of cases, companions (20.3%), or both (3.3%). Almost half (48.0%) of health care workers who experienced violence did nothing, 38.2% actively reported the event, and 13.8% consulted a colleague. A significant association of workplace violence was found with working multiple shifts, evening or night shift, and lack of an encouraging environment to report violence. Workplace violence is still a significant problem in primary care centers. The high frequency of violence together with underreporting may indicate the inefficiency of the current safety program. More safety programs and training activities for health care workers, efficient reporting system, and zero tolerance policies need to be implemented to minimize workplace violence against health workers.

  19. Prevalence of psychological disorders among patients attending community health centers, Perak, Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asma Perveen

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of psychological disorders among community health centers in Batang Padang district Perak. Material & Methods: To conduct this study survey research method was used, seven community health centers in Batang Padang District, Perak were contacted to collect data from (N=216 respondents, who attended health facilities in Batang Padang District. There is no age limit, no education difference and no other requirement needed. Instrument and Materials: Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21 PRIME Screen and PRIME MD Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ. Results: Data collected from seven health community centers revealed that prevalence of Stress 86%, anxiety 124%, depression 67, psychotic symptoms 16%, somatoform symptoms 52%, panic symptoms 28%, and substance abuse 21%. the higher prevalence was stress and depression among people attending health centers. Conclusion: Results findings indicated that there is significant prevalence of psychological disorder among community health centers. Analysis of the results help us to determine that there is strong need to provide psychological services, awareness and education plan, management and prevention for psychological disorders

  20. The relationship between media literacy and health literacy among pregnant women in health centers of Isfahan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akbarinejad, Farideh; Soleymani, Mohammad Reza; Shahrzadi, Leila

    2017-01-01

    The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and convey information in various forms of media including print and nonprint requires media literacy, but the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic information and services needed for appropriate decisions regarding health, considered an important element in a woman's ability to participate in health promotion and prevention activities for herself and her children, is needed to a level of health literacy. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between media literacy and health literacy among pregnant women in health centers in Isfahan. This study used a descriptive correlation study. Data collection tools include Shahin media literacy and functional health literacy in adults' questionnaires. The population include pregnant women in health centers of Isfahan (4080 people). Ten out of the 351 health centers in Isfahan were selected as cluster. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Media literacy of respondents in the five dimensions was significantly lower than average 61.5% of pregnant women have inadequate health literacy, 18.8% had marginal health literacy, and only 19.7% of them have had adequate health literacy. There was a significant positive relationship between media literacy and health literacy among pregnant women. This study showed that the majority of pregnant women covered by health centers had limited health literacy and media literacy. Since one of the basic requirements for the utilization of health information is needed for adequate media literacy, promotion of media literacy is necessary for the respondents.

  1. Health at the center of health systems reform: how philosophy can inform policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sturmberg, Joachim P; Martin, Carmel M; Moes, Mark M

    2010-01-01

    Contemporary views hold that health and disease can be defined as objective states and thus should determine the design and delivery of health services. Yet health concepts are elusive and contestable. Health is neither an individual construction, a reflection of societal expectations, nor only the absence of pathologies. Based on philosophical and sociological theory, empirical evidence, and clinical experience, we argue that health has simultaneously objective and subjective features that converge into a dynamic complex-adaptive health model. Health (or its dysfunction, illness) is a dynamic state representing complex patterns of adaptation to body, mind, social, and environmental challenges, resulting in bodily homeostasis and personal internal coherence. The "balance of health" model-emergent, self-organizing, dynamic, and adaptive-underpins the very essence of medicine. This model should be the foundation for health systems design and also should inform therapeutic approaches, policy decision-making, and the development of emerging health service models. A complex adaptive health system focused on achieving the best possible "personal" health outcomes must provide the broad policy frameworks and resources required to implement people-centered health care. People-centered health systems are emergent in nature, resulting in locally different but mutually compatible solutions across the whole health system.

  2. Achieving excellence in community health centers: implications for health reform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurewich, Deborah; Capitman, John; Sirkin, Jenna; Traje, Diana

    2012-02-01

    Existing studies tell us little about care quality variation within the community health center (CHC) delivery system. They also tell us little about the organizational conditions associated with CHCs that deliver especially high quality care. The purpose of this study was to examine the operational practices associated with a sample of high performing CHCs. Qualitative case studies of eight CHCs identified as delivering high-quality care relative to other CHCs were used to examine operational practices, including systems to facilitate care access, manage patient care, and monitor performance. Four common themes emerged that may contribute to high performance. At the same time, important differences across health centers were observed, reflecting differences in local environments and CHC capacity. In the development of effective, community-based models of care, adapting care standards to meet the needs of local conditions may be important.

  3. Comparing Performance of Public and Cooperative Health Centers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mostafa Farahbakhsh

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Health cooperatives in similar structure of health network in Iran, give primary health cares to defined population with supervisory of public sector. Materials and method: This study compares health system performance between public (PHC and cooperative (CHC health centers. Results: Client's satisfaction was 4.14 in CHC and 3.9 in PHC in 5 point Likert scale. The mean for daily health services of CHC and PHC were 110.8 and 85 respectively. Conclusion: Health cooperatives are appropriate strategy for downsizing of government in health sector

  4. Community health centers and community development financial institutions: joining forces to address determinants of health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotelchuck, Ronda; Lowenstein, Daniel; Tobin, Jonathan N

    2011-11-01

    Community health centers and community development financial institutions share similar origins and missions and are increasingly working together to meet community needs. Addressing the social and economic determinants of health is a common focus. The availability of new federal grants and tax credits has led these financial institutions to invest in the creation and expansion of community health centers. This article reviews the most recent trends in these two sectors and explores opportunities for further collaboration to transform the health and well-being of the nation's low-income communities.

  5. Violence against health workers in Family Medicine Centers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Al-Turki N

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Nouf Al-Turki,1 Ayman AM Afify,1 Mohammed AlAteeq2 1Family Medicine Department, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, 2Department of Family Medicine and PHC, King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Background: Health care violence is a significant worldwide problem with negative consequences on both the safety and well-being of health care workers as well as workplace activities. Reports examining health care violence in Saudi Arabia are limited and the results are conflicting.Objective: To estimate the prevalence and determine the demographic and occupational characteristics associated with workplace violence in primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional study included 270 health care workers in 12 family medicine centers in Riyadh during November and December 2014. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to estimate the frequency, timing, causes, reactions, and consequences of workplace violence plus participants’ demographic and occupational data.Results: A total 123 health care workers (45.6% experienced some kind of violence over 12 months prior to the study. These included physical (6.5% and nonphysical violence (99.2%, including verbal violence (94.3% and intimidation (22.0%. Offenders were patients (71.5% in the majority of cases, companions (20.3%, or both (3.3%. Almost half (48.0% of health care workers who experienced violence did nothing, 38.2% actively reported the event, and 13.8% consulted a colleague. A significant association of workplace violence was found with working multiple shifts, evening or night shift, and lack of an encouraging environment to report violence.Conclusion: Workplace violence is still a significant problem in primary care centers. The high frequency of violence together with underreporting may indicate the inefficiency of the current safety program. More safety programs and training activities for health care

  6. Analysis of health in health centers area in Depok using correspondence analysis and scan statistic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basir, C.; Widyaningsih, Y.; Lestari, D.

    2017-07-01

    Hotspots indicate area that has a higher case intensity than others. For example, in health problems of an area, the number of sickness of a region can be used as parameter and condition of area that determined severity of an area. If this condition is known soon, it can be overcome preventively. Many factors affect the severity level of area. Some health factors to be considered in this study are the number of infant with low birth weight, malnourished children under five years old, under five years old mortality, maternal deaths, births without the help of health personnel, infants without handling the baby's health, and infant without basic immunization. The number of cases is based on every public health center area in Depok. Correspondence analysis provides graphical information about two nominal variables relationship. It create plot based on row and column scores and show categories that have strong relation in a close distance. Scan Statistic method is used to examine hotspot based on some selected variables that occurred in the study area; and Correspondence Analysis is used to picturing association between the regions and variables. Apparently, using SaTScan software, Sukatani health center is obtained as a point hotspot; and Correspondence Analysis method shows health centers and the seven variables have a very significant relationship and the majority of health centers close to all variables, except Cipayung which is distantly related to the number of pregnant mother death. These results can be used as input for the government agencies to upgrade the health level in the area.

  7. Violence against health workers in Family Medicine Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Turki, Nouf; Afify, Ayman AM; AlAteeq, Mohammed

    2016-01-01

    Background Health care violence is a significant worldwide problem with negative consequences on both the safety and well-being of health care workers as well as workplace activities. Reports examining health care violence in Saudi Arabia are limited and the results are conflicting. Objective To estimate the prevalence and determine the demographic and occupational characteristics associated with workplace violence in primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study included 270 health care workers in 12 family medicine centers in Riyadh during November and December 2014. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to estimate the frequency, timing, causes, reactions, and consequences of workplace violence plus participants’ demographic and occupational data. Results A total 123 health care workers (45.6%) experienced some kind of violence over 12 months prior to the study. These included physical (6.5%) and nonphysical violence (99.2%), including verbal violence (94.3%) and intimidation (22.0%). Offenders were patients (71.5%) in the majority of cases, companions (20.3%), or both (3.3%). Almost half (48.0%) of health care workers who experienced violence did nothing, 38.2% actively reported the event, and 13.8% consulted a colleague. A significant association of workplace violence was found with working multiple shifts, evening or night shift, and lack of an encouraging environment to report violence. Conclusion Workplace violence is still a significant problem in primary care centers. The high frequency of violence together with underreporting may indicate the inefficiency of the current safety program. More safety programs and training activities for health care workers, efficient reporting system, and zero tolerance policies need to be implemented to minimize workplace violence against health workers. PMID:27330300

  8. Prevalence of psychological disorders among patients attending community health centers, Perak, Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asma Perveen

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of psychological disorders among community health centers in Batang Padang district Perak. Material & Methods: To conduct this study survey research method was used, seven community health centers in Batang Padang District, Perak were contacted to collect data from (N=216 respondents, who attended health facilities in Batang Padang District. There is no age limit, no education difference and no other requirement needed. Instrument and Materials: Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21 PRIME Screen and PRIME MD Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ. Results: Data collected from seven health community centers revealed that prevalence of Stress 86%, anxiety 124%, depression 67, psychotic symptoms 16%, somatoform symptoms 52%, panic symptoms 28%, and substance abuse 21%. the higher prevalence was stress and depression among people attending health centers. Conclusion: Results findings indicated that there is significant prevalence of psychological disorder among community health centers. Analysis of the results help us to determine that there is strong need to provide psychological services, awareness and education plan, management and prevention for psychological disorders

  9. Building diversity in a complex academic health center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    South-Paul, Jeannette E; Roth, Loren; Davis, Paula K; Chen, Terence; Roman, Anna; Murrell, Audrey; Pettigrew, Chenits; Castleberry-Singleton, Candi; Schuman, Joel

    2013-09-01

    For 30 years, the many diversity-related health sciences programs targeting the University of Pittsburgh undergraduate campus, school of medicine, schools of the health sciences, clinical practice plan, and medical center were run independently and remained separate within the academic health center (AHC). This lack of coordination hampered their overall effectiveness in promoting diversity and inclusion. In 2007, a group of faculty and administrators from the university and the medical center recognized the need to improve institutional diversity and to better address local health disparities. In this article, the authors describe the process of linking the efforts of these institutions in a way that would be successful locally and applicable to other academic environments. First, they engaged an independent consultant to conduct a study of the AHC's diversity climate, interviewing current and former faculty and trainees to define the problem and identify areas for improvement. Next, they created the Physician Inclusion Council to address the findings of this study and to coordinate future efforts with institutional leaders. Finally, they formed four working committees to address (1) communications and outreach, (2) cultural competency, (3) recruitment, and (4) mentoring and retention. These committees oversaw the strategic development and implementation of all diversity and inclusion efforts. Together these steps led to structural changes within the AHC and the improved allocation of resources that have positioned the University of Pittsburgh to achieve not only diversity but also inclusion and to continue to address the health disparities in the Pittsburgh community.

  10. 75 FR 12766 - National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities; Notice of Closed Meetings

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-17

    ... Health and Health Disparities; Notice of Closed Meetings Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal... and Health Disparities Special Emphasis Panel Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research... Review, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800...

  11. Sexual Violence Screening Practices of Student Health Centers Located on Universities in Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halstead, Valerie; Williams, Jessica R.; Gattamorta, Karina; Gonzalez-Guarda, Rosa

    2017-01-01

    Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe current sexual violence screening practices of student health centers located on universities in Florida. Participants: Institutional level data was collected from 33 student health centers from November 2015 through January 2016. The student health centers were located on public or private…

  12. 78 FR 78966 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-27

    ... Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the...), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) announces the following meeting of the aforementioned..., NCHS; discussion of vital statistics; future program reviews; National Health Interview Survey 2017...

  13. Promoting Ecological Health Resilience for Minority Youth: Enhancing Health Care Access through the School Health Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clauss-Ehlers, Caroline C. C.

    2003-01-01

    Discusses the demographic realities of children of color in the U.S., with a focus on health care needs and access issues that have an enormous influence on health status. An ecologic model is presented that incorporates cultural values and community structures into the school health center. (Contains 50 references.) (GCP)

  14. Outcomes of antiretroviral treatment: a comparison between hospitals and health centers in Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balcha, Taye T; Jeppsson, Anders

    2010-01-01

    the objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of antiretroviral therapy (ART) between hospital and health center levels in Ethiopia. medical records of 1709 ART patients followed for 24 months at 2 hospitals and 3 health centers in the Oromia region of Ethiopia were reviewed. Noted outcomes of ART were currently alive and on treatment; lost to follow-up (LTFU); transferred out (TO); and died (D). of 1709 HIV-positive patients started on ART between September 2006 and February 2007, 1044 (61%) remained alive and were on treatment after 24-month follow-up. In all, 835 (57%) of ART patients at hospitals and 209 (83%) at health centers were retained in the program. Of those who were alive and receiving ART, 79% of patients at health centers and 72% at hospitals were clinically or immunologically improving. In addition, 331 (23%) patients at hospitals were LFTU as compared to 24 (10%) of patients at health centers (relative risk [RR] at 95% confidence interval [CI]: .358 [.231-.555]). While 11% was the mortality rate at hospitals, 5% of patients at health centers also died (RR at 95% CI: .360 [.192-.673]). antiretroviral therapy at health centers was associated with more favorable outcomes than at hospitals.

  15. 75 FR 9421 - National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities; Notice of Closed Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-02

    ... Health and Health Disparities; Notice of Closed Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... and Health Disparities Special Emphasis Panel; Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research..., National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800, Bethesda...

  16. Barriers and facilitators to implementing a patient-centered model of contraceptive provision in community health centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Politi, Mary C; Estlund, Amy; Milne, Anne; Buckel, Christina M; Peipert, Jeffrey F; Madden, Tessa

    2016-01-01

    The Contraceptive CHOICE Project developed a patient-centered model for contraceptive provision including: (1) structured, evidence-based counseling; (2) staff and health care provider education; and (3) removal of barriers such as cost and multiple appointments to initiate contraception. In preparation for conducting a research study of the CHOICE model in three community health settings, we sought to identify potential barriers and facilitators to implementation. Using a semi-structured interview guide guided by a framework of implementation research, we conducted 31 qualitative interviews with female patients, staff, and health care providers assessing attitudes, beliefs, and barriers to receiving contraception. We also asked about current contraceptive provision and explored organizational practices relevant to implementing the CHOICE model. We used a grounded theory approach to identify major themes. Many participants felt that current contraceptive provision could be improved by the CHOICE model. Potential facilitators included agreement about the necessity for improved contraceptive knowledge among patients and staff; importance of patient-centered contraceptive counseling; and benefits to same-day insertion of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Potential barriers included misconceptions about contraception held by staff and providers; resistance to new practices; costs associated with LARC; and scheduling challenges required for same-day insertion of LARC. In addition to staff and provider training, implementing a patient-centered model of contraceptive provision needs to be supplemented by strategies to manage patient and system-level barriers. Community health center staff, providers, and patients support patient-centered contraceptive counseling to improve contraception provision if organizations can address these barriers.

  17. NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Jeffery R.

    2010-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the purpose, potential members and participants of the NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC). Included in the overview is a brief description of the administration and current activities of the NHHPC.

  18. Optimizing health care delivery by integrating workplaces, homes, and communities: how occupational and environmental medicine can serve as a vital connecting link between accountable care organizations and the patient-centered medical home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLellan, Robert K; Sherman, Bruce; Loeppke, Ronald R; McKenzie, Judith; Mueller, Kathryn L; Yarborough, Charles M; Grundy, Paul; Allen, Harris; Larson, Paul W

    2012-04-01

    In recent years, the health care reform discussion in the United States has focused increasingly on the dual goals of cost-effective delivery and better patient outcomes. A number of new conceptual models for health care have been advanced to achieve these goals, including two that are well along in terms of practical development and implementation-the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and accountable care organizations (ACOs). At the core of these two emerging concepts is a new emphasis on encouraging physicians, hospitals, and other health care stakeholders to work more closely together to better coordinate patient care through integrated goals and data sharing and to create team-based approaches that give a greater role to patients in health care decision-making. This approach aims to achieve better health outcomes at lower cost. The PCMH model emphasizes the central role of primary care and facilitation of partnerships between patient, physician, family, and other caregivers, and integrates this care along a spectrum that includes hospitals, specialty care, and nursing homes. Accountable care organizations make physicians and hospitals more accountable in the care system, emphasizing organizational integration and efficiencies coupled with outcome-oriented, performance-based medical strategies to improve the health of populations. The ACO model is meant to improve the value of health care services, controlling costs while improving quality as defined by outcomes, safety, and patient experience. This document urges adoption of the PCMH model and ACOs, but argues that in order for these new paradigms to succeed in the long term, all sectors with a stake in health care will need to become better aligned with them-including the employer community, which remains heavily invested in the health outcomes of millions of Americans. At present, ACOs are largely being developed as a part of the Medicare and Medicaid systems, and the PCMH model is still gathering

  19. Health Care Employee Perceptions of Patient-Centered Care: A Photovoice Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balbale, Salva Najib; Turcios, Stephanie; LaVela, Sherri L.

    2015-01-01

    Given the importance of health care employees in the delivery of patient-centered care, understanding their unique perspective is essential for quality improvement. The purpose of this study was to use photovoice to evaluate perceptions and experiences around patient-centered care among Veterans Affairs (VA) health care employees. We asked participants to take photographs of salient features in their environment related to patient-centered care. We used the photographs to facilitate dialogue during follow-up interviews. Twelve VA health care employees across two VA sites participated in the project. Although most participants felt satisfied with their work environment and experiences at the VA, several areas for improvement were identified. These included a need for more employee health and wellness initiatives and a need for enhanced opportunities for training and professional growth. Application of photovoice enabled us to learn about employees' unique perspectives around patient-centered care while engaging them in an evaluation of care delivery. PMID:25274626

  20. Medicaid Expansion And Grant Funding Increases Helped Improve Community Health Center Capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Xinxin; Luo, Qian; Ku, Leighton

    2017-01-01

    Through the expansion of Medicaid eligibility and increases in core federal grant funding, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) sought to increase the capacity of community health centers to provide primary care to low-income populations. We examined the effects of the ACA Medicaid expansion and changes in federal grant levels on the centers' numbers of patients, percentages of patients by type of insurance, and numbers of visits from 2012 to 2015. In the period after expansion (2014-15), health centers in expansion states had a 5 percent higher total patient volume, larger shares of Medicaid patients, smaller shares of uninsured patients, and increases in overall visits and mental health visits, compared to centers in nonexpansion states. Increases in federal grant funding levels were associated with increases in numbers of patients and of overall, medical, and preventive service visits. If federal grant levels are not sustained after 2017, there could be marked reductions in health center capacity in both expansion and nonexpansion states. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  1. Examining relationships between receiving mental health services in the Pennsylvania prison system and time served.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metraux, Stephen

    2008-07-01

    This study examined a cohort of 7,046 men who were released from the Pennsylvania State prison system between 1999 and 2002 to Philadelphia County to assess the relationships between receipt of mental health services in prison and prison exit. Administrative data on prison stays for 7,046 men released from Pennsylvania prisons to Philadelphia locations were analyzed. Of the 7,046 men, 8.7% received ongoing or intensive mental health services and 25.9% received mental health services while incarcerated. Multivariate analyses indicate that use of mental health services was positively associated with increased odds of serving the full prison sentence (as opposed to receiving parole), although the relationship between mental health services received and length of prison episode was inconclusive. Dynamics related to prison release warrant further attention in efforts to reduce the prevalence of mental illness in prisons and to facilitate community reentry for persons so diagnosed.

  2. Assessing the public health impact of using poison center data for public health surveillance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Alice; Law, Royal; Lyons, Rebecca; Choudhary, Ekta; Wolkin, Amy; Schier, Joshua

    2017-12-13

    The National Poison Data System (NPDS) is a database and surveillance system for US poison centers (PCs) call data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) use NPDS to identify incidents of potential public health significance. State health departments are notified by CDC of incidents identified by NPDS to be of potential public health significance. Our objective was to describe the public health impact of CDC's notifications and the use of NPDS data for surveillance. We described how NPDS data informed three public health responses: the Deepwater Horizon incident, national exposures to laundry detergent pods, and national exposures to e-cigarettes. Additionally, we extracted survey results of state epidemiologists regarding NPDS incident notification follow-up from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016 to assess current public health application of NPDS data using Epi Info 7.2 and analyzed data using SAS 9.3. We assessed whether state health departments were aware of incidents before notification, what actions were taken, and whether CDC notifications contributed to actions. NPDS data provided evidence for industry changes to improve laundry detergent pod containers safety and highlighted the need to regulate e-cigarette sale and manufacturing. NPDS data were used to improve situational awareness during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Of 59 health departments and PCs who responded to CDC notifications about anomalies (response rate = 49.2%), 27 (46%) reported no previous awareness of the incident, and 20 (34%) said that notifications contributed to public health action. Monitoring NPDS data for anomalies can identify emerging public health threats and provide evidence-based science to support public health action and policy changes.

  3. The Impact of the Chile Intervention on the Food Served in Head Start Centers in Rural New Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morshed, Alexandra B.; Davis, Sally M.; Keane, Patricia C.; Myers, Orrin B.; Mishra, Shiraz I.

    2016-01-01

    Background: The Child Health Initiative for Lifelong Eating and Exercise is a multicomponent obesity-prevention intervention, which was evaluated among Head Start (HS) centers in American Indian and predominantly Hispanic communities in rural New Mexico. This study examines the intervention's foodservice outcomes: fruits, vegetables, whole grains,…

  4. Intention and Usage of Computer Based Information Systems in Primary Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosizah; Kuntoro; Basuki N., Hari

    2016-01-01

    The computer-based information system (CBIS) is adopted by almost all of in health care setting, including the primary health center in East Java Province Indonesia. Some of softwares available were SIMPUS, SIMPUSTRONIK, SIKDA Generik, e-puskesmas. Unfortunately they were most of the primary health center did not successfully implemented. This…

  5. Chronic Childhood Trauma, Mental Health, Academic Achievement, and School-Based Health Center Mental Health Services

    OpenAIRE

    Larson, S; Chapman, S; Spetz, J; Brindis, CD

    2017-01-01

    Children and adolescents exposed to chronic trauma have a greater risk for mental health disorders and school failure. Children and adolescents of minority racial/ethnic groups and those living in poverty are at greater risk of exposure to trauma and less likely to have access to mental health services. School-based health centers (SBHCs) may be one strategy to decrease health disparities.Empirical studies between 2003 and 2013 of US pediatric populations and of US SBHCs were included if rese...

  6. Using women's health research to develop women leaders in academic health sciences: the National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carnes, M; VandenBosche, G; Agatisa, P K; Hirshfield, A; Dan, A; Shaver, J L; Murasko, D; McLaughlin, M

    2001-01-01

    While the number of women entering U.S. medical schools has risen substantially in the past 25 years, the number of women in leadership positions in academic medicine is disproportionately small. The traditional pathway to academic leadership is through research. Women's health research is an ideal venue to fill the pipeline with talented women physicians and scientists who may become academic leaders in positions where they can promote positive change in women's health as well as mentor other women. The Office on Women's Health (OWH) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has contracted with 18 academic medical centers to develop National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health. Emphasizing the integral link between women's health and women leaders, each of the Centers of Excellence must develop a leadership plan for women in academic medicine as part of the contract requirements. This paper describes the training programs in women's health research that have developed at five of the academic medical centers: the University of Wisconsin, Magee Women's Hospital, the University of Maryland, Medical College of Pennsylvania Hahnemann University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. We discuss some of the challenges faced for both initiation and future viability of these programs as well as criteria by which these programs will be evaluated for success.

  7. The occupational safety of health professionals working at community and family health centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozturk, Havva; Babacan, Elif

    2014-10-01

    Healthcare professionals encounter many medical risks while providing healthcare services to individuals and the community. Thus, occupational safety studies are very important in health care organizations. They involve studies performed to establish legal, technical, and medical measures that must be taken to prevent employees from sustaining physical or mental damage because of work hazards. This study was conducted to determine if the occupational safety of health personnel at community and family health centers (CHC and FHC) has been achieved. The population of this cross-sectional study comprised 507 nurses, 199 physicians, and 237 other medical personnel working at a total of 18 family health centers (FHC) and community health centers (CHC) in Trabzon, Turkey. The sample consisted of a total of 418 nurses, 156 physicians, and 123 other medical personnel. Sampling method was not used, and the researchers tried to reach the whole population. Data were gathered with the Occupational Safety Scale (OSS) and a questionnaire regarding demographic characteristics and occupational safety. According to the evaluations of all the medical personnel, the mean ± SD of total score of the OSS was 3.57 ± 0.98; of the OSS's subscales, the mean ± SD of the health screening and registry systems was 2.76 ± 1.44, of occupational diseases and problems was 3.04 ± 1.3 and critical fields control was 3.12 ± 1.62. In addition, occupational safety was found more insufficient by nurses (F = 14.18; P occupational safety to be insufficient as related to protective and supportive activities.

  8. Sustaining the edge: factors influencing strategy selection in academic health centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Anne M; Szabat, Kathryn

    2002-01-01

    Competition within the acute care sector as well as increased penetration by managed care organizations has influenced the structure and role of academic health centers during the past decade. The market factors confronting academic health centers are not dissimilar from conditions that confront other organizations competing in mature industries characterized by declining profitability and intense rivalry for market share. When confronted with intense competition or adverse external events, organizations in other industries have responded to potential threats by forming alliances, developing joint ventures, or merging with another firm to maintain their competitive advantage. Although mergers and acquisitions dominated the strategic landscape in the healthcare industry during the past decade, recent evidence suggests that other types of strategic ventures may offer similar economic and contracting benefits to member organizations. Academic health centers have traditionally been involved in network relationships with multiple partners via their shared technology, collaborative research, and joint educational endeavors. These quasi-organizational relationships appear to have provided a framework for strategic decisions and allowed executives of academic health centers to select strategies that were competitive yet closely aligned with their organizational mission. The analysis of factors that influenced strategy selection by executives of academic health centers suggests a deliberate and methodical approach to achieving market share objectives, expanding managed care contracts, and developing physician networks.

  9. Academic Health Center Psychology Representation to the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cubic, Barbara A; Shaffer, Laura A

    2017-06-01

    This paper outlines the perspectives of the two currently appointed representatives of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC) to the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The authors focus on why it is important for psychologists, especially those in academic health centers (AHCs), to be part of CFAS. The goal of the paper is to demonstrate how involvement in organizations like the AAMC helps AHC psychologists serve as ambassadors for psychology in AHCs and assists AHC psychologists in staying fluent regarding hot topics within academic medicine. The first author is a more senior member of APAHC, and so reflects the perspective of long-serving APAHC members; the second author reflects the perspectives of newer generations of APAHC members, those who have been active in APAHC for 10 years or less. The authors discuss their experiences being at national CFAS meetings. They describe meeting events including presentations such as those by national policy experts and scholars; and speed mentoring with medical residents from the AAMC Organization of Resident Representatives. Of special importance has been their opportunities for informal conversations with the AAMC's President and CEO, Board Chair, and Chief Public Policy Officer. They also have participated in networking functions that encourage interdisciplinary knowledge sharing and relationship building.

  10. Comparison of the Performance of Health Volunteers in the Health Centers of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad-Reza Farsar

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objective: Health volunteers are the women who do charity work to prevent, protect and promote the health status of the covered neighbors and hereby cooperate with the health centers. The aim of this study was to compare the health volunteer's performance in the covered health centers by Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.Materials and Methods: This descriptive- analytical study was performed by the participation of 2060 Health volunteers, who were cooperating with 90 covered health centers by Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. These include Shomal, Shargh, Shemiranat, Pakdasht, Damavand and Firoozkooh. We used census sampling method. Demographic data was gathered through interviews with the health volunteers and their performance evaluated by the supervisor of the volunteers; through the evaluation forms and these data gathered together.Results: The mean (SD of the health volunteers performance was 30.9 (16.4 in all centers. They were 35.1 (22 in Shargh, 34 (14.5 in Shomal, 32 (11.3 in Firoozkooh, 28.3 (14 in Shemiranat, 7.9 (9.2 in Damavand and 23.6 (8.5 in Pakdasht respectively. The mean (SD of the efficacy of health volunteers was 8.6 (9.9 in all centers. They were 11.7 (5.6 in Firoozkooh, 10.7 (15.7 in Shargh, 9.4 (6.8 in Shomal, 7.9 (4.9 in Damavand, 7.9 (6.1 in Shemiranat and 4.6 (4.3 in Pakdasht respectively. Older and married volunteers with more experience performed better. There was no significant relationship between the efficacy of health volunteers with their literacy level, employment status and absorber of them.              Conclusion: The health volunteers of Shomal, Shargh and Firoozkooh had the best performances respectively. The performances of those in Shemiranat, Damavand and Pakdasht were less than the overall health centers’ mean score. The efficacy score of Firoozkooh, Shomal and Shargh health centers were above the overall health centers’ mean score respectively

  11. Opportunities for Increasing Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Provision in School Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moss, Jennifer L.; Feld, Ashley L.; O'Malley, Brittany; Entzel, Pamela; Smith, Jennifer S.; Gilkey, Melissa B.; Brewer, Noel T.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Uptake of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine remains low among adolescents in the United States. We sought to assess barriers to HPV vaccine provision in school health centers to inform subsequent interventions. Methods: We conducted structured interviews in the fall of 2010 with staff from all 33 school health centers in North…

  12. Managing the risks of on-site health centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorman, Kathleen M; Miller, Ross M

    2011-11-01

    This review sought to assess compliance concerns, determine risk management strategies, and identify opportunities for future research to contribute to employers' understanding of the laws and regulations that apply to on-site care. A comprehensive review of databases, professional organizations' websites, and journals resulted in 22 publications reporting on the consequences of noncompliance among on-site health centers accepted for inclusion. None of those studies reported a study design or quantifiable outcome data. Two noncompliance themes were repeated among the publications. First, direct penalties included fines, civil actions, loss of licensure, and, potentially, criminal charges. Second, noncompliance also resulted in indirect costs such as employee mistrust and lowered standards of care, which jeopardize on-site health centers' ability to demonstrate a return on investment. Further research with rigorous methodology is needed to inform employer decisions about on-site health services and associated risk management. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

  13. Cultural health capital and the interactional dynamics of patient-centered care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubbin, Leslie A; Chang, Jamie Suki; Shim, Janet K

    2013-09-01

    As intuitive and inviting as it may appear, the concept of patient-centered care has been difficult to conceptualize, institutionalize and operationalize. Informed by Bourdieu's concepts of cultural capital and habitus, we employ the framework of cultural health capital to uncover the ways in which both patients' and providers' cultural resources, assets, and interactional styles influence their abilities to mutually achieve patient-centered care. Cultural health capital is defined as a specialized collection of cultural skills, attitudes, behaviors and interactional styles that are valued, leveraged, and exchanged by both patients and providers during clinical interactions. In this paper, we report the findings of a qualitative study conducted from 2010 to 2011 in the Western United States. We investigated the various elements of cultural health capital, how patients and providers used cultural health capital to engage with each other, and how this process shaped the patient-centeredness of interactions. We find that the accomplishment of patient-centered care is highly dependent upon habitus and the cultural health capital that both patients and providers bring to health care interactions. Not only are some cultural resources more highly valued than others, their differential mobilization can facilitate or impede engagement and communication between patients and their providers. The focus of cultural health capital on the ways fundamental social inequalities are manifest in clinical interactions enables providers, patients, and health care organizations to consider how such inequalities can confound patient-centered care. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. What’s Being Served for Dinner?: An Exploratory Investigation of the Associations between the Healthfulness of Family Meals and Child Dietary Intake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trofholz, Amanda C.; Tate, Allan D.; Draxten, Michelle L.; Rowley, Seth S.; Schulte, Anna K.; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne; MacLehose, Richard F.; Berge, Jerica M.

    2016-01-01

    Background Little is known about the healthfulness of foods offered at family meals or the relationship between the food’s healthfulness and child overall dietary intake. Objective This exploratory study uses a newly-developed Healthfulness of Meal (HOM) index to examine the association between the healthfulness of foods served at family dinners and child dietary intake. Design Direct observational, cross-sectional study. Participants/setting Primarily low-income, minority families (n=120) video-recorded 8 days of family dinners and completed a corresponding meal screener. Dietary recalls were completed on the target child (6–12 years old). The HOM index was used to measure meal healthfulness and included component scores for whole fruit, 100% juice, vegetables, dark green vegetables, dairy, protein, added sugars, and high sodium foods. Main outcome measures Child dietary intake measured by three 24-hour dietary recalls. Statistical analyses performed Linear regression models estimated the association between the foods served at dinner meals and overall child dietary intake. Results The majority of coded meals included foods from protein and high sodium components; over half included foods from dairy and vegetable components. Nearly half of the meals had an added sugar component food (e.g., soda, dessert). Few meals served foods from fruit, 100% juice, or dark green vegetable components. Many components served at family dinner meals were significantly associated with child daily intake of those same foods (i.e., dark green, non-dark green vegetables, dairy, and added sugars). The HOM index total score was significantly associated with child HEI score. Conclusions This study represents the first report of a new methodology to collect data of foods served at family dinners. Results indicated a significant association between the majority of components served at family dinner meals and child overall dietary intake. Validation of the HOM index and video

  15. Health services at the Kennedy Space Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferguson, E. B.; Humbert, P.; Long, I. D.; Tipton, D. A.

    1992-01-01

    Comprehensive occupational health services are provided to approximately 17,000 workers at the Kennedy Space Center and an additional 6000 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. These areas cover about 120,000 acres encompassing part of the Merritt Island Wild Life Refuge and wetlands which are the habitat of numerous endangered and protected species of wildlife. The services provided at the Kennedy Space Center optimally assure a safe and healthy working environment for the employees engaged in the preparation and launching of this country's Space Shuttle and other important space exploration programs.

  16. Area health education centers and health science library services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, R T; Howard, F H

    1977-07-01

    A study to determine the impact that the Area Health Education Center type of programs may have on health science libraries was conducted by the Extramural Programs, National Library of Medicine, in conjunction with a contract awarded by the Bureau of Health Manpower, Health Resources Administration, to develop an inventory of the AHEC type of projects in the United States. Specific study tasks included a review of these programs as they relate to library and information activities, on-site surveys on the programs to define their needs for library services and information, and a categorization of library activities. A major finding was that health science libraries and information services are generally not included in AHEC program planning and development, although information and information exchange is a fundamental part of the AHEC type of programs. This study suggests that library inadequacies are basically the result of this planning failure and of a lack of financial resources; however, many other factors may be contributory. The design and value of library activities for these programs needs explication.

  17. How to integrate the electronic health record and patient-centered communication into the medical visit: a skills-based approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duke, Pamela; Frankel, Richard M; Reis, Shmuel

    2013-01-01

    Implementation of the electronic health record (EHR) has changed the dynamics of doctor-patient communication. Physicians train to use EHRs from a technical standpoint, giving only minimal attention to integrating the human dimensions of the doctor-patient relationship into the computer-accompanied medical visit. This article reviews the literature and proposes a model to help clinicians, residents, and students improve physician-patient communication while using the EHR. We conducted a literature search on use of communication skills when interfacing with the EHR. We observed an instructional gap and developed a model using evidence-based communication skills. This model integrates patient-centered interview skills and aims to empower physicians to remain patient centered while effectively using EHRs. It may also serve as a template for future educational and practice interventions for use of the EHR in the examination room.

  18. Reinventing the academic health center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirch, Darrell G; Grigsby, R Kevin; Zolko, Wayne W; Moskowitz, Jay; Hefner, David S; Souba, Wiley W; Carubia, Josephine M; Baron, Steven D

    2005-11-01

    Academic health centers have faced well-documented internal and external challenges over the last decade, putting pressure on organizational leaders to develop new strategies to improve performance while simultaneously addressing employee morale, patient satisfaction, educational outcomes, and research growth. In the aftermath of a failed merger, new leaders of The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center encountered a climate of readiness for a transformational change. In a case study of this process, nine critical success factors are described that contributed to significant performance improvement: performing a campus-wide cultural assessment and acting decisively on the results; making values explicit and active in everyday decisions; aligning corporate structure and governance to unify the academic enterprise and health system; aligning the next tier of administrative structure and function; fostering collaboration and accountability-the creation of unified campus teams; articulating a succinct, highly focused, and compelling vision and strategic plan; using the tools of mission-based management to realign resources; focusing leadership recruitment on organizational fit; and "growing your own" through broad-based leadership development. Outcomes assessment data for academic, research, and clinical performance showed significant gains between 2000 and 2004. Organizational transformation as a result of the nine factors is possible in other institutional settings and can facilitate a focus on crucial quality initiatives.

  19. Tri-Service Center for Oral Health Studies (TSCOHS)

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Tri-Service Center for Oral Health Studies (TSCOHS), a service of the Postgraduate Dental College, is chartered by the Department of Defense TRICARE Management...

  20. 76 FR 35683 - Medicare Program; Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for Community Mental Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-17

    ... Community Mental Health Centers; Proposed Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 76 , No. 117 / Friday June 17... (CoPs) for Community Mental Health Centers AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS... participation (CoPs) that community mental health centers (CMHCs) would have to meet in order to participate in...

  1. Outpatient prescription practices in rural township health centers in Sichuan Province, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiang Qian

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Sichuan Province is an agricultural and economically developing province in western China. To understand practices of prescribing medications for outpatients in rural township health centers is important for the development of the rural medical and health services in this province and western China. Methods This is an observational study based on data from the 4th National Health Services Survey of China. A total of 3,059 prescriptions from 30 township health centers in Sichuan Province were collected and analyzed. Seven indicators were employed in the analyses to characterize the prescription practices. They are disease distribution, average cost per encounter, number of medications per encounter, percentage of encounters with antibiotics, percentage of encounters with glucocorticoids, percentage of encounters with combined glucocorticoids and antibiotics, and percentage of encounters with injections. Results The average medication cost per encounter was 16.30 Yuan ($2.59. About 60% of the prescriptions contained Chinese patent medicine (CPM, and almost all prescriptions (98.07% contained western medicine. 85.18% of the prescriptions contained antibiotics, of which, 24.98% contained two or more types of antibiotics; the percentage of prescriptions with glucocorticoids was 19.99%; the percentage of prescriptions with both glucocorticoids and antibiotics was 16.67%; 51.40% of the prescriptions included injections, of which, 39.90% included two or more injections. Conclusions The findings from this study demonstrated irrational medication uses of antibiotics, glucocorticoids and injections prescribed for outpatients in the rural township health centers in Sichuan Province. The reasons for irrational medication uses are not only solely due to the pursuit of maximizing benefits in the township health centers, but also more likely attributable to the lack of medical knowledge of rational medication uses among rural doctors and the

  2. Strategies to improve chronic disease management in seven metro Boston community health centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ndumele, Chima D; Russell, Beverley E; Ayanian, John Z; Landon, Bruce E; Keegan, Thomas; O'Malley, A James; Hicks, Leroi S

    2009-01-01

    The Community, Health Center, and Academic Medicine Partnership Project (CHAMPP) is a partnership between medical researchers, community health centers (CHCs), and a community advisory committee focused on reducing cardiovascular morbidity related to hypertension and diabetes for non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic populations in Boston, Massachusetts. We conducted site visits at seven participating CHCs, located in Boston. The visits were to solicit health center staff opinions about site-specific barriers and enabling factors for optimum preventative cardiovascular care for racial/ethnic minority patients receiving hypertension and diabetes care at their centers. Site visits included a tour of each health center and a series of directed interviews with center personnel. Site visit notes were reviewed to identify themes that emerged during the course of each site visit. A summary matrix was developed for each health center, which included information regarding the most salient and persistent themes of the visit. Site visits uncovered several patient-, provider-, CHC-, and community-based factors that either facilitate or hinder optimal care of chronic disease patients. Commonly referenced barriers included the need for improved patient adherence to provider recommendations; insufficient time for providers to address complex health issues presented by patients and the need for a broader range of healthier food options in surrounding communities. Interactive patient groups and community health workers (CHWs) have been well received when implemented. Recommendations included adopting case management as a part of usual care for chronic disease patients; additionally, widespread implementation of CHWs may to provide a platform for more comprehensive care for patients.

  3. Fear of deportation is not associated with medical or dental care use among Mexican-origin farmworkers served by a federally-qualified health center--faith-based partnership: an exploratory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Cevallos, Daniel F; Lee, Junghee; Donlan, William

    2014-08-01

    Migrant and seasonal farmworkers face many health risks with limited access to health care and promotion services. This study explored whether fear of deportation (as a barrier), and church attendance (as an enabling factor), were associated with medical and dental care use among Mexican-origin farmworkers. Interviews were conducted with 179 farmworkers who attended mobile services provided by a local federally-qualified health center (FQHC) in partnership with area churches, during the 2007 agricultural season. The majority of respondents (87 %) were afraid of being deported, and many (74 %) attended church. Although about half of participants reported poor/fair physical (49 %) and dental (58 %) health, only 37 % of farmworkers used medical care and 20 % used dental care during the previous year. Fear of deportation was not associated with use of medical or dental care; while church attendance was associated with use of dental care. Findings suggest that despite high prevalence of fear of deportation, support by FQHCs and churches may enable farmworkers to access health care services.

  4. 77 FR 2548 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-18

    ... Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the...), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) announces the following meeting of the aforementioned...; review of the ambulatory and hospital care statistics program; a discussion of the NHANES genetics...

  5. 78 FR 78967 - Request for Nominations of Candidates To Serve on the Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-27

    ... nominations for possible membership on the Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health (ICSH), Office on... informing the public about the health effects of smoking. The members are selected by the Secretary, HHS... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Request for...

  6. Role of public health center for nuclear disaster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okada, Tsuyoshi

    2012-01-01

    The role of public health center such as surveillance screening, mass decontamination, health consultation and management, and dosage of stable iodine tablets are thought by Nuclear Safety Commission in 2008. The pollution screening and decontamination, internal exposure screening and valuation, dosage of iodine tablets, health consultation of residents and risk communication, comparative evaluation of health risks, health management under the low dose exposure are discussed to handle problems by the government and local government, and to protect the right to know information. In order to prepare the serious health hazard, the children's thyroid gland test and internal exposure test and the follow-up system have to be practiced by the local government. (S.Y.)

  7. CMS Innovation Center Health Care Innovation Awards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berry, Sandra H.; Concannon, Thomas W.; Morganti, Kristy Gonzalez; Auerbach, David I.; Beckett, Megan K.; Chen, Peggy G.; Farley, Donna O.; Han, Bing; Harris, Katherine M.; Jones, Spencer S.; Liu, Hangsheng; Lovejoy, Susan L.; Marsh, Terry; Martsolf, Grant R.; Nelson, Christopher; Okeke, Edward N.; Pearson, Marjorie L.; Pillemer, Francesca; Sorbero, Melony E.; Towe, Vivian; Weinick, Robin M.

    2013-01-01

    Abstract The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has funded 108 Health Care Innovation Awards, funded through the Affordable Care Act, for applicants who proposed compelling new models of service delivery or payment improvements that promise to deliver better health, better health care, and lower costs through improved quality of care for Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Program enrollees. CMS is also interested in learning how new models would affect subpopulations of beneficiaries (e.g., those eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and complex patients) who have unique characteristics or health care needs that could be related to poor outcomes. In addition, the initiative seeks to identify new models of workforce development and deployment, as well as models that can be rapidly deployed and have the promise of sustainability. This article describes a strategy for evaluating the results. The goal for the evaluation design process is to create standardized approaches for answering key questions that can be customized to similar groups of awardees and that allow for rapid and comparable assessment across awardees. The evaluation plan envisions that data collection and analysis will be carried out on three levels: at the level of the individual awardee, at the level of the awardee grouping, and as a summary evaluation that includes all awardees. Key dimensions for the evaluation framework include implementation effectiveness, program effectiveness, workforce issues, impact on priority populations, and context. The ultimate goal is to identify strategies that can be employed widely to lower cost while improving care. PMID:28083297

  8. Variations in Influenza and Pneumonia Immunizations for Medicare Beneficiaries Served by Rural Health Clinics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Thomas T H; Lin, Yi-Ling; Ortiz, Judith

    2017-08-01

    The availability of a rural health clinic (RHC) database over the period of 6 years (2008-2013) offers a unique opportunity to examine the trends and patterns of disparities in immunization for influenza and pneumonia among Medicare beneficiaries in the southeastern states. The purpose of this exploratory study was twofold. First, it examined the rural trends and patterns of immunization rates before (2008-2009) and after (2010-2013) the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enactment by state and year. Second, it investigated how contextual, organizational, and aggregate patient characteristics may influence the variations in immunization for influenza and pneumonia of Medicare beneficiaries served by RHCs. Four data sources from federal agencies were merged to perform a longitudinal analysis of the influences of contextual, organizational, and aggregate patient characteristics on the disparities in immunization rates of rural Medicare beneficiaries for influenza and pneumonia. We included both time-varying and time-constant predictors in a multivariate analysis using Generalized Estimating Equation. This study revealed the increased immunization rates for both influenza and pneumonia over a period of 6 years. The ACA had a positive effect on increased immunization rates for pneumonia, but not for influenza, in rural Medicare beneficiaries in the eight states. The RHCs that served more dually-eligible patients had higher immunization rates. For influenza immunization, provider-based RHCs had a higher rate than the independent RHCs. For pneumonia immunization, no organizational variables were relevant in the explanation of the variability. The results also showed that no single dominant factor influenced health care disparities. This investigation suggested further improvements in preventive care are needed to target poor and isolated rural beneficiaries. Furthermore, the integration of immunization data from multiple sources is critically needed for understanding health

  9. An academic medical center under prolonged rocket attack--organizational, medical, and financial considerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bar-El, Yaron; Michaelson, Moshe; Hyames, Gila; Skorecki, Karl; Reisner, Shimon A; Beyar, Rafael

    2009-09-01

    The Rambam Medical Center, the major academic health center in northern Israel, serving a population of two million and providing specialized tertiary care, was exposed to an unprecedented experience during the Second Lebanon War in the summer of 2006. For more than one month, it was subjected to continuous rocket attacks, but it continued to provide emergency and routine medical services to the civilian population and also served the military personnel who were evacuated from the battlefront. To accomplish the goals of serving the population while itself being under fire, the Rambam Medical Center had to undertake major organizational decisions, which included maximizing safety within the hospital by shifting patients and departments, ensuring that the hospital was properly fortified, managing the health professional teams' work schedules, and providing needed services for the families of employees. The Rambam Medical Center's Level I trauma center expertise included multidisciplinary teams and extensive collaborations; modern imaging modalities usually reserved for peacetime medical practice were frequently used. The function of the hospital teams during the war was efficient and smooth, based on the long-term actions taken to prepare for disasters and wartime conditions. Routine hospital services continued, although at 60% of normal occupancy. Financial losses incurred were primarily due to the decrease in revenue-generating activity. The two most important components of managing the hospital under these conditions are (1) the ability to arrive at prompt and meaningful decisions with respect to the organizational and medical hospital operations and (2) the leadership and management of the professional staff and teams.

  10. Administrative Challenges to the Integration of Oral Health With Primary Care: A SWOT Analysis of Health Care Executives at Federally Qualified Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norwood, Connor W; Maxey, Hannah L; Randolph, Courtney; Gano, Laura; Kochhar, Komal

    Inadequate access to preventive oral health services contributes to oral health disparities and is a major public health concern in the United States. Federally Qualified Health Centers play a critical role in improving access to care for populations affected by oral health disparities but face a number of administrative challenges associated with implementation of oral health integration models. We conducted a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis with health care executives to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of successful oral health integration in Federally Qualified Health Centers. Four themes were identified: (1) culture of health care organizations; (2) operations and administration; (3) finance; and (4) workforce.

  11. The Examination of The Outdoors of Family Health-Care Center: A Case Study In Çanakkale City Center

    OpenAIRE

    SAĞLIK, Alper; KELKİT, Abdullah

    2017-01-01

    The gardens of the health-care centers are areas of fear, anxiety and stress based. In the process of the treatment of patients, these areas have psychological, physical and social significance. For this reason, health-care center gardens should be designed to help treatment of patients. Well designed gardens are important for elimination of adverse effects of clinical environments on patients and helping patients to stay away from the stress by ensuring their socia...

  12. Reconsidering the popularity of primary health centers in India: a case study from rural Maharashtra.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamat, V R

    1995-07-01

    Most evaluations of India's primary health care (PHC) program have been critical of the ways government primary health centers have been functioning. It has been commonly noted that utilization of health services is poor and community participation in the PHC outreach program low. Additionally, medical officers and health center staff are often accused of being negligent in their duties. In this paper I argue that it is worthwhile examining how a popular primary health center functions in a context marked by a growing demand for Western medicines. Attention is drawn to the ingenious ways in which health personnel respond to client demands and government medicine shortages. The case of a popular primary health center in rural Maharashtra is presented. This health center is both the site of public and private health care. Discussed is the manner in which rural populations in India maximize available health care options given time, cash and transportation constraints. Current thinking about community health financing is considered in light of existing health care utilization patterns, community evaluation of free services, perceptions of entitlement and the likely response of practitioners to such schemes.

  13. Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers: supporting the workforce for national health security.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richmond, Alyson L; Sobelson, Robyn K; Cioffi, Joan P

    2014-01-01

    The importance of a competent and prepared national public health workforce, ready to respond to threats to the public's health, has been acknowledged in numerous publications since the 1980s. The Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLCs) were funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2010 to continue to build upon a decade of focused activities in public health workforce preparedness development initiated under the Centers for Public Health Preparedness program (http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/cphp/). All 14 PERLCs were located within Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accredited schools of public health. These centers aimed to improve workforce readiness and competence through the development, delivery, and evaluation of targeted learning programs designed to meet specific requirements of state, local, and tribal partners. The PERLCs supported organizational and community readiness locally, regionally, or nationally through the provision of technical consultation and dissemination of specific, practical tools aligned with national preparedness competency frameworks and public health preparedness capabilities. Public health agencies strive to address growing public needs and a continuous stream of current and emerging public health threats. The PERLC network represented a flexible, scalable, and experienced national learning system linking academia with practice. This system improved national health security by enhancing individual, organizational, and community performance through the application of public health science and learning technologies to frontline practice.

  14. [Health Centers: science and ideology in the re-organization of public health in the twentieth century].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mello, Guilherme Arantes; Viana, Ana Luiza d'Ávila

    2011-12-01

    Health Centers appeared in the United States around 1910. They provided social assistance in conjunction with some type of medical care. Their original separation between preventive and curative medicine was superseded by the concept of whole health in the 1940s, when Health Center discourse became part of medical education. In the 1960s, the notion of community medicine arose out of the war on poverty. These ideas spread through Brazil in the 1920s and were strengthened under the Vargas policy of national construction, but it was the Serviço Especial de Saúde Pública (Special Public Health Service) that was primarily responsible for lending them their practical and conceptual shape in this country.

  15. Role of AYUSH Doctors in Filling the Gap of Health Workforce Inequality in Rural India with Special Reference to National Rural Health Mission: A Situational Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Janmejaya Samal

    2013-01-01

    Paucity of health workforce in rural India has always been a problem. Lack of interest of modern allopathic graduates in serving the rural poor has worsened the situation little more. The National Rural Health Mission brought an innovative concept of mainstreaming of AYUSH and revitalization of local health tradition by collocating AYUSH doctors at various rural health facilities such as community health centers and primary health centers. In this context a study was aimed, based on secondary...

  16. Association between proximity to a health center and early childhood mortality in Madagascar.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saori Kashima

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between proximity to a health center and early childhood mortality in Madagascar, and to assess the influence of household wealth, maternal educational attainment, and maternal health on the effects of distance. METHODS: From birth records of subjects in the Demographic and Health Survey, we identified 12565 singleton births from January 2004 to August 2009. After excluding 220 births that lacked global positioning system information for exposure assessment, odds ratios (ORs and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs for neonatal mortality and infant mortality were estimated using multilevel logistic regression models, with 12345 subjects (level 1, nested within 584 village locations (level 2, and in turn nested within 22 regions (level 3. We additionally stratified the subjects by the birth order. We estimated predicted probabilities of each outcome by a three-level model including cross-level interactions between proximity to a health center and household wealth, maternal educational attainment, and maternal anemia. RESULTS: Compared with those who lived >1.5-3.0 km from a health center, the risks for neonatal mortality and infant mortality tended to increase among those who lived further than 5.0 km from a health center; the adjusted ORs for neonatal mortality and infant mortality for those who lived >5.0-10.0 km away from a health center were 1.36 (95% CI: 0.92-2.01 and 1.42 (95% CI: 1.06-1.90, respectively. The positive associations were more pronounced among the second or later child. The distance effects were not modified by household wealth status, maternal educational attainment, or maternal health status. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that distance from a health center is a risk factor for early childhood mortality (primarily, infant mortality in Madagascar by using a large-scale nationally representative dataset. The accessibility to health care in remote areas would be a key factor to achieve

  17. Florida Public Health Training Center: Evidence-Based Online Mentor Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frahm, Kathryn A.; Alsac-Seitz, Biray; Mescia, Nadine; Brown, Lisa M.; Hyer, Kathy; Liburd, Desiree; Rogoff, David P.; Troutman, Adewale

    2013-01-01

    This article describes an Online Mentor Program (OMP) designed to support and facilitate mentorships among and between Florida Department of Health (FDOH) employees and USF College of Public Health students using a Web-based portal. The Florida Public Health Training Center (FPHTC) at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Public Health…

  18. Centering Pregnancy and Traditional Prenatal Care: A Comparison of Health Practices

    OpenAIRE

    Shakespear, Kaylynn

    2008-01-01

    Centering Pregnancy is an alternative method of providing prenatal care with increased education and social support with health assessment in a group setting. This study, a cross-sectional, correlational, convenience-sample design, sought to determine the difference between women who receive prenatal care in Centering Pregnancy prenatal care and those in traditional prenatal care in regards to health behaviors. Adult pregnant women (n = 125) were surveyed from at least 28 weeks gestation. The...

  19. Cultural health capital and the interactional dynamics of patient-centered care

    OpenAIRE

    Dubbin, Leslie A.; Chang, Jamie Suki; Shim, Janet K.

    2013-01-01

    As intuitive and inviting as it may appear, the concept of patient-centered care has been difficult to conceptualize, institutionalize and operationalize. Informed by Bourdieu's concepts of cultural capital and habitus, we employ the framework of cultural health capital to uncover the ways in which both patients' and providers' cultural resources, assets, and interactional styles influence their abilities to mutually achieve patient-centered care. Cultural health capital is defined as a speci...

  20. Physical environment and job satisfaction in a community mental health center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Folkins, C; O'Reilly, C; Roberts, K; Miller, S

    1977-01-01

    Relocation of professional staff in a community mental health center provided a setting in which to evaluate the effects of physical environment on job satisfaction. Two mental health teams moved from an old, drab central clinic building to new satellite clinics while a third team remained in the old building. Relocated staff reported significant increase in satisfaction with physical surroundings as compared to staff that did not move. Furthermore, satisfaction with physical surroundings had some impact on overall satisfaction ratings. Physical surroundings in a community mental health center may be a mediating variable for staff morale and effectiveness.

  1. [Study of the work and of working in Family Health Care Support Center].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lancman, Selma; Gonçalves, Rita Maria de Abreu; Cordone, Nicole Guimarães; Barros, Juliana de Oliveira

    2013-10-01

    To understand the organization of and the working conditions in family health care support centers, as well as subjective experiences related to work in two of these centers. This was a case study carried out during 2011 and 2012 in two family health care support centers in Sao Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. Data were collected and analyzed using two theoretical-methodological references from ergonomics and work psychodynamics influenced, respectively, by ergonomic work analysis, developed based on open observations of a variety of tasks and on interviews and in practice in work psychodynamics, carried out using think tanks about the work. The work of the Family Health Care Support Centers in question is constituted on the bases of complex, diversified actions to be shared among the various professionals and teams involved. Innovative technological tools, which are not often adopted by primary health care professionals, are used and the parameters and productivity measures do not encompass the specificity and the complexity of the work performed. These situations require constant organizational rearrangement, especially between the Family Health Care Support Centers and the Family Health Care Teams, causing difficulties in carrying out the work as well as in constituting the identity of the professionals studied. The study attempts to lend greater visibility to the work processes at the Family Health Care Support Centers in order to contribute to advances in public policy on primary healthcare. It is important to stress that introducing changes at work, which affect both its organization and work conditions, is above all a commitment, which to be effective, must be permanent and must involve the different levels of hierarchy.

  2. Tufts academic health information network: concept and scenario.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stearns, N S

    1986-04-01

    Tufts University School of Medicine's new health sciences education building, the Arthur M. Sackler Center for Health Communications, will house a modern medical library and computer center, classrooms, auditoria, and media facilities. The building will also serve as the center for an information and communication network linking the medical school and adjacent New England Medical Center, Tufts' primary teaching hospital, with Tufts Associated Teaching Hospitals throughout New England. Ultimately, the Tufts network will join other gateway networks, information resource facilities, health care institutions, and medical schools throughout the world. The center and the network are intended to facilitate and improve the education of health professionals, the delivery of health care to patients, the conduct of research, and the implementation of administrative management approaches that should provide more efficient utilization of resources and save dollars. A model and scenario show how health care delivery and health care education are integrated through better use of information transfer technologies by health information specialists, practitioners, and educators.

  3. National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (NRC) at the University of Colorado College of ... National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education Email: info@NRCKids.org Please read our disclaimer ...

  4. Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Portal Implementation Toolkit for Ambulatory Clinics: A Feasibility Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nahm, Eun-Shim; Diblasi, Catherine; Gonzales, Eva; Silver, Kristi; Zhu, Shijun; Sagherian, Knar; Kongs, Katherine

    2017-04-01

    Personal health records and patient portals have been shown to be effective in managing chronic illnesses. Despite recent nationwide implementation efforts, the personal health record and patient portal adoption rates among patients are low, and the lack of support for patients using the programs remains a critical gap in most implementation processes. In this study, we implemented the Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Patient Portal Implementation Toolkit in a large diabetes/endocrinology center and assessed its preliminary impact on personal health record and patient portal knowledge, self-efficacy, patient-provider communication, and adherence to treatment plans. Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Patient Portal Implementation Toolkit is composed of Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Patient Portal Implementation Toolkit-General, clinic-level resources for clinicians, staff, and patients, and Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Patient Portal Implementation Toolkit Plus, an optional 4-week online resource program for patients ("MyHealthPortal"). First, Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Patient Portal Implementation Toolkit-General was implemented, and all clinicians and staff were educated about the center's personal health record and patient portal. Then general patient education was initiated, while a randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the preliminary effects of "MyHealthPortal" using a small sample (n = 74) with three observations (baseline and 4 and 12 weeks). The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement than the control group in patient-provider communication at 4 weeks (t56 = 3.00, P = .004). For other variables, the intervention group tended to show greater improvement; however, the differences were not significant. In this preliminary study, Patient-Centered Personal Health Record and Patient Portal Implementation Toolkit showed potential for filling the gap in the current

  5. San Joaquin Valley Aerosol Health Effects Research Center (SAHERC)

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — At the San Joaquin Valley Aerosol Health Effects Center, located at the University of California-Davis, researchers will investigate the properties of particles that...

  6. University of Illinois at Chicago Health Policy Center - Funding

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — 1991-2015. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation (STATE) System. Funding Data, Appropriations...

  7. Evaluation of Student Care Process in Urban and Rural Health Care Centers and Health House in Tabriz Using Tracer Methodology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neda Kabiri

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objectives : Tracer methodology is a novel evaluation method which its purpose is to provide an accurate assessment of systems and processes for the delivery of care, treatment, and services at a health care organization. This study aimed to assess student care process in Tabriz using Tracer methodology. Material and Methods : This cross-sectional study was conducted in autumn 1391. Population study consisted of all the students who were covered by Tabriz health care center and study sample included an urban health care center, a rural health care center, a health house, and two schools in urban and rural areas which were selected by simple sampling method. Also, all the complicated and problematic processes were chosen to be assessed. Data were collected by interviewing, observing, and surveying documents and were compared with current standards. Results : The results of this study declared the percentage of points that each target group gained from tracer evaluation in student care process was 77% in health house, 90% in rural health care center and 83% in urban health care center. Findings indicated that documentation was the main weak point. Conclusion : According to the results of this study, student care process is sufficient; despite the fact that there are some deficiencies in caring process, as it may be improved through appropriate strategies. Furthermore, tracer methodology seems to be a proper method to evaluate various levels of health care system. ​

  8. The Emerging Role of the Chief Research Informatics Officer in Academic Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez-Pinto, L Nelson; Mosa, Abu S M; Fultz-Hollis, Kate; Tachinardi, Umberto; Barnett, William K; Embi, Peter J

    2017-08-16

    The role of the Chief Research Informatics Officer (CRIO) is emerging in academic health centers to address the challenges clinical researchers face in the increasingly digitalized, data-intensive healthcare system. Most current CRIOs are the first officers in their institutions to hold that role. To date there is very little published information about this role and the individuals who serve it. To increase our understanding of the CRIO role, the leaders who serve it, and the factors associated with their success in their organizations. The Clinical Research Informatics Working Group of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) conducted a national survey of CRIOs in the United States and convened an expert panel of CRIOs to discuss their experience during the 2016 AMIA Annual Symposium. CRIOs come from diverse academic backgrounds. Most have advance training and extensive experience in biomedical informatics but the majority have been CRIOs for less than three years. CRIOs identify funding, data governance, and advancing data analytics as their major challenges. CRIOs play an important role in helping shape the future of clinical research, innovation, and data analytics in healthcare in their organizations. They share many of the same challenges and see the same opportunities for the future of the field. Better understanding the background and experience of current CRIOs can help define and develop the role in other organizations and enhance their influence in the field of research informatics.

  9. A review of zoonotic disease surveillance supported by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, R L; Kronmann, K C; Daniels, C C; Meyers, M; Byarugaba, D K; Dueger, E; Klein, T A; Evans, B P; Vest, K G

    2012-05-01

    The Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center (AFHSC), Division of Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System conducts disease surveillance through a global network of US Department of Defense research laboratories and partnerships with foreign ministries of agriculture, health and livestock development in over 90 countries worldwide. In 2010, AFHSC supported zoonosis survey efforts were organized into four main categories: (i) development of field assays for animal disease surveillance during deployments and in resource limited environments, (ii) determining zoonotic disease prevalence in high-contact species which may serve as important reservoirs of diseases and sources of transmission, (iii) surveillance in high-risk human populations which are more likely to become exposed and subsequently infected with zoonotic pathogens and (iv) surveillance at the human-animal interface examining zoonotic disease prevalence and transmission within and between human and animal populations. These efforts have aided in the detection, identification and quantification of the burden of zoonotic diseases such as anthrax, brucellosis, Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever, dengue fever, Hantaan virus, influenza, Lassa fever, leptospirosis, melioidosis, Q fever, Rift Valley fever, sandfly fever Sicilian virus, sandfly fever Naples virus, tuberculosis and West Nile virus, which are of military and public health importance. Future zoonotic surveillance efforts will seek to develop local capacity for zoonotic surveillance focusing on high risk populations at the human-animal interface. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  10. 78 FR 75924 - Request for Nominations of Candidates To Serve on the Mine Safety and Health Research Advisory...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-13

    ..., occupational safety and health engineering, chemistry, safety and health education, ergonomics, epidemiology... 15236, telephone (412) 386-5301. The Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, has been... Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [FR Doc. 2013-29747 Filed 12-12-13; 8:45 am] BILLING...

  11. 77 FR 59931 - Single Source Program Expansion Supplement Award to Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-01

    ... Program Expansion Supplement Award to Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program Grantee; Exception to... Competition--Single Source Program Expansion Supplement Award to Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program... supplement award to the University of Guam School of Nursing, an Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program...

  12. Patient-centered medical homes for patients with disabilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernandez, Brigida; Damiani, Marco; Wang, T Arthur; Driscoll, Carolyn; Dellabella, Peter; LePera, Nicole; Mentari, Michael

    2015-01-01

    The patient-centered medical home is an innovative approach to improve health care outcomes. To address the unique needs of patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), a large health care provider reevaluated the National Committee for Quality Assurance's 6 medical home standards: (a) enhance access and continuity, (b) identify and manage patient populations, (c) plan and manage care, (d) provide self-care and community support, (e) track and coordinate care, and (f) measure and improve performance. This article describes issues to consider when serving patients with IDDs.

  13. Analysis of suffering at work in Family Health Support Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nascimento, Débora Dupas Gonçalves do; Oliveira, Maria Amélia de Campos

    2016-01-01

    Analyzing the work process in the Family Health Support Center. An exploratory, descriptive case study using a qualitative approach. Focus groups were conducted with 20 workers of a Family Health Support Center, and the empirical material was subjected to content analysis technique and analyzed in light of Work Psychodynamics. The category of suffering is presented herein as arising from the dialectical contradiction between actual work and prescribed work, from resistance to the Family Health Support Center's proposal and a lack of understanding of their role; due to an immediatist and curative culture of the users and the Family Health Strategy; of the profile, overload and identification with work. The dialectical contradiction between expectations from Family Health Strategy teams and the work in the Family Health Support Center compromises its execution and creates suffering for workers. Analisar o processo de trabalho no Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família. Estudo de caso exploratório, descritivo e de abordagem qualitativa. Grupos focais foram realizados com 20 trabalhadores do Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família, o material empírico foi submetido à técnica de análise de conteúdo e analisado à luz da Psicodinâmica do Trabalho. Apresenta-se aqui a categoria sofrimento que neste estudo decorre da contradição dialética entre o trabalho real e o trabalho prescrito, da resistência à proposta do Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família e da falta de compreensão de seu papel; da cultura imediatista e curativa do usuário e da Estratégia Saúde da Família; do perfil, sobrecarga e identificação com o trabalho. A contradição dialética entre expectativas das equipes da Estratégia Saúde da Família e o trabalho no Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família compromete sua efetivação e gera sofrimento aos trabalhadores.

  14. School Health Connection Goes Electronic: Developing a Health Information Management System for New Orleans' School-Based Health Centers. Program Results Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rastorfer, Darl

    2011-01-01

    From February 2008 through April 2011, School Health Connection, a program of the Louisiana Public Health Institute, developed an electronic health information management system for newly established school-based health centers in Greater New Orleans. School Health Connection was established as part of a broader effort to restore community health…

  15. Humanities mini-course curricula for midcareer health professionals at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myers, Kimberly R; George, Daniel R

    2012-08-01

    The field of medical humanities has traditionally focused on medical students and, more recently, on premedical undergraduates. Comparatively little formal humanities pedagogy has been dedicated to midcareer health professionals. To address this lack, the Department of Humanities at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center designed eight annual humanities mini-courses for faculty and staff throughout the college and medical center.These mini-courses fell into four categories: reading, reflection, and discussion; creative expression; technology; and ethics. They were geared toward midcareer health professionals who were seeking new intellectual and creative stimulation and variety in daily routine. They also provided humanities faculty the opportunity to devote attention to topics that capitalize on their professional training and that interest them personally.Participants indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the mini-courses for four principal reasons: (1) learning the tools and methodologies of a new discipline or domain other than biomedicine, (2) using their minds and training in uncustomary ways, (3) forming new alliances with colleagues (which served to lessen the sense of professional isolation), and (4) enjoying a respite from the stressful flow of the workday. Humanities faculty facilitators provided more mixed responses but agreed that conducting the mini-courses had been a positive overall experience.Although this article provides a foundational framework for the development of a humanities mini-course series, the authors encourage others to replicate these curricula in other medical settings as an important step toward a robust pedagogy designed for midcareer health care professionals.

  16. Estimate the Health Literacy in Health Centers in the Border of Yazd City: Cross sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sakineh Gerayllo

    2017-06-01

    Conclusion: Health literacy of women in general was unacceptable, and recommendations were made to establish continuous training for women to improve their views. Also consideration should be given to centers to plan the transformation of health literacy which has been launched, to increase the Health literacy of the population being studied as recipients of health services.

  17. Spaceflight Radiation Health program at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, A.S.; Badhwar, G.D.; Golightly, M.J.; Hardy, A.C.; Konradi, A.; Yang, T.C.

    1993-12-01

    The Johnson Space Center leads the research and development activities that address the health effects of space radiation exposure to astronaut crews. Increased knowledge of the composition of the environment and of the biological effects of space radiation is required to assess health risks to astronaut crews. The activities at the Johnson Space Center range from quantification of astronaut exposures to fundamental research into the biological effects resulting from exposure to high energy particle radiation. The Spaceflight Radiation Health Program seeks to balance the requirements for operational flexibility with the requirement to minimize crew radiation exposures. The components of the space radiation environment are characterized. Current and future radiation monitoring instrumentation is described. Radiation health risk activities are described for current Shuttle operations and for research development program activities to shape future analysis of health risk.

  18. Spaceflight Radiation Health program at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, A.S.; Badhwar, G.D.; Golightly, M.J.; Hardy, A.C.; Konradi, A.; Yang, T.C.

    1993-12-01

    The Johnson Space Center leads the research and development activities that address the health effects of space radiation exposure to astronaut crews. Increased knowledge of the composition of the environment and of the biological effects of space radiation is required to assess health risks to astronaut crews. The activities at the Johnson Space Center range from quantification of astronaut exposures to fundamental research into the biological effects resulting from exposure to high energy particle radiation. The Spaceflight Radiation Health Program seeks to balance the requirements for operational flexibility with the requirement to minimize crew radiation exposures. The components of the space radiation environment are characterized. Current and future radiation monitoring instrumentation is described. Radiation health risk activities are described for current Shuttle operations and for research development program activities to shape future analysis of health risk

  19. Tetanus Seroprevalence among Pregnant Women in Ben-U Sen Health Center in Diyarbakir

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Ceylan

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Aim: At the aim of this study was to determine the tetanus seroprevalence among pregnant women and childbearing aged woman living in the Ben-u Sen Health Center region that is in lower socio-economical level. Materials and methods: In this descriptive study, a team including the staff of health center and several volunteers visited the houses of pregnant women living in the health center coverage region and questionnaires were completed through face to face interviews. The study group included 214 pregnant women. Among them, serum samples of 197 subjects’ were studied for anti-toxic antibody for tetanus. For control, serum samples from 200 women living in the same health center region were collected. It was evaluated as partially protective, protective and longterm protection when tetanus antibody level was 0,01-<0,1 IU/ml, 0,1-<1.0 IU/ml and 1,0 IU/ml and over, respectively. Results: The mean age of the women was 26,4, mean marriage and first pregnancy ages were 17,9 and 18,9, respectively, and 40% of the subjects had never been examined or received follow up by a health center. It was revealed that 25.8% of the subjects were not protected and 74.2% had a full protection level of antibody. Within the control group, the same levels of antibodies were detected in 40.0% and 60.0% of the women, respectively. Conclusion: The study indicates that the immunity levels against tetanus are not satisfactory and every childbearing aged woman should be included in a vaccination program whenever they receive any examination in a health center. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2011; 10(4.000: 481-486

  20. Community health centers' impact on the political and economic environment: the Massachusetts example.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunt, James W

    2005-01-01

    Since their inception in 1965, community health centers have thrived against tough odds, including patchwork funding, an unpredictable public policy environment, and a volatile healthcare marketplace. Much of this long-term success has been attributed to the centers' ability to affect their economic and political environment. Massachusetts provides an excellent example of this outward orientation. It was here that the centers first took hold, grew rapidly as a result of grassroots activity, and came together as a group for advocacy and mutual assistance. This article examines the Massachusetts experience in light of the health centers' ability to survive and grow.

  1. Coordinated Management of Academic Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balser, Jeffrey R; Stead, William W

    2017-01-01

    Academic health centers (AHCs) are the nation's primary resource for healthcare discovery, innovation, and training. US healthcare revenue growth has declined sharply since 2009, and is forecast to remain well below historic levels for the foreseeable future. As the cost of education and research at nearly all AHCs is heavily subsidized through large transfers from clinical care margins, our institutions face a mounting crisis. Choices centering on how to increase the cost-effectiveness of the AHC enterprise require unprecedented levels of alignment to preserve an environment that nurtures creativity. Management processes require governance models that clarify decision rights while harnessing the talents and the intellectual capital of a large, diverse enterprise to nimbly address unfamiliar organizational challenges. This paper describes key leadership tactics aimed at propelling AHCs along this journey - one that requires from all leaders a commitment to resilience, optimism, and willingness to embrace change.

  2. 77 FR 72868 - The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)/Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-06

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)/Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Advisory Committee on HIV, Viral... announcements of meetings and other committee management activities, for both the Centers for Disease Control...

  3. [The Psychosocial Adaptation Process of Psychiatric Nurses Working in Community Mental Health Centers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Min, So Young

    2015-12-01

    The aim of this study was to verify psychosocial issues faced by psychiatric and community mental health nurse practitioners (PCMHNP) working in community mental health centers, and to identify the adaptation processes used to resolve the issues. Data were collected through in-depth interviews between December 2013 and August 2014. Participants were 11 PCMHNP working in community mental health centers. Analysis was done using the grounded theory methodology. The first question was "How did you start working at a community mental health center; what were the difficulties you faced during your employment and how did you resolve them?" The core category was 'regulating within relationships.' The adaptation process was categorized into three sequential stages: 'nesting,' 'hanging around the nest,' and 'settling into the nest.' Various action/interaction strategies were employed in these stages. The adaptation results from using these strategies were 'psychiatric nursing within life' and 'a long way to go.' The results of this study are significant as they aid in understanding the psychosocial adaptation processes of PCMHNP working in community mental health centers, and indicate areas to be addressed in the future in order for PCMHNP to fulfill their professional role in the local community.

  4. Meeting baccalaureate public/community health nursing education competencies in nurse-managed wellness centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Cheryl W; Bucher, Julia A

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe how community health competencies for baccalaureate nursing education have been met by locating clinical experiences in nurse-managed wellness centers. Such centers are an ideal setting for students to integrate theoretical concepts into clinical practice while building on previous learning. Students are able to develop skills in community health nursing practice at individual, family, and population level. In addition, the practice setting provides other advantages. Clients who represent a vulnerable population group receive valuable health services. Students gain learning opportunities that are broader than community health competencies, and faculty are provided clinical practice, research, and scholarship opportunities. The challenges to year-round sustainability of nurse-managed centers are burdensome; however, the benefits outweigh the difficulty of those challenges. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. The transplant center and business unit as a model for specialized care delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaber, A Osama; Schwartz, Roberta L; Bernard, David P; Zylicz, Susan

    2013-12-01

    Transplant centers are valuable assets to a transplantation hospital and essential to organize the delivery of patient care. A transplant center defined around physicians and activities of caring for patients with organ failure creates a team better equipped to manage care across the continuum of the diseases treated by transplantation. Through monitoring of clinical and financial outcomes, the transplant center can better respond to the changing regulatory and financial landscape of health care. This article seeks to explain the major organizational challenges facing the transplant center and how a transplant center can best serve its patients and parent organization. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Current and Projected Characteristics and Unique Health Care Needs of the Patient Population Served by the Department of Veterans Affairs

    OpenAIRE

    Eibner, Christine; Krull, Heather; Brown, Kristine M.; Cefalu, Matthew; Mulcahy, Andrew W.; Pollard, Michael; Shetty, Kanaka; Adamson, David M.; Amaral, Ernesto F. L.; Armour, Philip; Beleche, Trinidad; Bogdan, Olena; Hastings, Jaime; Kapinos, Kandice; Kress, Amii

    2016-01-01

    The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 addressed the need for access to timely, high-quality health care for veterans. Section 201 of the legislation called for an independent assessment of various aspects of veterans' health care. The RAND Corporation was tasked with an assessment of the current and projected demographics and health care needs of patients served by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The number of U.S. veterans will continue to decline over the next...

  7. Plan for radiological security at a university health center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huiaman Mendoza, G.M.; Sanchez Riojas, M.M.; Felix JImenez, D.

    1998-01-01

    This work shows a radiological security plan applied to a Basic Radiological Service at a university health center. Factors taken into account were installation designs, equipment operation parameters, work procedures, image system and responsibilities

  8. Networked Biomedical System for Ubiquitous Health Monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arjan Durresi

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available We propose a distributed system that enables global and ubiquitous health monitoring of patients. The biomedical data will be collected by wearable health diagnostic devices, which will include various types of sensors and will be transmitted towards the corresponding Health Monitoring Centers. The permanent medical data of patients will be kept in the corresponding Home Data Bases, while the measured biomedical data will be sent to the Visitor Health Monitor Center and Visitor Data Base that serves the area of present location of the patient. By combining the measured biomedical data and the permanent medical data, Health Medical Centers will be able to coordinate the needed actions and help the local medical teams to make quickly the best decisions that could be crucial for the patient health, and that can reduce the cost of health service.

  9. Incidence and risk factors of urinary incontinence in women visiting Family Health Centers

    OpenAIRE

    K?l??, Meral

    2016-01-01

    Background The objective of this study is to determine the incidence and the risk factors of the urinary incontinence in women visiting the Health Family Center. Methods 430 women, who visited three Family Health Centers in the city center of Erzurum for any reason between 25 November and 20 January 2016, were included in this study without any sampling. The data were collected by using the face-to-face interview method. Percentage distribution, Chi square test, and logistic regression analys...

  10. Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-04-11

    healthcare projects. Telemedicine is not the sole cure for the rural health dilemma; it can be a major ingredient if aggressively deployed. Providers can...effects of this course curriculum on student health will be evidenced in BMI changes, absentee rates, and number of visits to the school nurse...ninth grade students will result in improved health as evidenced by prevention of weight gain, decreased absenteeism , and decreased number of

  11. Results of the Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN) National Research Capacity Survey of Community Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Hui; Li, Vivian; Gillespie, Suzanne; Laws, Reesa; Massimino, Stefan; Nelson, Christine; Singal, Robbie; Wagaw, Fikirte; Jester, Michelle; Weir, Rosy Chang

    2015-01-01

    The mission of the Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN) is to build capacity to carry out Patient-Centered Outcomes Research at community health centers (CHCs), with the ultimate goal to improve health care for vulnerable populations. The CHARN Needs Assessment Staff Survey investigates CHCs' involvement in research, as well as their need for research training and resources. Results will be used to guide future training. The survey was developed and implemented in partnership with CHARN CHCs. Data were collected across CHARN CHCs. Data analysis and reports were conducted by the CHARN data coordinating center (DCC). Survey results highlighted gaps in staff research training, and these gaps varied by staff role. There is considerable variation in research involvement, partnerships, and focus both within and across CHCs. Development of training programs to increase research capacity should be tailored to address the specific needs and roles of staff involved in research.

  12. Trends in characteristics of children served by the Children's Mental Health Initiative: 1994-2007.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walrath, Christine; Garraza, Lucas Godoy; Stephens, Robert; Azur, Melissa; Miech, Richard; Leaf, Philip

    2009-11-01

    Data from 14 years of the national evaluation of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program were used to understand the trends of the emotional and behavioral problems and demographic characteristics of children entering services. The data for this study were derived from information collected at intake into service in 90 sites who received their initial federal funding between 1993 and 2004. The findings from this study suggest children entering services later in a site's funding cycle had lower levels of behavioral problems and children served in sites funded later in the 14 year period had higher levels of behavioral problems. Females have consistently entered services with more severe problems and children referred from non-mental health sources, younger children, and those from non-white racial/ethnic backgrounds have entered system of care services with less severe problems. The policy and programming implications, as well as implications for local system of care program development and implementation are discussed.

  13. A comparison of health behaviors of women in centering pregnancy and traditional prenatal care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shakespear, Kaylynn; Waite, Phillip J; Gast, Julie

    2010-03-01

    Researchers sought to determine the difference in health behaviors between women who receive prenatal care via the Centering Pregnancy approach and those involved in traditional prenatal care. Using a cross-sectional design, adult pregnant women (n = 125) were surveyed from at least 28 weeks gestation to delivery. The sample was comprised of primarily white low income women. Using multiple linear regression it was determined that women in Centering Pregnancy had significantly lower index health behavior scores compared with the traditional care group showing that those in Centering Pregnancy reported engaging in fewer health promoting behaviors. Furthermore, no differences were observed for smoking or weight gain behaviors between groups. Additionally, those in Centering Pregnancy reported a lower perceived value of prenatal care. The results of this study suggest that Centering Pregnancy is not adequately aiding its patients in adopting healthy behaviors during pregnancy.

  14. Improving Pain Care with Project ECHO in Community Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Daren; Zlateva, Ianita; Davis, Bennet; Bifulco, Lauren; Giannotti, Tierney; Coman, Emil; Spegman, Douglas

    2017-10-01

    Pain is an extremely common complaint in primary care, and patient outcomes are often suboptimal. This project evaluated the impact of Project ECHO Pain videoconference case-based learning sessions on knowledge and quality of pain care in two Federally Qualified Health Centers. Quasi-experimental, pre-post intervention, with comparison group. Two large, multisite federally qualified health centers in Connecticut and Arizona. Intervention (N = 10) and comparison (N = 10) primary care providers. Primary care providers attended 48 weekly Project ECHO Pain sessions between January and December 2013, led by a multidisciplinary pain specialty team. Surveys and focus groups assessed providers' pain-related knowledge and self-efficacy. Electronic health record data were analyzed to evaluate opioid prescribing and specialty referrals. Compared with control, primary care providers in the intervention had a significantly greater increase in pain-related knowledge and self-efficacy. Providers who attended ECHO were more likely to use formal assessment tools and opioid agreements and refer to behavioral health and physical therapy compared with control providers. Opioid prescribing decreased significantly more among providers in the intervention compared with those in the control group. Pain is an extremely common and challenging problem, particularly among vulnerable patients such as those cared for at the more than 1,200 Federally Qualified Health Centers in the United States. In this study, attendance at weekly Project ECHO Pain sessions not only improved knowledge and self-efficacy, but also altered prescribing and referral patterns, suggesting that knowledge acquired during ECHO sessions translated into practice changes. © 2017 American Academy of Pain Medicine.

  15. Mental health status of women in Jordan: a comparative study between attendees of governmental and UN relief and works agency's health care centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Modallal, Hanan; Hamaideh, Shaher; Mudallal, Rula

    2014-05-01

    This study aimed at investigating differences in mental health problems between attendees of governmental and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees health care centers in Jordan. Further, predictors of mental health problems based on women's demographic profile were investigated. A convenience sample of 620 women attending governmental and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees health care centers in Jordan was recruited for this purpose. Independent samples t-tests were used to identify differences in mental health, and multiple linear regression was implemented to identify significant predictors of women's mental health problems. Results indicated an absence of significant differences in mental health problems between attendees of the two types of health care centers. Further, among the demographic indicators that were tested, income, spousal violence, and general health were the predictors of at least three different mental health problems in women. This study highlights opportunities for health professionals to decrease women's propensity for mental health problems by addressing these factors when treating women attending primary care centers in different Jordanian towns, villages, and refugee camps.

  16. Forging stronger partnerships between academic health centers and patient-driven organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallin, Elaine K; Bond, Enriqueta; Califf, Robert M; Crowley, William F; Davis, Pamela; Galbraith, Richard; Reece, E Albert

    2013-09-01

    In this article, the authors review the unique role that patient-driven organizations, such as patient advocacy groups and voluntary health organizations (PAG/VHOs), play in translational and clinical research. The importance of fostering collaborations between these organizations and U.S. academic health centers (AHCs) is also discussed. Although both the PAG/VHO community and AHCs are heterogeneous, and although not all organizations are well governed or provide independent, well-researched views, there are many outstanding, well-managed, independent PAG/VHOs in the United States whose missions overlap with those of AHCs. The characteristics of effective PAG/VHOs that would serve as excellent partners for AHCs are discussed, and examples are provided regarding their many contributions, which have included advancing research on rare diseases, recruiting patients for clinical trials, and establishing patient registries and biospecimen banks. The authors present feedback obtained from informal discussions with PAG/VHO staff, as well as a survey of a small sample of organizations, that has identified bureaucratic processes, negotiating intellectual property rights, and institutional review board (IRB) delays as the most problematic areas of interactions with AHCs. Actions are suggested for building effective partnerships between the two sectors and the activities that AHCs should undertake to facilitate their interactions with PAG/VHOs including streamlining contract review and IRB processes and finding ways to better align the incentives motivating academic clinical and translational investigators with the goals of PAG/VHOs. This article is one product of the Clinical Research Forum's Partnering with Patient Advocacy Groups Initiative.

  17. Patterns of clozapine and other antipsychotics prescriptions in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia in community mental health centers in São Paulo, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Stella de Azevedo Silveira

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite of its global underuse, clozapine is still the golden standard antipsychotic for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS. Objective To evaluate the patterns of clozapine and other antipsychotic drugs prescription in TRS in community mental health centers in São Paulo, Brazil. Methods A multiple-choice questionnaire was applied to fifteen psychiatrists at five centers inquiring about patients’ clinical condition, adherence to oral treatment and current antipsychotic treatment. History of previous and current antipsychotic treatment was collected through medical chart review. Results Out of 442 schizophrenia patients, 103 (23.3% fulfilled the criteria for TRS. Fifty-eight patients (56.3% were receiving polypharmacy; 30 (29.1% were on atypical antipsychotic monotherapy, 14 (13.6% were on typical antipsychotic monotherapy, 25 (24.3% were taking depot antipsychotic medication and only 22 (21.4% were receiving clozapine. Discussion As well as in other parts of the world, many TRS patients (78.6% receive other drugs instead of clozapine in São Paulo, the best evidence-based medication for patients with TRS. The government should make every effort to provide medical training and the equipment and logistic support to adequately serve those who could benefit from clozapine treatment at the community health centers.

  18. Customer Quality during Prenatal Care in Health Care Centers in Tabriz City

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jafar Sadegh Tabrizi

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objectives :  Customer Quality (CQ refers to customer’s characteristics and is concerned with the knowledge, skills and confidence of health services customers who actively participate with health team in proper decision-making, appropriate activities and changing environment and health related behaviors. The purpose of this study was measuring customer quality of pregnant women during prenatal care. Materials and Methods :  This is a cross- sectional study which was conducted with the participation of 185 pregnant women who received prenatal care from urban health centers in Tabriz city. All participants were selected randomly from 40 health centers. Customer quality was measured based on CQMH-CQ questionnaire.  Questionnaire content validity was reviewed and confirmed by 10 experts and its reliability was confirmed based on Cronbach's alpha index (α = 0.714. Spss v.17 was used for data analysis. Results : According to the results, the mean score of customer quality among pregnant women was (11.29± 67.79   and only %14 of the participants reported the highest customer quality score and ability of continuity of care under stressful situations. There was a positive relationship between customer quality score and visiting midwife and a better evaluation of overall quality of care, but there was inverse relationship with early registration at health centers. Conclusion :  The participation of pregnant women in service delivery process and decision-making can promote costumer quality. Furthermore, training health care providers in empowering patients and using their abilities to improve quality of care and paying attention to patient-centered care will be helpful. ​

  19. Oral health in Brazil - Part II: Dental Specialty Centers (CEOs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vinícius Pedrazzi

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available The concepts of health promotion, self-care and community participation emerged during the 1970s and, since then, their application has grown rapidly in the developed world, showing evidence of effectiveness. In spite of this, a major part of the population in the developing countries still has no access to specialized dental care such as endodontic treatment, dental care for patients with special needs, minor oral surgery, periodontal treatment and oral diagnosis. This review focuses on a program of the Brazilian Federal Government named CEOs (Dental Specialty Centers, which is an attempt to solve the dental care deficit of a population that is suffering from oral diseases and whose oral health care needs have not been addressed by the regular programs offered by the SUS (Unified National Health System. Literature published from 2000 to the present day, using electronic searches by Medline, Scielo, Google and hand-searching was considered. The descriptors used were Brazil, Oral health, Health policy, Health programs, and Dental Specialty Centers. There are currently 640 CEOs in Brazil, distributed in 545 municipal districts, carrying out dental procedures with major complexity. Based on this data, it was possible to conclude that public actions on oral health must involve both preventive and curative procedures aiming to minimize the oral health distortions still prevailing in developing countries like Brazil.

  20. Assessment of oral health attitudes and behavior among students of Kuwait University Health Sciences Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Dena A

    2016-01-01

    The aims of this study were to assess attitudes and behavior of oral health maintenance among students in four faculties (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Allied Health) and to compare oral health attitudes and behavior of all students at Kuwait University Health Sciences Center (KUHSC) based on their academic level. Students enrolled in the Faculties of Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Allied Health at KUHSC were evaluated regarding their oral health attitudes and behavior by an e-mail invitation with a link to the Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory survey that was sent to all 1802 students with Kuwait University Health Sciences Center e-mail addresses. The data were analyzed for frequency distributions, and differences among the groups were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. P values less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The results of this study indicated that dental students achieved better oral health attitudes and behavior than that of their nondental professional fellow students ( P < 0.05). Students in advanced academic levels and female students demonstrated better oral health attitudes and behavior. Dental students and students who were in advanced levels of their training along with female students demonstrated better oral health practices and perceptions than students in lower academic levels and male students, respectively. Additional studies for investigating the effectiveness and identifying areas requiring modification within the dental curriculum at KUHSC may be warranted.

  1. Screening panoramic radiographs in a group of patient visiting a health promotion center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jae Seo; Kang, Byung Cheol

    2005-01-01

    To report the incidence of radiological findings from screening panoramic radiograph and verify the validity of the panoramic radiography for screening purposes. Six thousand one hundred and sixty panoramic radiographs taken from the patients visiting the Health Promotion Center of CNUH were selected for this retrospective study. Panoramic radiographs were examined into the following pathologic conditions : the presence of periodontal bone loss, dental caries, peri apical radiolucencies, retained roots, impacted supernumerary teeth, impacted third molars, odontoma, cystic lesions other than radicular cyst, sialoliths, and mixed radiolucent-radiopaque lesions. Number of pathologic conditions and Prevalence values were recorded. The prevalence of pathologic conditions were 72.9% of periodontal bone loss, 32.2% of dental caries, 11.9% of peri apical radiolucencies, 10.8% of retained roots, 0.4% of root fracture, 1.0% of impacted supernumerary teeth, 1.0% of impacted third molars, 0.06% of odontoma, 0.08% of cystic lesion other than radicular cyst, 0.2% of prolonged retention of deciduous tooth, 0.1% of sialolith, and 0.04% of mixed radiopaque and radiolucent lesion. Although the panoramic radiograph should not be used to replace intraoral radiographic and clinical examinations, this study showed that many dental pathologic conditions could be detected on panoramic radiographs. The panoramic radiograph might serve as a diagnostic aid in dental health evaluation programs.

  2. Screening panoramic radiographs in a group of patient visiting a health promotion center

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Jae Seo; Kang, Byung Cheol [Chonnam National University College of Medicine, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

    2005-12-15

    To report the incidence of radiological findings from screening panoramic radiograph and verify the validity of the panoramic radiography for screening purposes. Six thousand one hundred and sixty panoramic radiographs taken from the patients visiting the Health Promotion Center of CNUH were selected for this retrospective study. Panoramic radiographs were examined into the following pathologic conditions : the presence of periodontal bone loss, dental caries, peri apical radiolucencies, retained roots, impacted supernumerary teeth, impacted third molars, odontoma, cystic lesions other than radicular cyst, sialoliths, and mixed radiolucent-radiopaque lesions. Number of pathologic conditions and Prevalence values were recorded. The prevalence of pathologic conditions were 72.9% of periodontal bone loss, 32.2% of dental caries, 11.9% of peri apical radiolucencies, 10.8% of retained roots, 0.4% of root fracture, 1.0% of impacted supernumerary teeth, 1.0% of impacted third molars, 0.06% of odontoma, 0.08% of cystic lesion other than radicular cyst, 0.2% of prolonged retention of deciduous tooth, 0.1% of sialolith, and 0.04% of mixed radiopaque and radiolucent lesion. Although the panoramic radiograph should not be used to replace intraoral radiographic and clinical examinations, this study showed that many dental pathologic conditions could be detected on panoramic radiographs. The panoramic radiograph might serve as a diagnostic aid in dental health evaluation programs.

  3. Use of qualitative methods and user-centered design to develop customized health information technology tools within federally qualified health centers to keep children insured.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeVoe, Jennifer; Angier, Heather; Likumahuwa, Sonja; Hall, Jennifer; Nelson, Christine; Dickerson, Kay; Keller, Sara; Burdick, Tim; Cohen, Deborah

    2014-01-01

    Lack of health insurance negatively impacts children's health. Despite federal initiatives to expand children's coverage and accelerate state outreach efforts, millions of US children remain uninsured or experience frequent gaps in coverage. Most current efforts to enroll and retain eligible children in public insurance programs take place outside of the health care system. This study is a partnership between patients' families, medical informaticists, federally qualified health center (FQHC) staff, and researchers to build and test information technology tools to help FQHCs reach uninsured children and those at risk for losing coverage.

  4. Stennis Space Center observes 2009 Safety and Health Day

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    Sue Smith, a medical clinic employee at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, takes the temperature of colleague Karen Badon during 2009 Safety and Health Day activities Oct. 22. Safety Day activities included speakers, informational sessions and a number of displays on safety and health issues. Astronaut Dominic Gorie also visited the south Mississippi rocket engine testing facility during the day to address employees and present several Silver Snoopy awards for outstanding contributions to flight safety and mission success. The activities were part of an ongoing safety and health emphasis at Stennis.

  5. Patient Engagement in Community Health Center Leadership: How Does it Happen?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Anjana E; Huang, Beatrice; Knox, Margae; Willard-Grace, Rachel; Potter, Michael B

    2018-05-18

    Patient engagement in primary care leadership is an important means to involve community voices at community health centers. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are mandated to have patient representation within their governing boards, while practices seeking patient-centered medical home certification receive credit for implementing patient advisory councils (PACs). Our objective was to compare and contrast how community health centers engage patients in clinic management, decision-making and planning within governing boards versus PACs. Qualitative study conducted from August 2016 to June 2017 at community health centers in California, Arizona and Hawaii. We interviewed practice leaders of patient engagement programs at their site. Eligible clinics had patient representatives within their governing board, PAC, or both. We assessed patient demographics, roles and responsibilities of patients participating, and extent of involvement in quality improvement among governing boards versus PACs. We interviewed 19 sites, of which 17 were FQHCs that had governing boards. Of the 17 FQHCs, 11 had also implemented PACs. Two non-FQHC safety-net sites had PACs but did not have governing boards. Governing board members had formal, structured membership responsibilities such as finances and hiring personnel. PAC roles were more flexible, focusing on day-to-day clinic operations. Clinics tended to recruit governing board patient members for their skill set and professional experience; PAC member recruitment focused more on demographic representation of the clinic's patient population. Both groups worked on quality improvement, but governing boards tended to review clinic performance metrics, while PAC members were involved in specific project planning and implementation to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience. Patient involvement in clinic improvement in CHCs includes higher-level decision-making and governance through mechanisms such as governing boards, as

  6. Diffusion of innovation in women's health care delivery: the Department of Veterans Affairs' adoption of women's health clinics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yano, Elizabeth M; Goldzweig, Caroline; Canelo, Ismelda; Washington, Donna L

    2006-01-01

    In response to concerns about the availability and quality of women's health services in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers in the early 1990s, Congress approved landmark legislation earmarking funds to enhance women's health services. A portion of the appropriation was used to launch Comprehensive Women's Health Centers as exemplars for the development of VA women's health care throughout the system. We report on the diffusion and characteristics of VA women's health clinics (WHCs) 10 years later. In 2001, we surveyed the senior women's health clinician at each VA medical center serving > or =400 women veterans (83% response rate) regarding their internal organizational characteristics in relation to factors associated with organizational innovation (centralization, complexity, formalization, interconnectedness, organizational slack, size). We evaluated the comparability of WHCs (n = 66) with characteristics of the original comprehensive women's health centers (CWHCs; n = 8). Gender-specific service availability in WHCs was comparable to that of CWHCs with important exceptions in mental health, mammography and osteoporosis management. WHCs were less likely to have same-gender providers (p business case for managers faced with small female patient caseloads.

  7. A Study of Children's Geographic Access to Health Services (Health Care Centers and Clinical Laboratories in Kermanshah City, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sohyla Reshadat

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Background Given that the protection of children's health is of special importance due to their special age and physical conditions, the present study aimed to investigate the condition of children's Geographic access to health services (Health Centers and Clinical Laboratories in Kermanshah city, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this applied study, the research approach was descriptive-analytic using quantitative models in Geographic information system (GIS environment. The statistical population was the whole population of young girls aged 0-14 years old in Kermanshah, Iran. Moreover, to evaluate the spatial deployment pattern of health services and the correct and true access of this groupto such services, all data and information were collected through the Iranian Statistics Center and evaluated using the Arc-GIS Software. The latest published population statistics on the Population and Housing Census in 2011 were considered the basis for the analyses. Results: The results of the present study demonstrated that more than 40% and 60% of the young girls aged 0-14 years old in Kermanshah were deprived of proper access to health centers and clinical laboratories, respectively. In terms of the status of children’s access in the Second Scenario (access to health services by vehicles and during 5, 10, and 15 minutes, about 5.53%, 93.1% and 15.1% lacked access to health centers, respectively. In addition, in terms of the status of children’s access to clinical laboratories during 5, 10, and 15 minutes, 17.26%, 65.4% and 51% lacked access to clinical laboratories, respectively. Conclusion: The access of young girls aged 0-14 years old to health services in Kermanshah was undesirable in the access to health services through walking. Additionally, the access of this groupto health services in the access to health services by vehicles was far better than the first one.

  8. Global Disease Detection-Achievements in Applied Public Health Research, Capacity Building, and Public Health Diplomacy, 2001-2016.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Carol Y; Goryoka, Grace W; Henao, Olga L; Clarke, Kevin R; Salyer, Stephanie J; Montgomery, Joel M

    2017-11-01

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established 10 Global Disease Detection (GDD) Program regional centers around the world that serve as centers of excellence for public health research on emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. The core activities of the GDD Program focus on applied public health research, surveillance, laboratory, public health informatics, and technical capacity building. During 2015-2016, program staff conducted 205 discrete projects on a range of topics, including acute respiratory illnesses, health systems strengthening, infectious diseases at the human-animal interface, and emerging infectious diseases. Projects incorporated multiple core activities, with technical capacity building being most prevalent. Collaborating with host countries to implement such projects promotes public health diplomacy. The GDD Program continues to work with countries to strengthen core capacities so that emerging diseases can be detected and stopped faster and closer to the source, thereby enhancing global health security.

  9. University of Washington Center for Child Environmental Health Risks Research

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The theme of the University of Washington based Center for Child Environmental Health Risks Research (CHC) is understanding the biochemical, molecular and exposure...

  10. Health professionals' job satisfaction and associated factors at public health centers in West Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deriba, Beyazin Kebede; Sinke, Shimele Ololo; Ereso, Berhane Megersa; Badacho, Abebe Sorsa

    2017-05-30

    Human resources are vital for delivering health services, and health systems cannot function effectively without sufficient numbers of skilled, motivated, and well-supported health workers. Job satisfaction of health workers is important for motivation and efficiency, as higher job satisfaction improves both employee performance and patient satisfaction. Even though several studies have addressed job satisfaction among healthcare professionals in different part of the world, there are relatively few studies on healthcare professionals' job satisfaction in Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among health professionals working in health centers in April 2015 using self-administered structured questionnaires. All 322 health professionals working in 23 randomly selected public health centers were included. Factor scores were computed for the identified items by varimax rotation to represent satisfaction. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed, and the effect of independent variables on the regression factor score quantified. Three hundred eight respondents participated with a response rate of 95.56%. The overall level of job satisfaction was 41.46%. Compensation (benefits) (beta 0.448 [95% CI 0.341 to 0.554]), recognition by management (beta 0.132 [95% CI 0.035 to 0.228]), and opportunity for development (beta 0.123 [95% CI 0.020 to 0.226]) were associated with job satisfaction. A unit increase in salary and incentives and recognition by management scores resulted in 0.459 (95% CI 0.356 to 0.561) and 0.156 (95% CI 0.065 to 0.247) unit increases in job satisfaction scores, respectively. The overall level of job satisfaction in health professionals was low. Salary and incentives, recognition by management, developmental opportunities, and patient appreciation were strong predictors of job satisfaction.

  11. Investigating Medication Errors in Educational Health Centers of Kermanshah

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohsen Mohammadi

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Background and objectives : Medication errors can be a threat to the safety of patients. Preventing medication errors requires reporting and investigating such errors. The present study was conducted with the purpose of investigating medication errors in educational health centers of Kermanshah. Material and Methods: The present research is an applied, descriptive-analytical study and is done as a survey. Error Report of Ministry of Health and Medical Education was used for data collection. The population of the study included all the personnel (nurses, doctors, paramedics of educational health centers of Kermanshah. Among them, those who reported the committed errors were selected as the sample of the study. The data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and Chi 2 Test using SPSS version 18. Results: The findings of the study showed that most errors were related to not using medication properly, the least number of errors were related to improper dose, and the majority of errors occurred in the morning. The most frequent reason for errors was staff negligence and the least frequent was the lack of knowledge. Conclusion: The health care system should create an environment for detecting and reporting errors by the personnel, recognizing related factors causing errors, training the personnel and create a good working environment and standard workload.

  12. NIEHS/EPA CEHCs: Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center - Dartmouth College

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University studies long-term health of urban pollutants on children raised in minority neighborhoods in inner-city communities.

  13. 75 FR 42448 - Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC), Coordinating Center for Health Promotion (CCHP): Notice of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC), Coordinating Center for Health Promotion (CCHP): Notice of Charter Amendment... Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). [[Page 42449

  14. Patients' satisfaction evaluation with the health center of elis province.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karavida, Angeliki; Stamouli, Maria-Aggeliki; Balis, Charalampos

    2014-01-01

    Patient satisfaction related to the provided health services is a key indicator of the quality of the health sector. The SERVQUAL model was employed as a way of measuring the level of patient satisfaction with the services of the Health Center of Elis Province. Although certain aspects such as "Assurance" and "Empathy" meet the users' needs, improvements like a detailed medical record and an overhaul of the equipment need to be introduced.

  15. Sex Workers and HIV/AIDS: Analyzing Participatory Culture-Centered Health Communication Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, Ambar; Dutta, Mohan J.

    2009-01-01

    An emerging trend in health communication research advocates the need to foreground articulations of health by participants who are at the core of any health campaign. Scholarly work suggests that the culture-centered approach to health communication can provide a theoretical and practical framework to achieve this objective. The culture-centered…

  16. 75 FR 78997 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Health Resources and Services Administration (CDC/HRSA...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-17

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Health Resources and Services Administration (CDC/HRSA) Advisory Committee... and other committee management activities, for both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and...

  17. Piloting CenteringParenting in Two Alberta Public Health Well-Child Clinics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Jennifer Cyne; McNeil, Deborah; van der Lee, Germaeline; MacLeod, Cheryl; Uyanwune, Yvonne; Hill, Kaitlyn

    2017-05-01

    To pilot a group health service delivery model, CenteringParenting, for new parents, to assess its feasibility and impact on maternal and infant outcomes. Families attended six, 2-hr group sessions in their child's first year of life with three to seven other families. Health assessments, parent-led discussions, and vaccinations occurred within the group. Demographic, breastfeeding, vaccination, maternal psychosocial health, parenting, and satisfaction data were collected and compared to a representative cohort. Four groups ran in two clinics. Four to eight parent/infant dyads participated in each group, 24 total dyads. Most participating parents were mothers. Dyads in the group model received 12 hr of contact with Public Health over the year compared to 3 hr in the typical one-on-one model. Participants were younger, more likely to have lower levels of education, and lower household income than the comparison group. Parents reported improvements in parenting experiences following the program. At 4 months, all CenteringParenting babies were vaccinated compared to 95% of babies in the comparison group. The pilot was successfully completed. Additional research is required to examine the effectiveness of CenteringParenting. Data collected provide insight into potential primary outcomes of interest and informs larger, rigorously designed longitudinal studies. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Myths about diabetes mellitus among non-diabetic individuals attending primary health care centers of karachi suburbs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nisar, N.; Khan, I.A.; Qadri, M.H.; Sher, A.

    2007-01-01

    To determine the myths and misconception about diabetes mellitus among non-diabetics attending primary health care centers of Gadap town, Karachi. Data was collected from four primary health care centers, located at Gadap Town, Karachi, and about 198 non-diabetic patients, above 18 years of age, and resident of Gadap Town, coming consecutively during the month of July 2005, were interviewed after taking the informed consent by using a semi-structured pre-tested questionnaire regarding prevailing myths about diabetes mellitus. The data collected was entered and analyzed by using a statistical package SPSS 11.0. Myths are defined as stories shared by a group, as part of the cultural identity. There were 198 participants in the study. Mean age of study participants was 40 years with standard deviation of 13, while approximately two thirds, 62.6%, were females. About 39% had history of type II diabetes mellitus in family. Overall myths related to diabetes mellitus were common among the individuals, males reported myths pre-dominantly contagiousness of diabetes (p= <0.03), diabetics becoming more ill (p=<0.009) and belief in spiritual treatment for permanent cure of diabetes (p=<0.006). People having 5- 16 years of education were less misconceived as compared to illiterates. The variables that showed significant difference were overeating, causing diabetes (p= <0.006), diabetics falling ill more than others (p=<0.04), eating less starch (p=< 0.0006) and alternative treatment like spiritual treatment (p=<0.00001). Family history of diabetes was also found significantly associated with reporting myths. Frequency of reporting myths was significantly high in this study with preponderance of males, family history of diabetes mellitus and educational status. Education serves as protective factor, hence efforts should be made to promote education and health awareness regarding the disease, with more emphasis on addressing myths regarding diabetes mellitus. (author)

  19. Caries risk assessment tool and prevention protocol for public health nurses in mother and child health centers, Israel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natapov, Lena; Dekel-Markovich, Dan; Granit-Palmon, Hadas; Aflalo, Efrat; Zusman, Shlomo Paul

    2018-01-01

    Dental caries is the most prevalent chronic disease in children. Caries risk assessment tools enable the dentists, physicians, and nondental health care providers to assess the individual's risk. Intervention by nurses in primary care settings can contribute to the establishment of oral health habits and prevention of dental disease. In Israel, Mother and Child Health Centers provide free preventive services for pregnant women and children by public health nurses. A caries prevention program in health centers started in 2015. Nurses underwent special training regarding caries prevention. A customized Caries Risk Assessment tool and Prevention Protocol for nurses, based on the AAPD tool, was introduced. A two-step evaluation was conducted which included a questionnaire and in-depth phone interviews. Twenty-eight (out of 46) health centers returned a completed questionnaire. Most nurses believed that oral health preventive services should be incorporated into their daily work. In the in-depth phone interviews, nurses stated that the integration of the program into their busy daily schedule was realistic and appropriate. The lack of specific dental module for computer program was mentioned as an implementation difficulty. The wide use of our tool by nurses supports its simplicity and feasibility which enables quick calculation and informed decision making. The nurses readily embraced the tool and it became an integral part of their toolkit. We provide public health nurses with a caries risk assessment tool and prevention protocol thus integrating oral health into general health of infants and toddlers. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Sexual Function in Breastfeeding Women in Family Health Centers of Tabriz, Iran, 2012

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamileh Malakoti

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction:There are conflicting evidences about the effects of breastfeeding on postpartum maternal sexual functioning. With regard to the methodological weaknesses of previous studies and cultural differences affecting their issue, the present study aims to evaluate sexual functions of lactating women and its components. Methods:This is a descriptive study in which 200 eligible postpartum women were selected from eight health centers of Tabriz (25 from each center. The eligible women were called and invited to attend the health center. The evaluation was performed using the Persian version of normalized questionnaire of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI. The participants’ sexual function scores above 28 were considered desirable (regarding the cut-off point mentioned in the Persian version of the questionnaire. Results:Almost all of the lactating women suffered from sexual dysfunctions. Regarding the sexual performance’s components the lowest scores were for libido and sexual arousal. Conclusion:According to the findings of the studies, in order to prevent the effects of sexual dysfunction on lactating women and their family members it is necessary to develop sexual health programs in health centers.

  1. A framework for evaluating electronic health record vendor user-centered design and usability testing processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ratwani, Raj M; Zachary Hettinger, A; Kosydar, Allison; Fairbanks, Rollin J; Hodgkins, Michael L

    2017-04-01

    Currently, there are few resources for electronic health record (EHR) purchasers and end users to understand the usability processes employed by EHR vendors during product design and development. We developed a framework, based on human factors literature and industry standards, to systematically evaluate the user-centered design processes and usability testing methods used by EHR vendors. We reviewed current usability certification requirements and the human factors literature to develop a 15-point framework for evaluating EHR products. The framework is based on 3 dimensions: user-centered design process, summative testing methodology, and summative testing results. Two vendor usability reports were retrieved from the Office of the National Coordinator's Certified Health IT Product List and were evaluated using the framework. One vendor scored low on the framework (5 pts) while the other vendor scored high on the framework (15 pts). The 2 scored vendor reports demonstrate the framework's ability to discriminate between the variabilities in vendor processes and to determine which vendors are meeting best practices. The framework provides a method to more easily comprehend EHR vendors' usability processes and serves to highlight where EHR vendors may be falling short in terms of best practices. The framework provides a greater level of transparency for both purchasers and end users of EHRs. The framework highlights the need for clearer certification requirements and suggests that the authorized certification bodies that examine vendor usability reports may need to be provided with clearer guidance. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  2. Hypertension care at primary health care centers: a report from Abha, Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Homrany, Mohammed A; Khan, Mohd Yunus; Al-Khaldi, Yahia Mater; Al-Gelban, Khalid S; Al-Amri, Hasan Saed

    2008-11-01

    It is well known that effective management of hypertension reduces the incidence of myo-cardial infarction, stroke and vascular complications. The Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, introduced the Quality Assurance Guidelines with the hope to improve the management of hypertension in its centers. We conducted an audit of two Primary Health Care Centers namely, Al-Manhal (MPHCC) and Al-Numais (NPHCC), to evaluate how well hypertension was managened at these centers. A check list was derived from the Quality Assurance Manual to audit the process and to assess the health outcome. A retrospective study on a chosen sample of 120 files of hypertensive patients, out of 256 from both the Primary Health Care Centers was performed, during the last three months of the year 2000. Results showed that 61% of the patients were between 45-64 years of age, 56% were females, 85% were married, 54% were illiterate and 7.5% were smokers. A total of 92% of the patients had primary hypertension and 25% had a positive family history of hypertension. Beta-blockers were the most commonly used drugs in both the centers. Although the recording of the information was not perfect, there was no statistical difference in the socio-demongraphic data and also the means of the total score in both the centres. On the other hand, carrying out the important procedures for hypertensive patients was found to be better at MPHCC in comparison to NPHCC (p compliance to appointment in both the centers. Our study reveals that the process of hypertension care at the two Primary Health Care Centres in Aseer region was not in accordance with the recommended national standards. The reasons include lack of updating systems, recall system and provision of laboratory services and all these factors need to be addressed to improve care.

  3. Health Literacy and Communication Quality in Health Care Organizations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wynia, Matthew K.; Osborn, Chandra Y.

    2011-01-01

    The relationship between limited health literacy and poor health may be due to poor communication quality within health care delivery organizations. We explored the relationship between health literacy status and receiving patient-centered communication in clinics and hospitals serving communication-vulnerable patient populations. Thirteen health care organizations nationwide distributed a survey to 5,929 patients. All patients completed seven items assessing patient-centered communication. One third also completed three items assessing health literacy. The majority of patients had self-reported health literacy challenges, reporting problems learning about their medical condition because of difficulty understanding written information (53%), a lack of confidence in completing medical forms by themselves (61%), and needing someone to help them read hospital/clinic materials (57%). Logistic regression models showed that, after adjustment for patient demographic characteristics and health care organization type, patients with limited health literacy were 28–79% less likely than those with adequate health literacy to report their health care organization “always” provides patient-centered communication across seven communication items. Using a scaled composite of these items, limited health literacy remained associated with lower reported communication quality. These results suggest that improving communication quality in health care organizations might help to address the challenges facing patients with limited health literacy. They also highlight that efforts to address the needs of patients with limited health literacy should be sensitive to the range of communication challenges confronting these patients and their caregivers. PMID:20845197

  4. Evaluation of community provision of a preventive cardiovascular programme - the National Health Service Health Check in reaching the under-served groups by primary care in England: cross sectional observational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woringer, Maria; Cecil, Elizabeth; Watt, Hillary; Chang, Kiara; Hamid, Fozia; Khunti, Kamlesh; Dubois, Elizabeth; Evason, Julie; Majeed, Azeem; Soljak, Michael

    2017-06-14

    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of premature mortality and a major contributor of health inequalities in England. Compared to more affluent and white counterparts, deprived people and ethnic minorities tend to die younger due to preventable CVD associated with lifestyle. In addition, deprived, ethnic minorities and younger people are less likely to be served by CVD prevention services. This study assessed the effectiveness of community-based outreach providers in delivering England's National Health Services (NHS) Health Check programme, a CVD preventive programme to under-served groups. Between January 2008 and October 2013, community outreach providers delivered a preventive CVD programme to 50,573 individuals, in their local communities, in a single consultation without prescheduled appointments. Community outreach providers operated on evenings and weekends as well as during regular business hours in venues accessible to the general public. After exclusion criteria, we analysed and compared socio-demographic data of 43,177 Health Check attendees with the general population across 38 local authorities (LAs). We assessed variation between local authorities in terms of age, sex, deprivation and ethnicity structures using two sample t-tests and within local authority variation in terms of ethnicity and deprivation using Chi squared tests and two sample t-tests respectively. Using Index of Multiple Deprivation, the mean deprivation score of the population reached by community outreach providers was 6.01 higher (p successful in recruiting ethnic minority groups. The mean proportion of men screened was 11.39% lower (p successful in motivating the under-served groups to improve lifestyle, it may reduce health inequalities therein.

  5. Electricity and risk of public health center had measles vaccine damage in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anggita Bunga Anggraini

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available AbstrakLatar belakang: Puskesmas yang memiliki vaksin campak rusak dipengaruhi oleh beberapa faktor risiko.Oleh karena itu perlu diidentifikasi beberapa faktor risiko dominan yang mempengaruhinya.Metode: Analisis menggunakan sebagian data Riset Fasilitas Kesehatan (Rifaskes tahun 2011. Rifaskestersebut dilakukan di seluruh Puskesmas di 33 provinsi di Indonesia. Selanjutnya, pada analisis ini hanyamenggunakan data Puskesmas di provinsi yang memiliki cakupan imunisasi campak di atas angka prevalensinasional (81,6%, dan Puskesmas yang memiliki angka prevalensi campak di atas angka prevalensi nasional(1,18%. Analisis data statistik dilakukan dengan menggunakan analisis regresi logistik untuk menentukanbeberapa faktor risiko dominan yang mempengaruhi Puskesmas yang memiliki vaksin campak rusak.Hasil: Sebanyak 7 (Riau, Jakarta, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Sulawesi Tengah, SulawesiSelatan, Gorontalo sebanyak 1259 Puskesmas memenuhi kriteria inklusi. Puskesmas yang berlokasi diperdesaan dibandingkan dengan perkotaan berisiko 3,4 kali lipat yang merupakan Puskesmas yang memilikivaksin campak rusak [rasio odds suaian (ORa = 3,37; 95% interval kepercayaan (CI = 1,34-8,26]. Selanjutnya,Puskesmas dengan ketersediaan listrik PLN kurang dari 24 jam dibandingkan dengan tersedia selama 24jam mempunyai risiko 2,1 kali lipat merupakan Puskesmas yang memiliki vaksin campak rusak (ORa =2,10; 95% CI = 1,02-4,33.Kesimpulan: Puskesmas yang mempunyai kerusakan vaksin campak yang rusak lebih banyak terjadi di Puskesmasdi perdesaan dan yang tidak tersedia listrik PLN maupun ketersediaan listrik sehari-hari kurang dari 24 jammerupakan Puskesmas yang memiliki vaksin campak rusak. (Health Science Journal of Indonesia 2015;6:116-20Kata kunci: vaksin campak rusak, Puskesmas AbstractBackground: The Public Health Center (PHC had broken measles vaccine was influenced by a numberof risk factors. Therefore, it was necessary to identify some dominant risk factors that

  6. Biosecurity and Health Monitoring at the Zebrafish International Resource Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Katrina N; Varga, Zoltán M; Kent, Michael L

    2016-07-01

    The Zebrafish International Resource Center (ZIRC) is a repository and distribution center for mutant, transgenic, and wild-type zebrafish. In recent years annual imports of new zebrafish lines to ZIRC have increased tremendously. In addition, after 15 years of research, we have identified some of the most virulent pathogens affecting zebrafish that should be avoided in large production facilities, such as ZIRC. Therefore, while importing a high volume of new lines we prioritize safeguarding the health of our in-house fish colony. Here, we describe the biosecurity and health-monitoring program implemented at ZIRC. This strategy was designed to prevent introduction of new zebrafish pathogens, minimize pathogens already present in the facility, and ensure a healthy zebrafish colony for in-house uses and shipment to customers.

  7. 78 FR 48163 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-07

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of... Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC... listed below. All requests must contain the name, address, telephone number, and organizational...

  8. 78 FR 17411 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of... Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC... contain the name, address, telephone number, and organizational affiliation of the presenter. Written...

  9. 78 FR 48438 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of... Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC... listed below. All requests must contain the name, address, telephone number, and organizational...

  10. Technology of serving

    OpenAIRE

    Taskov, Nako

    2013-01-01

    The book “Technology of serving” was prepared according to the curriculum and it is intended for students at the faculty of tourism and business logistics in republic of Macedonia In its contents on the subject of Technology of serving it includes the following - the rooms for serving, the types of catering objects in which food and beverages are served, professional serving staff, equipment and inventory for serving, card selection services in serving .,getting to know drin...

  11. Costs and clinical quality among Medicare beneficiaries: associations with health center penetration of low-income residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Ravi; Lebrun-Harris, Lydie A; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2014-01-01

    Determine the association between access to primary care by the underserved and Medicare spending and clinical quality across hospital referral regions (HRRs). Data on elderly fee-for-service beneficiaries across 306 HRRs came from CMS' Geographic Variation in Medicare Spending and Utilization database (2010). We merged data on number of health center patients (HRSA's Uniform Data System) and number of low-income residents (American Community Survey). We estimated access to primary care in each HRR by "health center penetration" (health center patients as a proportion of low-income residents). We calculated total Medicare spending (adjusted for population size, local input prices, and health risk). We assessed clinical quality by preventable hospital admissions, hospital readmissions, and emergency department visits. We sorted HRRs by health center penetration rate and compared spending and quality measures between the high- and low-penetration deciles. We also employed linear regressions to estimate spending and quality measures as a function of health center penetration. The high-penetration decile had 9.7% lower Medicare spending ($926 per capita, p=0.01) than the low-penetration decile, and no different clinical quality outcomes. Compared with elderly fee-for-service beneficiaries residing in areas with low-penetration of health center patients among low-income residents, those residing in high-penetration areas may accrue Medicare cost savings. Limited evidence suggests that these savings do not compromise clinical quality.

  12. 78 FR 74163 - Harrison Medical Center, a Subsidiary of Franciscan Health System Bremerton, Washington; Notice...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-83,070] Harrison Medical Center, a Subsidiary of Franciscan Health System Bremerton, Washington; Notice of Negative Determination... workers of Harrison Medical Center, a subsidiary of Franciscan Health System, Bremerton, Washington...

  13. The impact of potentially traumatic events on the mental health of males who have served in the military: Findings from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wade, Darryl; Mewton, Louise; Varker, Tracey; Phelps, Andrea; Forbes, David

    2017-07-01

    The study investigated the impact of potentially traumatic events on mental health outcomes among males who had ever served in the Australian Defence Force. Data from a nationally representative household survey of Australian residents, the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, were used for this study. Compared with community members, Australian Defence Force males were significantly more likely to have experienced not only deployment and other war-like events but also accidents or other unexpected events, and trauma to someone close. For non-deployed males, Australian Defence Force members were at increased risk of accidents or other unexpected events compared to community members. After controlling for the effect of potentially traumatic events that were more prevalent among all Australian Defence Force members, the increased risk of mental disorders among Australian Defence Force members was no longer evident. For non-deployed males, Australian Defence Force and community members were at comparable risk of poor mental health outcomes. A significant minority of Australian Defence Force members had onset of a mental disorder prior to their first deployment. Deployment and other potentially traumatic events among Australian Defence Force members can help to explain their increased vulnerability to mental disorders compared with community members. Providers should routinely enquire about a range of potentially traumatic events among serving and ex-serving military personnel.

  14. The meaning of community involvement in health: the perspective of primary health care communities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    GG Mchunu

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available The goal of this study was to establish the understanding and appreciation of the essence of PHC principles in the two Primary Health Care (PHC communities. The PHC communities in this study referred to the people who were involved in the operation of the phenomenon, that is health professionals working in the health care centers and the communities served by these health care centers. It was hoped that the study would enhance the understanding of the importance of community involvement in health (CIH in health care delivery, for both community members and health professionals. A case study method was used to conduct the study. Two community health centers in the Ethekwini health district, in Kwa Zulu Natal, were studied. One health center was urban based, the other was rural based. A sample of 31 participants participated in the study. The sample comprised of 8 registered nurses, 2 enrolled nurses, 13 community members and 8 community health workers. Data was collected using individual interviews and focus groups, and was guided by the case study protocol. The findings of the study revealed that in both communities, participants had different, albeit complementary, understanding of the term ‘Community Involvement in Health’ (CIH. Essentially, for these participants, CIH meant collaboration, co-operation and involvement in decision-making.

  15. Academic health centers in competitive markets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reuter, J; Gaskin, D

    1997-01-01

    Academic health center (AHC) hospitals and other major teaching hospitals have funded a portion of their academic missions through patient care revenues. Using all-payer state discharge data, this DataWatch presents information on how these institutions are being affected by market changes. Although AHCs are not as successful as other hospitals are in attracting managed care patients, competitive pressures had not eroded AHCs' financial status as of 1994. However, increasing enrollment in managed care and potential changes in both Medicare and Medicaid suggest that pressure on the financing of these institutions' social missions will continue to grow over time.

  16. Childhood immunization rates in rural Intibucá, Honduras: an analysis of a local database tool and community health center records for assessing and improving vaccine coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Yuan; Zarychta, Alan; Ranz, Joseph B; Carroll, Mary; Singleton, Lori M; Wilson, Paria M; Schlaudecker, Elizabeth P

    2012-12-07

    Vaccines are highly effective at preventing infectious diseases in children, and prevention is especially important in resource-limited countries where treatment is difficult to access. In Honduras, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports very high immunization rates in children. To determine whether or not these estimates accurately depict the immunization coverage in non-urban regions of the country, we compared the WHO data to immunization rates obtained from a local database tool and community health center records in rural Intibucá, Honduras. We used data from two sources to comprehensively evaluate immunization rates in the area: 1) census data from a local database and 2) immunization data collected at health centers. We compared these rates using logistic regression, and we compared them to publicly available WHO-reported estimates using confidence interval inclusion. We found that mean immunization rates for each vaccine were high (range 84.4 to 98.8 percent), but rates recorded at the health centers were significantly higher than those reported from the census data (p ≤ 0.001). Combining the results from both databases, the mean rates of four out of five vaccines were less than WHO-reported rates (p 0.05), except for diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis vaccine (p=0.02) and oral polio vaccine (p Honduras were high across data sources, though most of the rates recorded in rural Honduras were less than WHO-reported rates. Despite geographical difficulties and barriers to access, the local database and Honduran community health workers have developed a thorough system for ensuring that children receive their immunizations on time. The successful integration of community health workers and a database within the Honduran decentralized health system may serve as a model for other immunization programs in resource-limited countries where health care is less accessible.

  17. Evaluation of Environmental Health Indicators of Halva and Tahini Production Centers in Ardakan, Yazd

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Taghi Ghaneian

    2014-03-01

    Results: Generally, 75% production centers had favorable hygienic status and 25% had slightly favorable hygienic status. According to obtained results, hygienic status of production centers had relatively favorable and favorable conditions and only in January and February in 31.3% and 18.8% processing hall and 12.5% product store was in a very favorable hygienic status. The results showed that in terms of environmental health status, 62.5% production centers in raw materials store part, 66.66% in production processing hall, 20.83% in packaging hall, 60.41% in product store and 37.5% in bathrooms had favorable status. Based on the results, hygienic status of bathrooms and processing hall achieved lowest and highest score, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that between hygienic status and production rate (p=0.411 there is no significant relationship. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the halva and tahini production centers of Ardakan city in terms of environmental health indicators had slightly favorable status to favorable and none of the production centers had not very favorable conditions. The results of this study can be used to improve health status of halva and tahini production centers.

  18. Quality Improvement Initiative in School-Based Health Centers across New Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Booker, John M.; Schluter, Janette A.; Carrillo, Kris; McGrath, Jane

    2011-01-01

    Background: Quality improvement principles have been applied extensively to health care organizations, but implementation of quality improvement methods in school-based health centers (SBHCs) remains in a developmental stage with demonstration projects under way in individual states and nationally. Rural areas, such as New Mexico, benefit from the…

  19. Analgesic Usage in Elderly at Public Health Center: A study in West Java, Indonesias

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gembong Soeyono Putro

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Various analgesics prescriptions for elderly are not appropriate according to the guideline and can cause the increase of side effects such as gastric problems. Puskesmas as a public health center in Indonesia has an important role in anticipating this problem. The objectives of this study was to identify the analgesic usage in elderly patients at the public health center. Methods: This retrospective descriptive study was conducted for 3 months at Tanjungsari public health center, Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia, using total sampling. The data was taken from 417 medical records from 2013. The data taken from medical records were: sex, analgesic drug, diagnosis, and drug for gastric problem. Results: From the collected data, the most analgesics prescribed for the elderly patients was paracetamol, followed by Piroxicam, Mefenamic acid, and Ibuprofen. Not all of the elderly patients who received NSAIDs, were given gastric drug. Conclusions: The most prescribed analgesic drug given to elderly patients at the public health center is paracetamol. [AMJ.2017;4(1:16–9

  20. Bringing Wellness to Schools: Opportunities for and Challenges to Mental Health Integration in School-Based Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Karen; Guo, Sisi; Ijadi-Maghsoodi, Roya; Puffer, Maryjane; Kataoka, Sheryl H

    2016-12-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) reduce access barriers to mental health care and improve educational outcomes for youths. This qualitative study evaluated the innovations and challenges of a unique network of SBHCs in a large, urban school district as the centers attempted to integrate health, mental health, and educational services. The 43 participants sampled included mental health providers, primary care providers, and care coordinators at 14 SBHCs. Semistructured interviews with each participant were audio recorded and transcribed. Themes were identified and coded by using Atlas.ti 5.1 and collapsed into three domains: operations, partnership, and engagement. Interviews revealed provider models ranging from single agencies offering both primary care and mental health services to colocated services. Sites where the health agency provided at least some mental health services reported more mental health screenings. Many sites used SBHC wellness coordinators and coordination team meetings to facilitate relationships between schools and health agency and community mental health clinic providers. Partnership challenges included confidentiality policies and staff turnover. Participants also highlighted student and parent engagement through culturally sensitive services, peer health advocates, and "drop-in" lunches. Staffing and operational models are critical in the success of integrating primary care, mental health care, and education. Among the provider models observed, the combined primary care and mental health provider model offered the most integrated services. Despite barriers, providers and schools have begun to implement novel solutions to operational problems and family engagement in mental health services.

  1. NHSC Jobs Center for Primary Care Medical, Dental and Mental Health Providers

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Jobs Center helps doctors and nurses who are interested in working at areas where there is the highest need find out more...

  2. A Phenomenological Study: Community Mental Health Centers Leaders Influence on Clinician Effectiveness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Beth B.

    2011-01-01

    Some clinical leaders of community mental health centers are not aware of successful methods for supporting and empowering staff to be more effective, specifically when the staff is experiencing change because of new health information technology. Clinical leaders in community mental health face similar management issues as do other business,…

  3. Understanding and Predicting Social Media Use Among Community Health Center Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background The use of social media by health care organizations is growing and provides Web-based tools to connect patients, caregivers, and providers. Objective The aim was to determine the use and factors predicting the use of social media for health care–related purposes among medically underserved primary care patients. Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered to 444 patients of a federally qualified community health center. Results Community health center patients preferred that their providers use email, cell phones for texting, and Facebook and cell phone apps for sharing health information. Significantly more Hispanic than white patients believed their providers should use Facebook (P=.001), YouTube (P=.01), and Twitter (P=.04) for sharing health information. Use and intentions to use social media for health-related purposes were significantly higher for those patients with higher subjective norm scores. Conclusions Understanding use and factors predicting use can increase adoption and utilization of social media for health care–related purposes among underserved patients in community health centers. PMID:25427823

  4. Amarillo National Resource Center for Plutonium 1999 plan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-01-30

    The purpose of the Amarillo National Resource Center for Plutonium is to serve the Texas Panhandle, the State of Texas and the US Department of Energy by: conducting scientific and technical research; advising decision makers; and providing information on nuclear weapons materials and related environment, safety, health, and nonproliferation issues while building academic excellence in science and technology. This paper describes the electronic resource library which provides the national archives of technical, policy, historical, and educational information on plutonium. Research projects related to the following topics are described: Environmental restoration and protection; Safety and health; Waste management; Education; Training; Instrumentation development; Materials science; Plutonium processing and handling; and Storage.

  5. Amarillo National Resource Center for Plutonium 1999 plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    The purpose of the Amarillo National Resource Center for Plutonium is to serve the Texas Panhandle, the State of Texas and the US Department of Energy by: conducting scientific and technical research; advising decision makers; and providing information on nuclear weapons materials and related environment, safety, health, and nonproliferation issues while building academic excellence in science and technology. This paper describes the electronic resource library which provides the national archives of technical, policy, historical, and educational information on plutonium. Research projects related to the following topics are described: Environmental restoration and protection; Safety and health; Waste management; Education; Training; Instrumentation development; Materials science; Plutonium processing and handling; and Storage

  6. Alyeska/SERVS technological innovations for oil spill response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hillman, S.O.

    1996-01-01

    An overview of technological innovations in spill response by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company/SERVS (ship escort response vessel system), was presented. The company has developed a number of spill response techniques which have needed new strategies and modified equipment for fulfillment of the Prince William Sound Tanker Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan. One of the strategies was the training of personnel to be ready to deploy massive quantities of equipment on short notice to potential spill sites over an 11,000 square mile water body with more than 3,200 miles of wilderness shoreline. Specific response equipment and decision-making tools have been developed in direct support of large scale programs. Along with oil slick tracking buoys and mini barges, SERVS has developed high capacity skimmers with recovery capacities approaching 2,000 to 3,000 barrels of liquid per hour and strategy boom-towing vessels which divert oil into a long U shaped containment boom. SERVS fishing vessel program, hatchery protection and remote response center equipment program, and wildlife treatment facilities were also described. 10 refs., 13 figs

  7. Sustainable Model for Public Health Emergency Operations Centers for Global Settings

    OpenAIRE

    Balajee, S. Arunmozhi; Pasi, Omer G.; Etoundi, Alain Georges M.; Rzeszotarski, Peter; Do, Trang T.; Hennessee, Ian; Merali, Sharifa; Alroy, Karen A.; Phu, Tran Dac; Mounts, Anthony W.

    2017-01-01

    Capacity to receive, verify, analyze, assess, and investigate public health events is essential for epidemic intelligence. Public health Emergency Operations Centers (PHEOCs) can be epidemic intelligence hubs by 1) having the capacity to receive, analyze, and visualize multiple data streams, including surveillance and 2) maintaining a trained workforce that can analyze and interpret data from real-time emerging events. Such PHEOCs could be physically located within a ministry of health epidem...

  8. The Carter Center Mental Health Program: addressing the public health crisis in the field of mental health through policy change and stigma reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palpant, Rebecca G; Steimnitz, Rachael; Bornemann, Thomas H; Hawkins, Katie

    2006-04-01

    Some of the most pervasive and debilitating illnesses are mental illnesses, according to World Health Organization's The World Health Report 2001--Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope. Neuropsychiatric conditions account for four of the top five leading causes of years of life lived with disability in people aged 15 to 44 in the Western world. Many barriers prevent people with mental illnesses from seeking care, such as prohibitive costs, lack of insurance, and the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illnesses. The Carter Center Mental Health Program, established in 1991, focuses on mental health policy issues within the United States and internationally. This article examines the public health crisis in the field of mental health and focuses on The Carter Center Mental Health Program's initiatives, which work to increase public knowledge of and decrease the stigma associated with mental illnesses through their four strategic goals: reducing stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses; achieving equity of mental health care comparable with other health services; advancing early promotion, prevention, and early intervention services for children and their families; and increasing public awareness about mental illnesses and mental health issues.

  9. Early Childhood Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care: Serving Refugee Families in the Healthy Steps Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchholz, Melissa; Fischer, Collette; Margolis, Kate L.; Talmi, Ayelet

    2016-01-01

    Primary care settings are optimal environments for providing comprehensive, family-centered care to young children and their families. Primary care clinics with integrated behavioral health clinicians (BHCs) are well-positioned to build trust and create access to care for marginalized and underserved populations. Refugees from around the world are…

  10. Reflective Practice and Competencies in Global Health Training: Lesson for Serving Diverse Patient Populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castillo, Jonathan; Goldenhar, Linda M.; Baker, Raymond C.; Kahn, Robert S.; DeWitt, Thomas G.

    2010-01-01

    Background Resident interest in global health care training is growing and has been shown to have a positive effect on participants' clinical skills and cultural competency. In addition, it is associated with career choices in primary care, public health, and in the service of underserved populations. The purpose of this study was to explore, through reflective practice, how participation in a formal global health training program influences pediatric residents' perspectives when caring for diverse patient populations. Methods Thirteen pediatric and combined-program residents enrolled in a year-long Global Health Scholars Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center during the 2007–2008 academic year. Educational interventions included a written curriculum, a lecture series, one-on-one mentoring sessions, an experience abroad, and reflective journaling assignments. The American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene global health competencies were used as an a priori coding framework to qualitatively analyze the reflective journal entries of the residents. Results Four themes emerged from the coded journal passages from all 13 residents: (1) the burden of global disease, as a heightened awareness of the diseases that affect humans worldwide; (2) immigrant/underserved health, reflected in a desire to apply lessons learned abroad at home to provide more culturally effective care to immigrant patients in the United States; (3) parenting, or observed parental, longing to assure that their children receive health care; and (4) humanitarianism, expressed as the desire to volunteer in future humanitarian health efforts in the United States and abroad. Conclusions Our findings suggest that participating in a global health training program helped residents begin to acquire competence in the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene competency domains. Such training also may strengthen residents' acquisition of professional skills, including the

  11. The role of community health centers in assessing the social determinants of health for planning and policy: the example of frontier New Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruna, Sean; Stone, Lisa Cacari; Wilger, Susan; Cantor, Jeremy; Guzman, Carolina

    2014-01-01

    This article examines the experience of a frontier-based community health center when it utilized the Tool for Health and Resilience in Vulnerable Environments (THRIVE) for assessing social determinants of health with a local health consortium. Community members (N = 357) rated safety, jobs, housing, and education among the top health issues. Community leaders integrated these health priorities in a countywide strategic planning process. This example of a frontier county in New Mexico demonstrates the critical role that community health centers play when engaging with local residents to assess community health needs for strategic planning and policy development.

  12. Role of Nurses in Community Mental Health Centers: Example of England

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beyhan Bag

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The goal of the community mental health centers, which constitute the core of community based mental health service model, is to register the patients who live in a certain geographical region and have serious mental disorder in the center, to observe them regularly and to bring them back to community by providing their rehabilitation and treatment. The practice of community based mental health, which English health service carries out in one hand for the psychiatry patients’ treatment and care, has many benefits, such as minimizing the sequence of going to hospital. The community mental health nurse, who works as an incidence manager, takes on the responsibility of treatment and care of the patient in the place where he/she lives, and the directly protective effect of this responsibility is an unquestionable fact. With this practice, the process of taking cure in hospital and the cost of treatment and care decrease. In our country, this sub-field of psychiatry is still in its incipient stage. Being familiar with the successful model practices in different countries may constitute a good model for the community mental health nursing practices which are on the first level in our country. For this purpose, the role of the nurses who work for the community mental health service in England is presented in this study.

  13. The Adolescent "Expanded Medical Home": School-Based Health Centers Partner with a Primary Care Clinic to Improve Population Health and Mitigate Social Determinants of Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riley, Margaret; Laurie, Anna R; Plegue, Melissa A; Richarson, Caroline R

    2016-01-01

    Access to high-quality health care is a crucial social determinant of health. We describe the implementation of an "expanded medical home" partnering a primary care practice (the Ypsilanti Health Center [YHC]) with local school-based health centers (the Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools [RAHS]), and to assess whether this model improves access to and quality of care for shared patients. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, we define the steps in, barriers to, and facilitating factors in implementing the expanded medical home model. Visits and quality measures were assessed for patients seen by YHC only versus YHC/RAHS at baseline and during the intervention. At baseline, patients seen at YHC/RAHS had higher compliance with most quality metrics compared with those seen at YHC only. The proportion of shared patients significantly increased because of the intervention (P partnership between primary care physicians and school-based health centers increases the number of shared high-risk adolescent patients. Shared patients have improved compliance with quality measures, which may lead to long-term improved health equity. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

  14. User-Centered Design and Interactive Health Technologies for Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Vito Dabbs, Annette; Myers, Brad A.; Mc Curry, Kenneth R.; Dunbar-Jacob, Jacqueline; Hawkins, Robert P.; Begey, Alex; Dew, Mary Amanda

    2010-01-01

    Despite recommendations that patients be involved in the design and testing of health technologies, few reports describe how to involve patients in systematic and meaningful ways to ensure that applications are customized to meet their needs. User-centered design (UCD) is an approach that involves end-users throughout the development process so that technology support tasks, are easy to operate, and are of value to users. In this paper we provide an overview of UCD and use the development of Pocket Personal Assistant for Tracking Health (Pocket PATH), to illustrate how these principles and techniques were applied to involve patients in the development of this interactive health technology. Involving patient-users in the design and testing ensured functionality and usability, therefore increasing the likelihood of promoting the intended health outcomes. PMID:19411947

  15. ServAR: An augmented reality tool to guide the serving of food.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rollo, Megan E; Bucher, Tamara; Smith, Shamus P; Collins, Clare E

    2017-05-12

    Accurate estimation of food portion size is a difficult task. Visual cues are important mediators of portion size and therefore technology-based aids may assist consumers when serving and estimating food portions. The current study evaluated the usability and impact on estimation error of standard food servings of a novel augmented reality food serving aid, ServAR. Participants were randomised into one of three groups: 1) no information/aid (control); 2) verbal information on standard serving sizes; or 3) ServAR, an aid which overlayed virtual food servings over a plate using a tablet computer. Participants were asked to estimate the standard serving sizes of nine foods (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, kidney beans, potato, pasta, rice, and sweetcorn) using validated food replicas. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared median served weights of each food to reference standard serving size weights. Percentage error was used to compare the estimation of serving size accuracy between the three groups. All participants also performed a usability test using the ServAR tool to guide the serving of one randomly selected food. Ninety adults (78.9% female; a mean (95%CI) age 25.8 (24.9-26.7) years; BMI 24.2 (23.2-25.2) kg/m 2 ) completed the study. The median servings were significantly different to the reference portions for five foods in the ServAR group, compared to eight foods in the information only group and seven foods for the control group. The cumulative proportion of total estimations per group within ±10%, ±25% and ±50% of the reference portion was greater for those using ServAR (30.7, 65.2 and 90.7%; respectively), compared to the information only group (19.6, 47.4 and 77.4%) and control group (10.0, 33.7 and 68.9%). Participants generally found the ServAR tool easy to use and agreed that it showed potential to support optimal portion size selection. However, some refinements to the ServAR tool are required to improve the user experience. Use of the

  16. Measuring Efficiency of Knowledge Production in Health Research Centers Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA): A Case Study in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amiri, Mohammad Meskarpour; Nasiri, Taha; Saadat, Seyed Hassan; Anabad, Hosein Amini; Ardakan, Payman Mahboobi

    2016-11-01

    Efficiency analysis is necessary in order to avoid waste of materials, energy, effort, money, and time during scientific research. Therefore, analyzing efficiency of knowledge production in health areas is necessary, especially for developing and in-transition countries. As the first step in this field, the aim of this study was the analysis of selected health research center efficiency using data envelopment analysis (DEA). This retrospective and applied study was conducted in 2015 using input and output data of 16 health research centers affiliated with a health sciences university in Iran during 2010-2014. The technical efficiency of health research centers was evaluated based on three basic data envelopment analysis (DEA) models: input-oriented, output-oriented, and hyperbolic-oriented. The input and output data of each health research center for years 2010-2014 were collected from the Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHE) profile and analyzed by R software. The mean efficiency score in input-oriented, output-oriented, and hyperbolic-oriented models was 0.781, 0.671, and 0.798, respectively. Based on results of the study, half of the health research centers are operating below full efficiency, and about one-third of them are operating under the average efficiency level. There is also a large gap between health research center efficiency relative to each other. It is necessary for health research centers to improve their efficiency in knowledge production through better management of available resources. The higher level of efficiency in a significant number of health research centers is achievable through more efficient management of human resources and capital. Further research is needed to measure and follow the efficiency of knowledge production by health research centers around the world and over a period of time.

  17. Educational Needs Assessment of Family Health Providers in Tabriz Health Care Centers in 2015

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faranak Ghoreyshyzadeh

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: This study intends to determine the educational needs of family health staff employed in health care centers in Tabriz, the provincial capital of east Azerbaijan, Iran in 2015. Methods: In this cross-sectional study 282 staff were enrolled, together with 22 managers, through census. The data collection tool was a researcher-designed questionnaire whose content validity were confirmed by 5 experts of health care and medical education centers. They self--evaluated their knowledge, skills and attitudes in 6 task processes including "integrated care for pregnant women", "women’s general and reproductive health", "child health care and breastfeeding", "vaccination skills", "teenagers’ and young adults’ health", and "common diseases prevention and control". Cronbach alpha coefficients were over 0.85. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 16 and descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation and one-sample t tests were calculated to compare the mean of scores with midpoint criteria (=3. Results: Generally family health staff self-evaluated their knowledge, skills and attitudes in all task processes in higher than midpoint criteria level, which was consistent with the opinions of the managers, however, educational needs required by personnel in some processes or sub- process including "common diseases prevention and control" ( knowledge on referring thalassemia couples for genetic testing, mental health counseling, "vaccination skills" ( intradermal vaccination skills, "teenagers’ and young adults’ health" (Self-care training and parents education, "women’s general and reproductive health" (principles of family planning counseling and less needs stated in "integrated care for pregnant mothers" (except for diagnosis and management of ectopic pregnancy, placenta previa and abruption and "child health care" as compared to criteria (All P value <0.05. In contrast to self-assessment results, in interorganization evaluations

  18. Locating of Rural Health Centers Equipped with Telehealth using GIS: A Case Study on Khorramabad City, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Safdari Reza

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Residents of the rural and remote area always having limitations on accessing properly required service providers. In such condition, the establishment of rural health centers equipped with telehealth, and also the use of GIS for optimal site selection to the centers, would play an important role in facilitating the achievement of quality health services in desired time factor. This study intended to find the optimal sites for building the Rural Health Centers Equipped with remote health facilities in, Khorramabad City, using GIS. During the pilot study, we identified few effective locating criteria and sub-criteria for rural health centers equipped with telehealth, the priorities was also determined in that descriptive study. Further, we prepared a special layer for each criterion on the site selection, and by integrating such layers based on specified rules and patterns, about the spatial analysis , (like distance and density analysis were done. For such methods, we used Arc Map, Arc Catalog and Arc toolbox environments of Arc GIS (version 9.3. Finally, a map was prepared that indicated the possibility of appropriateness for establishing the centers in the study area. Considering a large number of areas, the research team selected the areas which were the appropriate location for build rural health centers which could be equipped with Telehealth.

  19. Learning Curves: Making Quality Online Health Information Available at a Fitness Center

    OpenAIRE

    Dobbins, Montie T.; Tarver, Talicia; Adams, Mararia; Jones, Dixie A.

    2012-01-01

    Meeting consumer health information needs can be a challenge. Research suggests that women seek health information from a variety of resources, including the Internet. In an effort to make women aware of reliable health information sources, the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – Shreveport Medical Library engaged in a partnership with a franchise location of Curves International, Inc. This article will discuss the project, its goals and its challenges.

  20. Learning Curves: Making Quality Online Health Information Available at a Fitness Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobbins, Montie T; Tarver, Talicia; Adams, Mararia; Jones, Dixie A

    2012-01-01

    Meeting consumer health information needs can be a challenge. Research suggests that women seek health information from a variety of resources, including the Internet. In an effort to make women aware of reliable health information sources, the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - Shreveport Medical Library engaged in a partnership with a franchise location of Curves International, Inc. This article will discuss the project, its goals and its challenges.

  1. Effective Mental Health Interventions and Treatments for Young Children with Diverse Needs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osofsky, Joy; Wieder, Serena; Noroña, Carmen Rosa; Lowell, Darcy; Worthy, D'Lisa Ramsey

    2018-01-01

    Infant and early childhood mental health interventions and treatment take place in many different settings including clinics serving adults and children, primary care centers, pediatric clinics, private practice offices, homes, early intervention offices, and child care centers. In addition, the types of evaluations and services offered in these…

  2. Mental health and HIV sexual risk behavior among patrons of alcohol serving venues in Cape Town, South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sikkema, Kathleen J; Watt, Melissa H; Meade, Christina S; Ranby, Krista W; Kalichman, Seth C; Skinner, Donald; Pieterse, Desiree

    2011-07-01

    Alcohol-serving venues in South Africa provide a location for HIV prevention interventions due to risk factors of patrons in these establishments. Understanding the association between mental health and risk behaviors in these settings may inform interventions that address alcohol use and HIV prevention. Participants (n = 738) were surveyed in 6 alcohol-serving venues in Cape Town to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms, traumatic experiences, sexual behavior, and substance use. Logistic regression models examined whether traumatic experiences predicted PTSD and depression. Generalized linear models examined whether substance use, PTSD, and depressive symptoms predicted unprotected sexual intercourse. Men and women were analyzed separately. Participants exhibited high rates of traumatic experiences, PTSD, depression, alcohol consumption, and HIV risk behaviors. For men, PTSD was associated with being hit by a sex partner, physical child abuse, sexual child abuse and HIV diagnosis; depression was associated with being hit by a sex partner, forced sex and physical child abuse. For women, both PTSD and depression were associated with being hit by a sex partner, forced sex, and physical child abuse. Unprotected sexual intercourse was associated with age, frequency and quantity of alcohol use, drug use, and PTSD for men and frequency and quantity of alcohol use, depression, and PTSD for women. Mental health in this setting was poor and was associated with sexual risk behavior. Treating mental health and substance-use problems may aid in reducing HIV infection. Sexual assault prevention and treatment after sexual assault may strengthen HIV prevention efforts.

  3. Improving patient-centered communication while using an electronic health record: Report from a curriculum evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fogarty, Colleen T; Winters, Paul; Farah, Subrina

    2016-05-01

    Researchers and clinicians are concerned about the impact of electronic health record use and patient-centered communication. Training about patient-centered clinical communication skills with the electronic health record may help clinicians adapt and remain patient-centered. We developed an interactive workshop eliciting challenges and opportunities of working with the electronic health record in clinical practice, introduction of specific patient-centered behaviors and mindful practice techniques, and video demonstrating contrasts in common behavior and "better practices." One hundred thirty-nine resident physicians and faculty supervisors in five residency training programs at the University of Rochester Medical Center participated in the workshops. Participants were asked to complete an 11-item survey of behaviors related to their use of the electronic health record prior to training and after attending training. We used paired t-tests to assess changes in self-reported behavior from pre-intervention to post-intervention. We trained 139 clinicians in the workshops; 110 participants completed the baseline assessment and 39 completed both the baseline and post-intervention assessment. Data from post-curriculum respondents found a statistically significant increase in "I told the patient when turning my attention from the patient to the computer," from 60% of the time prior to the training to 70% of the time after. Data from our program evaluation demonstrated improvement in one communication behavior. Sample size limited the detection of other changes; further research should investigate effective training techniques for patient-centered communication while using the electronic health record. © The Author(s) 2016.

  4. Integration of pharmacists into a patient-centered medical home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, Mollie Ashe; Hitch, Bill; Ray, Lisa; Colvin, Gaye

    2011-01-01

    To define the joint principles of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and describe the integration of pharmacists into a PCMH. Family medicine residency training program in North Carolina from 2001 to 2011. Mountain Area Health Education Family Health Center is a family medicine residency training program that is part of the North Carolina Area Health Education Center system. The goal of the organization is to train and retain health care students and residents. The practice is recognized as a level III PCMH by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and seeks to provide quality, safe, patient-centered care according to the joint principles of PCMH. Pharmacists, nurses, nutritionists, care managers, Spanish translators, and behavioral medicine specialists work collaboratively with physicians to provide seamless, comprehensive care. The Department of Pharmacotherapy is embedded in the family medicine clinic. Three pharmacists and two pharmacy residents are involved in providing direct patient care services, ensuring access to community resources, assisting patients with transitions of care, providing interprofessional education, and participating in continuous quality improvement initiatives. The pharmacists serve as clinical pharmacist practitioners and provide medication therapy management services in a pharmacotherapy clinic, anticoagulation clinics, and an osteoporosis clinic and via an inpatient family medicine service. Multiple learners such as student pharmacists, pharmacy residents, and family medicine residents rotate through the various pharmacy clinics to learn about pharmacotherapeutic principles and the role of the pharmacist in PCMH. PCMH is a comprehensive, patient-centered, team-based approach to population management in the primary care setting. Pharmacists play a vital role in PCMH and make fundamental contributions to patient care across health care settings. Such innovations in the ambulatory care setting create a unique niche

  5. Women-Centered and Culturally Responsive Heart Health Promotion Among Indigenous Women in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziabakhsh, Shabnam; Pederson, Ann; Prodan-Bhalla, Natasha; Middagh, Diane; Jinkerson-Brass, Sharon

    2016-11-01

    Most women in Canada confront a combination of bio-psychosocial factors that put them at risk for cardiovascular disease. The challenge for health planners is to address these factors while contextualizing interventions that meet the specific needs of particular social and cultural groupings. The article will discuss a women-centered, group-based heart health pilot initiative designed to engage with indigenous approaches to healing. The nurse practitioners co-led the group with a representative from the indigenous community to balance women-centered practices with more traditional and culturally appropriate ones. In particular, indigenous processes, such as a Talking Circle, combined with indigenous knowledge/content were integrated into the pilot program. The project was evaluated to investigate its outcomes (how the intervention impacted the participants) and processes (how participants perceived the intervention). Evaluation involved analysis of the Talking Circle's content, a focus group, field observations, and self-completed surveys. Most women made changes regarding their diet, some began physical activities, and others focused on better managing their emotional health. Women viewed the group as successful because it embraced both women-centered and culturally appropriate health promotion practices. The intervention created a culturally safe space for learning and transformation. The findings confirm the need for employing culturally relevant, gender-specific approaches to heart health promotion that are situated in and responsive to community needs. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

  6. Agriculture: About EPA's National Agriculture Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    EPA's National Agriculture Center (Ag Center), with the support of the United States Department of Agriculture, serves growers, livestock producers, other agribusinesses, and agricultural information/education providers.

  7. Relationship of Interpersonal Behaviors and Health-Related Control Appraisals to Patient Satisfaction and Compliance in a University Health Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Thomas A.; Auerbach, Stephen M.; Kiesler, Donald J.

    2007-01-01

    Objective: The authors' aim was to evaluate patient-provider relationships in a college health center. Participants: Eighty student patients and their health-care providers. Methods: Patients completed a measure of perceived health competence before a consultation and measures of provider participatory behavior and interpersonal behavior before…

  8. Healthcare waste generation and management practice in government health centers of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tadesse, Menelik Legesse; Kumie, Abera

    2014-11-25

    Healthcare wastes are hazardous organic and inorganic wastes. The waste disposal management in Addis Ababa city is seen unscientific manner. The waste management practice in the health facilities are poor and need improvement. This study will help different organizations, stakeholders and policy makers to correct and improve the existing situation of healthcare waste legislation and enforcement and training of staff in the healthcare facilities in Addis Ababa. The study aimed to assess the existing generation and management practice of healthcare waste in selected government health centers of Addis Ababa. The cross-sectional study was conducted to quantify waste generation rate and evaluate its management system. The study area was Addis Ababa. The sample size was determined by simple random sampling technique, the sampling procedure involved 10 sub-cities of Addis Ababa. Data were collected using both waste collecting and measuring equipment and check list. The Data was entered by EPI INFO version 6.04d and analyzed by and SPSS for WINDOW version15. The mean (±SD) healthcare waste generation rate was 9.61 ± 3.28 kg/day of which (38%) 3.64 ± 1.45 kg/day was general or non-hazardous waste and (62%) 5.97 ± 2.31 kg/day was hazardous. The mean healthcare waste generation rate between health centers was a significant different with Kurskal-Wallis test (χ2 = 21.83, p-value = 0.009). All health centers used safety boxes for collection of sharp wastes and all health centers used plastic buckets without lid for collection and transportation of healthcare waste. Pre treatment of infectious wastes was not practiced by any of the health centers. All health centers used incinerators and had placenta pit for disposal of pathological waste however only seven out of ten pits had proper covering material. Segregation of wastes at point of generation with appropriate collection materials and pre- treatment of infectious waste before disposal should be practiced

  9. Depicted serving size: cereal packaging pictures exaggerate serving sizes and promote overserving.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tal, Aner; Niemann, Stina; Wansink, Brian

    2017-02-06

    Extensive work has focused on the effects of nutrition label information on consumer behavior on the one hand, and on the effects of packaging graphics on the other hand. However, little work has examined how serving suggestion depictions - graphics relating to serving size - influence the quantity consumers serve themselves. The current work examines the prevalence of exaggerated serving size depictions on product packaging (study 1) and its effects on food serving in the context of cereal (study 2). Study 1 was an observational field survey of cereal packaging. Study 2 was a mixed experimental cross-sectional design conducted at a U.S. university, with 51 student participants. Study 1 coded 158 US breakfast cereals and compared the serving sizes depicted on the front of the box with the suggested serving size stated on the nutrition facts panel. Study 2 measured the amount of cereal poured from exaggerated or accurate serving size depictions. Study 1 compared average servings via t-tests. Study 2 used a mixed model with cereal type as the repeated measure and a compound symmetry covariance matrix. Study 1 demonstrated that portion size depictions on the front of 158 cereal boxes were 65.84% larger (221 vs. 134 calories) than the recommended portions on nutrition facts panels of those cereals. Study 2 showed that boxes that depicted exaggerated serving sizes led people to pour 20% more cereal compared to pouring from modified boxes that depicted a single-size portion of cereal matching suggested serving size. This was 45% over the suggested serving size. Biases in depicted serving size depicted on cereal packaging are prevalent in the marketplace. Such biases may lead to overserving, which may consequently lead to overeating. Companies should depict the recommended serving sizes, or otherwise indicate that the depicted portion represents an exaggerated serving size.

  10. Depicted serving size: cereal packaging pictures exaggerate serving sizes and promote overserving

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aner Tal

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Extensive work has focused on the effects of nutrition label information on consumer behavior on the one hand, and on the effects of packaging graphics on the other hand. However, little work has examined how serving suggestion depictions - graphics relating to serving size - influence the quantity consumers serve themselves. The current work examines the prevalence of exaggerated serving size depictions on product packaging (study 1 and its effects on food serving in the context of cereal (study 2. Methods Study 1 was an observational field survey of cereal packaging. Study 2 was a mixed experimental cross-sectional design conducted at a U.S. university, with 51 student participants. Study 1 coded 158 US breakfast cereals and compared the serving sizes depicted on the front of the box with the suggested serving size stated on the nutrition facts panel. Study 2 measured the amount of cereal poured from exaggerated or accurate serving size depictions. Study 1 compared average servings via t-tests. Study 2 used a mixed model with cereal type as the repeated measure and a compound symmetry covariance matrix. Results Study 1 demonstrated that portion size depictions on the front of 158 cereal boxes were 64.7% larger (221 vs. 134 calories than the recommended portions on nutrition facts panels of those cereals. Study 2 showed that boxes that depicted exaggerated serving sizes led people to pour 17.8% more cereal compared to pouring from modified boxes that depicted a single-size portion of cereal matching suggested serving size. This was 42% over the suggested serving size. Conclusions Biases in depicted serving size depicted on cereal packaging are prevalent in the marketplace. Such biases may lead to overserving, which may consequently lead to overeating. Companies should depict the recommended serving sizes, or otherwise indicate that the depicted portion represents an exaggerated serving size.

  11. Libraries serving dialogue

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    Dupont, Odile

    2014-01-01

    This book based on experiences of libraries serving interreligious dialogue, presents themes like library tools serving dialogue between cultures, collections dialoguing, children and young adults dialoguing beyond borders, story telling as dialog, librarians serving interreligious dialogue.

  12. Nursing schools and academic health centers: toward improved alignment and a synergistic partnership

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emami A

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Azita Emami,1 Darcy Jaffe,2 Paula Minton-Foltz,3 Grace Parker,4 Susan Manfredi,5 Theresa Braungardt,6 Kelly W Marley,1 Laura Cooley,1 Staishy Bostick Siem7 1University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, WA, USA; 2Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA; 3Patient Care Services, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA; 4University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA; 5Patient Care Services, Northwest Hospital and Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA; 6Valley Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA; 7Marketing and Communications, University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, WA, USA Abstract: This paper presents the findings from a national survey which the University of Washington conducted among leaders of 32 US academic nursing institutions that are part of academic health centers (AHCs and complements these findings with results from a separate report by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. While expressing overall satisfaction with their AHC relationships, these leaders find that nursing is often given greater parity in matters of education and research than in mission setting, financial, and governance matters. AHCs are being asked to meet new health care challenges in new ways, starting with the education of health care professionals. AHCs need to be restructured to give nursing full parity if the nation’s and world’s needs for preventive and clinical care are to be best met.Keywords: nursing parity, academic nursing institutions, nurse leaders, institutional alignment

  13. The US CDC Centers for public health preparedness : building a nationwide exemplar network

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harris, D.A.; Paulson, G.; Perry, E. [New Jersey Univ. of Medicine and Dentistry, New Brunswick, NJ (United States). School of Public Health

    2005-07-01

    The network of Centers for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) was created by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in response to the perception that public health professionals were inadequately prepared to respond to terrorism incidents, natural disasters and similar major events. The events of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent anthrax attacks confirmed the wisdom of a concerted approach to emergency preparedness. This paper provides an outline of the network's recent activities as well as a review of the rationale, history and progress of the network to date. In the most recent grant cycle, each center was required to allocate 20 per cent of its resources to network-wide activities, including contribution of CPHP-developed materials to a central resource center maintained by the Association of Schools of Public Health. The materials are publicly available and are to be used in the development of training programs; the establishment of 19 or more exemplar groups that focus on specific preparedness-related knowledge domains such as mental health, educational evaluation methods and field epidemiology, who are also expected to develop tool kits of validated and fully described training materials for use by any CPHP person or group. The outcome of the CPHP network activities is the development of a more comprehensive and robust core of preparedness training materials that aim to facilitate rapid and effective training, while at the same time eliminating redundancy and duplication of effort. It was concluded that the expenditure of 20 per cent of center funds on network development activities is forcing the academically based CPHPs to adopt a new collaborative paradigm in order to ensure effective nationwide preparedness. 3 refs.

  14. Conducting a randomized trial in rural and urban safety-net health centers: Added value of community-based participatory research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meera Muthukrishnan

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC is the second most common cancer in the US. Despite evidence that screening reduces CRC incidence and mortality, screening rates are sub-optimal with disparities by race/ethnicity, income, and geography. Rural-urban differences in CRC screening are understudied even though approximately one-fifth of the US population lives in rural areas. This focus on urban populations limits the generalizability and dissemination potential of screening interventions. Methods: Using community-based participatory research (CBPR principles, we designed a cluster-randomized trial, adaptable to a range of settings, including rural and urban health centers. We enrolled 483 participants across 11 health centers representing 2 separate networks. Both networks serve medically-underserved communities; however one is primarily rural and one primarily urban. Results: Our goal in this analysis is to describe baseline characteristics of participants and examine setting-level differences. CBPR was a critical for recruiting networks to the trial. Patient respondents were predominately female (61.3%, African-American (66.5%, and earned <$1200 per month (87.1%. The rural network sample was older; more likely to be female, white, disabled or retired, and have a higher income, but fewer years of education. Conclusions: Variation in the samples partly reflects the CBPR process and partly reflects inherent differences in the communities. This confirmed the importance of using CBPR when planning for eventual dissemination, as it enhanced our ability to work within diverse settings. These baseline findings indicate that using a uniform approach to implementing a trial or intervention across diverse settings might not be effective or efficient. Keywords: Colorectal cancer screening, Community-based participatory research, Health disparities, Medically underserved populations, Dissemination and implementation, Randomized trial

  15. Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Among Child Care Center Directors in 2008 and 2016.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shope, Timothy R; Walker, Benjamin H; Aird, Laura D; Southward, Linda; McCown, John S; Martin, Judith M

    2017-06-01

    Children in child care centers represent an important population to consider in attempts to mitigate the spread of an influenza pandemic. This national survey, conducted in 2008 and 2016, assessed directors' reports of their child care centers' pandemic influenza preparation before and after the 2009 H1N1 novel influenza pandemic. This was a telephone-based survey of child care center directors randomly selected from a national database of licensed US child care centers who were queried about their preparedness for pandemic influenza. We grouped conceptually related items in 6 domains into indexes: general infection control, communication, seasonal influenza control, use of health consultants, quality of child care, and perceived barriers. These indexes, along with other center and director characteristics, were used to predict pandemic influenza preparedness. Among 1500 and 518 child care center directors surveyed in 2008 and 2016, respectively, preparation for pandemic influenza was low and did not improve. Only 7% of directors had taken concrete actions to prepare their centers. Having served as a center director during the 2009 influenza pandemic did not influence preparedness. After adjusting for covariates, child care health consultation and years of director's experience were positively associated with pandemic influenza preparation, whereas experiencing perceived barriers such as lack of knowing what to do in the event of pandemic influenza, was negatively associated with pandemic influenza preparedness. Pandemic influenza preparedness of child care center's directors needs to improve. Child care health consultants are likely to be important collaborators in addressing this problem. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  16. Innovation in patient-centered care: lessons from a qualitative study of innovative health care organizations in Washington State

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    Reed Peter

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Growing interest in the promise of patient-centered care has led to numerous health care innovations, including the patient-centered medical home, shared decision-making, and payment reforms. How best to vet and adopt innovations is an open question. Washington State has been a leader in health care reform and is a rich laboratory for patient-centered innovations. We sought to understand the process of patient-centered care innovation undertaken by innovative health care organizations – from strategic planning to goal selection to implementation to maintenance. Methods We conducted key-informant interviews with executives at five health plans, five provider organizations, and ten primary care clinics in Washington State. At least two readers of each interview transcript identified themes inductively; final themes were determined by consensus. Results Innovation in patient-centered care was a strategic objective chosen by nearly every organization in this study. However, other goals were paramount: cost containment, quality improvement, and organization survival. Organizations commonly perceived effective chronic disease management and integrated health information technology as key elements for successful patient-centered care innovation. Inertia, resource deficits, fee-for-service payment, and regulatory limits on scope of practice were cited as barriers to innovation, while organization leadership, human capital, and adaptive culture facilitated innovation. Conclusions Patient-centered care innovations reflected organizational perspectives: health plans emphasized cost-effectiveness while providers emphasized health care delivery processes. Health plans and providers shared many objectives, yet the two rarely collaborated to achieve them. The process of innovation is heavily dependent on organizational culture and leadership. Policymakers can improve the pace and quality of patient-centered innovation by setting targets

  17. Non-listening and self centered leadership--relationships to socioeconomic conditions and employee mental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Theorell, Töres; Nyberg, Anna; Leineweber, Constanze; Magnusson Hanson, Linda L; Oxenstierna, Gabriel; Westerlund, Hugo

    2012-01-01

    The way in which leadership is experienced in different socioeconomic strata is of interest per se, as well as how it relates to employee mental health. Three waves of SLOSH (Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, a questionnaire survey on a sample of the Swedish working population) were used, 2006, 2008 and 2010 (n = 5141). The leadership variables were: "Non-listening leadership" (one question: "Does your manager listen to you?"--four response categories), "Self centered leadership" (sum of three five-graded questions--"non-participating", "asocial" and "loner"). The socioeconomic factors were education and income. Emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms were used as indicators of mental health. Non-listening leadership was associated with low income and low education whereas self-centered leadership showed a weaker relationship with education and no association at all with income. Both leadership variables were significantly associated with emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms. "Self centered" as well as "non-listening" leadership in 2006 significantly predicted employee depressive symptoms in 2008 after adjustment for demographic variables. These predictions became non-significant when adjustment was made for job conditions (demands and decision latitude) in the "non-listening" leadership analyses, whereas predictions of depressive symptoms remained significant after these adjustments in the "self-centered leadership" analyses. Our results show that the leadership variables are associated with socioeconomic status and employee mental health. "Non-listening" scores were more sensitive to societal change and more strongly related to socioeconomic factors and job conditions than "self-centered" scores.

  18. Work-related psychological health among clergy serving in the Presbyterian Church (USA) : testing the idea of balanced affect

    OpenAIRE

    Francis, Leslie J.; Village, Andrew; Robbins, Mandy; Wulff, Keith

    2011-01-01

    Drawing on the classic model of balanced affect, the Francis Burnout Inventory (FBI) conceptualises good work-related psychological health among clergy in terms of negative affect being balanced by positive affect. In a random sample of 744 clergy (539 clergymen and 205 clergywomen) serving in The Presbyterian Church (USA), negative affect was assessed by the Scale of Emotional Exhaustion in Ministry (SEEM) and positive affect was assessed by the Satisfaction in Ministry Scale (SIMS). At the ...

  19. A Multidimensional Data Warehouse for Community Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kunjan, Kislaya; Toscos, Tammy; Turkcan, Ayten; Doebbeling, Brad N

    2015-01-01

    Community health centers (CHCs) play a pivotal role in healthcare delivery to vulnerable populations, but have not yet benefited from a data warehouse that can support improvements in clinical and financial outcomes across the practice. We have developed a multidimensional clinic data warehouse (CDW) by working with 7 CHCs across the state of Indiana and integrating their operational, financial and electronic patient records to support ongoing delivery of care. We describe in detail the rationale for the project, the data architecture employed, the content of the data warehouse, along with a description of the challenges experienced and strategies used in the development of this repository that may help other researchers, managers and leaders in health informatics. The resulting multidimensional data warehouse is highly practical and is designed to provide a foundation for wide-ranging healthcare data analytics over time and across the community health research enterprise.

  20. Perceived Impacts of a Public Health Training Center Field Placement Program Among Trainees

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    Patrik eJohansson

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available There is heightened interest in identifying the impact of the federally-funded Public Health Training Center (PHTC program. Although evaluation studies have been conducted of public health training in general, evaluations of PHTC programs are rare. Field placement components are Congressionally-mandated requirements of PHTCs. Field placements are typically intensive, supervised externships for students to gain public health experience with local health departments or non-profit organizations. We have found no published evaluations of PHTC field placement components. This may be because of their small size and unique nature. We designed and evaluated a 200-hour field placement program at an established Public Health Training Center. The evaluation included pre/post surveys measuring public health core competencies, and post-experience interviews. We found significant increases in three competency domains among trainees: policy development and program planning, communication skills, and community dimensions of practice. These outcomes contribute to an evidence base on the efficacy of PHTC field placement programs, and underscore their role in public health training.

  1. UC Berkeley/Stanford Children’s Environment Health Center

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The overall goal of this Center is to better understand the effects of exposure in the womb to air pollutants and airborne bacteria on newborn health, immune system...

  2. Hypertension care at primary health care centers: A report from Abha, Saudi Arabia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Al-Homrany Mohammed

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available It is well known that effective management of hypertension reduces the incidence of myo-cardial infarction, stroke and vascular complications. The Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, introduced the Quality Assurance Guidelines with the hope to improve the management of hypertension in its centers. We conducted an audit of two Primary Health Care Centers namely, Al-Manhal (MPHCC and Al-Numais (NPHCC, to evaluate how well hypertension was managened at these centers. A check list was derived from the Quality Assurance Manual to audit the process and to assess the health outcome. A retrospective study on a chosen sample of 120 files of hypertensive patients, out of 256 from both the Primary Health Care Centers was performed, during the last three months of the year 2000. Results showed that 61% of the patients were between 45-64 years of age, 56% were females, 85% were married, 54% were illiterate and 7.5% were smokers. A total of 92% of the patients had primary hypertension and 25% had a positive family history of hypertension. Beta-blockers were the most commonly used drugs in both the centers. Although the recording of the information was not perfect, there was no statistical difference in the socio-demongraphic data and also the means of the total score in both the centres. On the other hand, carrying out the important procedures for hypertensive patients was found to be better at MPHCC in com-parison to NPHCC (p < 0.05. The commonly missed procedures were chest x-rays, electrolytes and ECG. Hypertension was well controlled in 63% of the patients, 58% were found to have obesity, 9% suffered from hypertension-related complications while almost 50% had good compliance to appointment in both the centers. Our study reveals that the process of hypertension care at the two Primary Health Care Centres in Aseer region was not in accordance with the recommended national standards. The reasons include lack of updating systems, recall system and

  3. Health Self-Efficacy Among Populations with Multiple Chronic Conditions: the Value of Patient-Centered Communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finney Rutten, Lila J; Hesse, Bradford W; St Sauver, Jennifer L; Wilson, Patrick; Chawla, Neetu; Hartigan, Danielle B; Moser, Richard P; Taplin, Stephen; Glasgow, Russell; Arora, Neeraj K

    2016-08-01

    Using cross-sectional survey data, we assessed the association between chronic illness burden and health-related self-efficacy, evaluating whether patient-centered communication is associated with self-efficacy and if that relationship varies by chronic illness burden. Data were from the Health Information National Trends Survey, a cross-sectional survey of the US adult population collected in 2012-2013 (n = 3630). Health-related self-efficacy was measured with the item: "Overall, how confident are you about your ability to take good care of your health?" and the prevalence of six chronic conditions and depression/anxiety was assessed. Patient-centered communication was measured as the frequency with which respondents perceived their healthcare providers allowed them to ask questions, gave attention to their emotions, involved them in decisions, made sure they understood how to take care of their health, helped them to deal with uncertainty, and if they felt they could rely on their healthcare providers to take care of their healthcare needs. Health-related self-efficacy was significantly lower among individuals with greater illness burden. In adjusted analysis, individuals who experienced more positive patient-centered communication reported higher levels of self-efficacy (β = 0.26, P self-efficacy were observed among patients reporting more positive patient-centered communication; the observed association was stronger among those with greater chronic illness burden.

  4. Variations in serving sizes of Australian snack foods and confectionery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Wendy L; Kury, Alexandra; Wellard, Lyndal; Hughes, Clare; Dunford, Elizabeth; Chapman, Kathy

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the serving size and energy content per serving of Australian packaged snack foods and confectionery products. Nutrition Information Panel data for 23 sub-categories of packaged snack foods (n = 3481) were extracted from The George Institute for Global Health's 2013 branded food composition database. Variations in serving size and energy content per serving were examined. Energy contents per serving were compared to recommendations in the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Serving sizes varied within and between snack food categories. Mean energy content per serving varied from 320 kJ to 899 kJ. More energy per serving than the recommended 600 kJ was displayed by 22% (n = 539) of snack foods classified in the Australian Dietary Guidelines as discretionary foods. The recommendation for energy content per serving was exceeded in 60% (n = 635) of snack foods from the Five Food Groups. Only 37% (n = 377) of confectionery products displayed the industry-agreed serving size of 25 g. Energy content per serving of many packaged snack foods do not align with the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the industry agreed serving size has not been taken up widely within the confectionery category. Given the inconsistencies in serving sizes, featuring serving size in front-of-pack information may hinder the objective of a clear and simple nutrition message. Messaging to help consumers make healthier choices should consider the variation in serving sizes on packaged snack foods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Innovative Services Offered by School-Based Health Centers in New York City

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sisselman, Amanda; Strolin-Goltzman, Jessica; Auerbach, Charles; Sharon, Lisa

    2012-01-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) continue to provide essential health care services to children and families in underserved neighborhoods across the country. Preliminary studies show that students who use SBHCs have better attendance rates as well as higher rates of academic achievement and attachment to the learning environment. Few studies,…

  6. 75 FR 25273 - National Center on Minority and Health Disparities; Notice of Closed Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-07

    ... and Health Disparities; Notice of Closed Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... and Health Disparities Special Emphasis Panel, Faith Based R21. Date: June 29-July 1, 2010. Time: 5 p..., Chief, Office of Scientific Review, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, 6707...

  7. Burnout of Physicians Working in Primary Health Care Centers under Ministry of Health Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bawakid, Khalid; Abdulrashid, Ola; Mandoura, Najlaa; Shah, Hassan Bin Usman; Ibrahim, Adel; Akkad, Noura Mohammad; Mufti, Fauad

    2017-11-25

    Introduction The levels of physicians' job satisfaction and burnout directly affect their professionalism, punctuality, absenteeism, and ultimately, patients' care. Despite its crucial importance, little is known about professional burnout of the physicians in Saudi Arabia. The objectives of this research are two-fold: (1) To assess the prevalence of burnout in physicians working in primary health care centers under Ministry of Health; and (2) to find the modifiable factors which can decrease the burnout ratio. Methodology Through a cross-sectional study design, a representative sample of the physicians working in primary health care centers (PHCCs) Jeddah (n=246) was randomly selected. The overall burnout level was assessed using the validated abbreviated Maslach burnout inventory (aMBI) questionnaire. It measures the overall burnout prevalence based on three main domains i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Independent sample T-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multivariate regression analysis were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Version 22, IBM, Armonk, NY). Results Overall, moderate to high burnout was prevalent in 25.2% of the physicians. Emotional exhaustion was noted in 69.5%. Multivariate regression analysis showed that patient pressure/violence (p burnout. The patient's pressure/violence was the only significant independent predictor of overall burnout. Conclusion Emotional exhaustion is the most prominent feature of overall burnout in the physicians of primary health care centers. The main reasons include patient's pressure/violence, unorganized patient flow, less cooperative colleague doctors, fewer support services at the PHCCs, more paperwork, and less cooperative colleagues. Addressing these issues could lead to a decrease in physician's burnout.

  8. Predicting Volleyball Serve-Reception

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Paulo, Ana; Zaal, Frank T J M; Fonseca, Sofia; Araujo, Duarte

    2016-01-01

    Serve and serve-reception performance have predicted success in volleyball. Given the impact of serve-reception on the game, we aimed at understanding what it is in the serve and receiver's actions that determines the selection of the type of pass used in serve-reception and its efficacy. Four

  9. Framing a public health debate over alcohol advertising: the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth 2002-2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jernigan, David H

    2011-05-01

    The experiences of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth from 2002 to 2008 in re-framing a major public health issue and influencing public policy offer lessons for other public health movements. The Center pioneered new ways to use commercial market research data in public health surveillance and public debate. Combining a steady stream of reports and peer-reviewed articles with state and federal organizing and media advocacy, the Center re-framed a policy debate over alcohol marketing and youth, enabling measurable progress.

  10. Location Allocation of Health Care Centers Using Geographical Information System: region 11 of Tehran

    OpenAIRE

    Mohsen Ahadnejad; Hosein Ghaderi; Mohammad Hadian; Payam Haghighatfard; Banafsheh Darvishi; Elham Haghighatfard; Bitasadat Zegordi; Arash Bordbar

    2015-01-01

     Background & Objective: Location allocation of healthcare centers facilitates the accessibility of health services and the lack of proper distribution of these centers leads to increasing problems of citizens' access to these centers. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the distribution of healthcare centers in the region of the study and to determine deprived areas from this services. Materials & Methods: This research is a case study that has b...

  11. Integrating a Nurse-Midwife-Led Oral Health Intervention Into CenteringPregnancy Prenatal Care: Results of a Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Sally H; Gregorich, Steven E; Rising, Sharon S; Hutchison, Margaret; Chung, Lisa H

    2017-07-01

    National and professional organizations recommend oral health promotion in prenatal care to improve women's oral health. However, few prenatal programs include education about oral health promotion. The objective of this study was to determine if women receiving a brief, low-cost, and sustainable educational intervention entitled CenteringPregnancy Oral Health Promotion had clinically improved oral health compared to women receiving standard CenteringPregnancy care. Women attending CenteringPregnancy, a group prenatal care model, at 4 health centers in the San Francisco Bay Area, participated in this nonrandomized controlled pilot study in 2010 to 2011. The intervention arm received the CenteringPregnancy Oral Health Promotion intervention consisting of two 15-minute skills-based educational modules addressing maternal and infant oral health, each module presented in a separate CenteringPregnancy prenatal care session. The present analysis focused on the maternal module that included facilitated discussions and skills-building activities including proper tooth brushing. The control arm received standard CenteringPregnancy prenatal care. Dental examinations and questionnaires were administered prior to and approximately 9 weeks postintervention. Primary outcomes included the Plaque Index, percent bleeding on probing, and percent of gingival pocket depths 4 mm or greater. Secondary outcomes were self-reported oral health knowledge, attitudes (importance and self-efficacy), and behaviors (tooth brushing and flossing). Regression models tested whether pre to post changes in outcomes differed between the intervention versus the control arms. One hundred and one women participated in the study; 49 were in the intervention arm, and 52 were in the control arm. The control and intervention arms did not vary significantly at baseline. Significant pre to post differences were noted between the arms with significant improvements in the intervention arm for the Plaque Index

  12. Patient safety goals for the proposed Federal Health Information Technology Safety Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sittig, Dean F; Classen, David C; Singh, Hardeep

    2015-03-01

    The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is expected to oversee creation of a Health Information Technology (HIT) Safety Center. While its functions are still being defined, the center is envisioned as a public-private entity focusing on promotion of HIT related patient safety. We propose that the HIT Safety Center leverages its unique position to work with key administrative and policy stakeholders, healthcare organizations (HCOs), and HIT vendors to achieve four goals: (1) facilitate creation of a nationwide 'post-marketing' surveillance system to monitor HIT related safety events; (2) develop methods and governance structures to support investigation of major HIT related safety events; (3) create the infrastructure and methods needed to carry out random assessments of HIT related safety in complex HCOs; and (4) advocate for HIT safety with government and private entities. The convening ability of a federally supported HIT Safety Center could be critically important to our transformation to a safe and effective HIT enabled healthcare system. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  13. NIEHS/EPA Children’s Environmental Health Centers: Lifecourse Exposures & Diet: Epigenetics, Maturation & Metabolic Syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University studies long-term health of urban pollutants on children raised in minority neighborhoods in inner-city communities.

  14. An HIT Solution for Clinical Care and Disaster Planning: How One health Center in Joplin, MO Survived a Tornado and Avoided a Health Information Disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Peter; Jacobs, Feygele

    2012-01-01

    Since taking office, President Obama has made substantial investments in promoting the diffusion of health information technology (IT). The objective of the national health IT program is, generally, to enable health care providers to better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of health information. Through the use of technologies including electronic health records, providers can better maintain patient care information and facilitate communication, often improving care outcomes. The recent tornado in Joplin, MO highlights the importance of health information technology in the health center context, and illustrates the importance of secure electronic health information systems as a crucial element of disaster and business continuity planning. This article examines the experience of a community health center in the aftermath of the major tornado that swept through the American Midwest in the spring of 2011, and provides insight into the planning for disaster survival and recovery as it relates to patient records and health center data.

  15. Missed Opportunities for Chronic Diseases Prevention in a Primary Health Care Center in Istanbul

    OpenAIRE

    Ahmet Topuzoglu; Seyhan Hidiroglu; M.Fatih Onsuz; Gulsen Polat

    2011-01-01

    Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate missed opportunities about chronic diseases and related risk factors in a primary health care center in Istanbul. Method: This cross sectional study was held in a Primary Health Care Center in Istanbul with the study population consisted of 500 people which were applicated in one month period. Participants were asked; if they were questioned by their physician about major risk factors (smoking, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coroner hear...

  16. A simple method for serving Web hypermaps with dynamic database drill-down

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carson Ewart R

    2002-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background HealthCyberMap http://healthcybermap.semanticweb.org aims at mapping parts of health information cyberspace in novel ways to deliver a semantically superior user experience. This is achieved through "intelligent" categorisation and interactive hypermedia visualisation of health resources using metadata, clinical codes and GIS. HealthCyberMap is an ArcView 3.1 project. WebView, the Internet extension to ArcView, publishes HealthCyberMap ArcView Views as Web client-side imagemaps. The basic WebView set-up does not support any GIS database connection, and published Web maps become disconnected from the original project. A dedicated Internet map server would be the best way to serve HealthCyberMap database-driven interactive Web maps, but is an expensive and complex solution to acquire, run and maintain. This paper describes HealthCyberMap simple, low-cost method for "patching" WebView to serve hypermaps with dynamic database drill-down functionality on the Web. Results The proposed solution is currently used for publishing HealthCyberMap GIS-generated navigational information maps on the Web while maintaining their links with the underlying resource metadata base. Conclusion The authors believe their map serving approach as adopted in HealthCyberMap has been very successful, especially in cases when only map attribute data change without a corresponding effect on map appearance. It should be also possible to use the same solution to publish other interactive GIS-driven maps on the Web, e.g., maps of real world health problems.

  17. The quality of health care services provided in health care centers of Khorramabad using SERVQUAL model in 2010

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    mohammad javad tarrahi

    2012-06-01

    Conclusion: Expectations of the clients in all aspects of offering services are beyond than their perceptions, and needed to improve the quality of offering services in these centers in all the dimensions especially empathy dimension. It is recommended that the quality of the offering services be assessed periodically in these centers and intervene to improve the delivering of health services.

  18. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Patient-Centered Medical Home: A Critical Analysis and Lessons Learned.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budgen, Jacqueline; Cantiello, John

    This article provides a detailed examination of the pros and cons associated with patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs). Opinions and findings from those who have studied PCMHs and those who have been directly involved with this type of health care model are outlined. Key lessons from providers are detailed, and critical success factors are highlighted. This synthesized analysis serves to lend evidence to health care managers and providers who are considering implementation of the PCMH model.

  19. The status of interprofessional education and interprofessional prevention education in academic health centers: a national baseline study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greer, Annette G; Clay, Maria; Blue, Amy; Evans, Clyde H; Garr, David

    2014-05-01

    Given the emphasis on prevention in U.S. health care reform efforts, the importance of interprofessional education (IPE) that prepares health professions students to be part of effective health care teams is greater than ever. This study examined the prevalence and nature of IPE and interprofessional (IP) prevention education in U.S. academic health centers. The authors extracted a 10-item survey from the longer published IPE Assessment and Planning Instrument. In September 2010, they sent the survey to 346 health professions leaders in health sciences schools and colleges at 100 academic health centers. These institutions were identified via the online membership list of the Association of Academic Health Centers. The authors conducted descriptive statistical analysis and cross-tabulations. Surveys were completed by 127 contacts at 68 universities in 31 states and the District of Columbia. IPE was more prevalent than IP prevention education in all categories of measurement. Respondents affirmed existence of IPE in courses (85.0%) and in clinical rotations/internships (80.3%). The majority reported personnel with responsibility for IPE (68.5%) or prevention education (59.8%) at their institutional unit, and 59.8% reported an IPE office or center. This study provides evidence that IPE and IP prevention education exist in academic health centers, but additional attention should be paid to the development of IP prevention education. Sample syllabi, job descriptions, and policies may be available to support adoption of IPE and IP prevention education. Further effort is needed to increase the integration of IP and prevention education into practice.

  20. Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling of the Influences of Family-Centered Care on Parent and Child Psychological Health

    OpenAIRE

    Dunst, Carl J.; Trivette, Carol M.

    2009-01-01

    Background. Family-centered care is now practiced throughout the world by physicians, nurses, and allied health care professionals. The call for adoption of family-centered care is based on the contention that the physical and psychological health of a child is influenced by parents' psychological health where family-centered care enhances parent well-being which in turn influences child well-being. We empirically assessed whether these relationships are supported by available evidence. M...

  1. 75 FR 55588 - Family-to-Family Health Information Center Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-13

    ... resources, financing, related services and parent-to-parent support for families with children and youth... make informed health care decisions, be full partners in decision-making and access needed resources/referrals and financing for those services in the state of Florida. It is also imperative that the center...

  2. The Evolving Academic Health Center: Challenges and Opportunities for Psychiatry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirin, Steven; Summergrad, Paul

    2011-01-01

    Objective: Regardless of the outcome of current efforts at healthcare reform, the resources that academic health centers need--to provide care for increasingly complex patient populations, support clinical innovation, grow the clinical enterprise, and carry out their research and teaching missions--are in jeopardy. This article examines the value…

  3. The Cost analysis of cervical cancer screening services provided by Damavand health center in 2013

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arezoo Chouhdari

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Today, the health sector in many countries is facing with severe resource constraints; hence it is absolutely necessary that cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness assessment have a major role in design of health services. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost-benefit and effectiveness of cervical cancer screening service (Pap smear test done by the health centers in Damavand County in 2013.  Methods: This is a descriptive study with cross-sectional method. All data was extracted from existing documents in Damavand health network.Cost of service screening for doing Pap smear test (manpower costs of performing the service, the cost of transferring samples, water, electricity, telephone and gas was estimated in all health centers then results, were compared with the incomes of this service.  Results: Screening program coverage was 22.3%, 6.9% and 6.05% in 2011, 2012 and 2013 respectively. All costs and incomes of units performing Pap smear screening test were calculated. Entire costs and incomes of this service during 2013 were respectively 303,009,000 and 11,640,000 RLS equal $12,227 and $496.73. Therefore, the cost-benefit ratio of this screening test was approximately 0.040.  Conclusion: The costs of units performing cervical cancer screening test in Damavand Health Center were much more than this benefit and because of a none-positive Pap smear test in spite of high cost, performing this test in Damavand health centers was not cost effective.

  4. Readiness of healthcare providers for eHealth: the case from primary healthcare centers in Lebanon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saleh, Shadi; Khodor, Rawya; Alameddine, Mohamad; Baroud, Maysa

    2016-11-10

    eHealth can positively impact the efficiency and quality of healthcare services. Its potential benefits extend to the patient, healthcare provider, and organization. Primary healthcare (PHC) settings may particularly benefit from eHealth. In these settings, healthcare provider readiness is key to successful eHealth implementation. Accordingly, it is necessary to explore the potential readiness of providers to use eHealth tools. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the readiness of healthcare providers working in PHC centers in Lebanon to use eHealth tools. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess participants' socio-demographics, computer use, literacy, and access, and participants' readiness for eHealth implementation (appropriateness, management support, change efficacy, personal beneficence). The study included primary healthcare providers (physicians, nurses, other providers) working in 22 PHC centers distributed across Lebanon. Descriptive and bivariate analyses (ANOVA, independent t-test, Kruskal Wallis, Tamhane's T2) were used to compare participant characteristics to the level of readiness for the implementation of eHealth. Of the 541 questionnaires, 213 were completed (response rate: 39.4 %). The majority of participants were physicians (46.9 %), and nurses (26.8 %). Most physicians (54.0 %), nurses (61.4 %), and other providers (50.9 %) felt comfortable using computers, and had access to computers at their PHC center (physicians: 77.0 %, nurses: 87.7 %, others: 92.5 %). Frequency of computer use varied. The study found a significant difference for personal beneficence, management support, and change efficacy among different healthcare providers, and relative to participants' level of comfort using computers. There was a significant difference by level of comfort using computers and appropriateness. A significant difference was also found between those with access to computers in relation to personal beneficence and

  5. Programming and Process in Prisoner Rehabilitation: A Prison Mental Health Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, James A., III; Faubert, Marie

    1990-01-01

    Reviews literature concerning men in prisons. Describes specific program at a prison mental health center which prepares men for reentry into society. Closes with reflections on one man's struggle to grow and prepare for the outside. (CM)

  6. Designing a patient-centered personal health record to promote preventive care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krist Alex H

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Evidence-based preventive services offer profound health benefits, yet Americans receive only half of indicated care. A variety of government and specialty society policy initiatives are promoting the adoption of information technologies to engage patients in their care, such as personal health records, but current systems may not utilize the technology's full potential. Methods Using a previously described model to make information technology more patient-centered, we developed an interactive preventive health record (IPHR designed to more deeply engage patients in preventive care and health promotion. We recruited 14 primary care practices to promote the IPHR to all adult patients and sought practice and patient input in designing the IPHR to ensure its usability, salience, and generalizability. The input involved patient usability tests, practice workflow observations, learning collaboratives, and patient feedback. Use of the IPHR was measured using practice appointment and IPHR databases. Results The IPHR that emerged from this process generates tailored patient recommendations based on guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and other organizations. It extracts clinical data from the practices' electronic medical record and obtains health risk assessment information from patients. Clinical content is translated and explained in lay language. Recommendations review the benefits and uncertainties of services and possible actions for patients and clinicians. Embedded in recommendations are self management tools, risk calculators, decision aids, and community resources - selected to match patient's clinical circumstances. Within six months, practices had encouraged 14.4% of patients to use the IPHR (ranging from 1.5% to 28.3% across the 14 practices. Practices successfully incorporated the IPHR into workflow, using it to prepare patients for visits, augment health behavior counseling, explain test results

  7. University of Illinois FRIENDS Children’s Environmental Health Center

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The FRIENDS Children's Environmental Health Center at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, was established in 2001 to investigate the interactive effects of...

  8. Healing leadership: the serving leader's impact on patient outcomes in a clinical environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andenoro A

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Chris Nagel1, Anthony C Andenoro21Medical Operations – Continuous Improvement, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; 2Department of Organizational Leadership, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, USAAbstract: The future of health care is a topic that has significant importance to patients and caregivers alike for generations to come. As the health care industry becomes more complex, leadership and the examination of how to most effectively apply it to meet efficiency standards and optimize the patient experience will become paramount. Through this paper the authors provide the foundation for meeting this need through an innovative and socially adept framework that identifies the critical character attributes of a serving leader and the powerful impact that serving leaders can have on patient outcomes in the health care setting. This framework is grounded in a leadership theoretical foundation and contextually examined through qualitative methods. As the business of health care becomes more complex and more competitive, finding ways to improve processes and create healing environments conducive to improved patient outcomes will differentiate average health care and excellent health care in the future. This paper provides the impetus for successfully addressing these needs through the development of serving leaders, and three specific characteristics: emotional care, presence, and awareness.Keywords: servant leadership, health care, patient outcomes

  9. Competitive service centers location in the cities with aim to reduce traffic (Case study: Health centers location in the city if Isfahan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamid Moradi

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract   Distribution of goods and services in cities is of utmost importance. Selecting appropriate venues for different service centers in a city not only enables the citizens to access these services much more easily, but also reduces the traffic load caused by trips made to reach them. Unfortunately, the lack of a correct urban planning has led to inappropriate formation of many cities around the world in terms of the locations assumed for different service centers. Since the private sector has been given the responsibility to construct most of these centers, changing their current locations may be restricted due to legal obligations. Therefore, it seems necessary for the government to construct new service centers with high competitive facilities to attract customers and to compete with those built by the private sector. In this paper, the selection of appropriate locations to construct new service centers has been studied. Such locations have been selected in a way to fulfill goals such as rapid and easy accessibility for the customers and reduction of traffic drawbacks caused by the related trips. In this regard, a model for service centers with restricted capacity has been designed and a parallel simulated annealing algorithm has been proposed to solve it. Finally, the proposed algorithm has been utilized to locate the health centers around the city of Isfahan and its efficiency has been investigated. The findings highlight the accuracy and speed of the proposed algorithm in location of the health centers of Isfahan.

  10. Reducing no-show behavior at a community mental health center

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dieren, Q van; Rijckmans, M.J.N.; Mathijssen, J.J.P.; Lobbestael, J.; Arntz, A.R.

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this study was to examine whether an easy to apply no-show policy can substantially reduce no-show behavior of 16–25-year-old clients undergoing individual outpatient treatment at a community mental health center. After introduction of the new no-show policy, the no-show percentage

  11. Effects of a randomized intervention to improve workplace social capital in community health centers in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xiaojie; Zhang, Nan; Liu, Kun; Li, Wen; Oksanen, Tuula; Shi, Lizheng

    2014-01-01

    To examine whether workplace social capital improved after implementing a workplace social capital intervention in community health centers in China. This study was conducted in 20 community health centers of similar size in Jinan of China during 2012-2013. Using the stratified site randomization, 10 centers were randomized into the intervention group; one center was excluded due to leadership change in final analyses. The baseline survey including 447 staff (response rate: 93.1%) was conducted in 2012, and followed by a six-month workplace social capital intervention, including team building courses for directors of community health centers, voluntarily public services, group psychological consultation, and outdoor training. The follow-up survey in July 2013 was responded to by 390 staff members (response rate: 86.9%). Workplace social capital was assessed with the translated and culturally adapted scale, divided into vertical and horizontal dimensions. The facility-level intervention effects were based on all baseline (n = 427) and follow-up (n = 377) respondents, except for Weibei respondents. We conducted a bivariate Difference-in-Difference analysis to estimate the facility-level intervention effects. No statistically significant intervention effects were observed at the center level; the intervention increased the facility-level workplace social capital, and its horizontal and vertical dimensions by 1.0 (p = 0.24), 0.4 (p = 0.46) and 0.8 (p = 0.16), respectively. The comprehensive intervention seemed to slightly improve workplace social capital in community health centers of urban China at the center level. High attrition rate limits any causal interpretation of the results. Further studies are warranted to test these findings.

  12. Information system success model for customer relationship management system in health promotion centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Wona; Rho, Mi Jung; Park, Jiyun; Kim, Kwang-Jum; Kwon, Young Dae; Choi, In Young

    2013-06-01

    Intensified competitiveness in the healthcare industry has increased the number of healthcare centers and propelled the introduction of customer relationship management (CRM) systems to meet diverse customer demands. This study aimed to develop the information system success model of the CRM system by investigating previously proposed indicators within the model. THE EVALUATION AREAS OF THE CRM SYSTEM INCLUDES THREE AREAS: the system characteristics area (system quality, information quality, and service quality), the user area (perceived usefulness and user satisfaction), and the performance area (personal performance and organizational performance). Detailed evaluation criteria of the three areas were developed, and its validity was verified by a survey administered to CRM system users in 13 nationwide health promotion centers. The survey data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling method, and the results confirmed that the model is feasible. Information quality and service quality showed a statistically significant relationship with perceived usefulness and user satisfaction. Consequently, the perceived usefulness and user satisfaction had significant influence on individual performance as well as an indirect influence on organizational performance. This study extends the research area on information success from general information systems to CRM systems in health promotion centers applying a previous information success model. This lays a foundation for evaluating health promotion center systems and provides a useful guide for successful implementation of hospital CRM systems.

  13. Information System Success Model for Customer Relationship Management System in Health Promotion Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Wona; Rho, Mi Jung; Park, Jiyun; Kim, Kwang-Jum; Kwon, Young Dae

    2013-01-01

    Objectives Intensified competitiveness in the healthcare industry has increased the number of healthcare centers and propelled the introduction of customer relationship management (CRM) systems to meet diverse customer demands. This study aimed to develop the information system success model of the CRM system by investigating previously proposed indicators within the model. Methods The evaluation areas of the CRM system includes three areas: the system characteristics area (system quality, information quality, and service quality), the user area (perceived usefulness and user satisfaction), and the performance area (personal performance and organizational performance). Detailed evaluation criteria of the three areas were developed, and its validity was verified by a survey administered to CRM system users in 13 nationwide health promotion centers. The survey data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling method, and the results confirmed that the model is feasible. Results Information quality and service quality showed a statistically significant relationship with perceived usefulness and user satisfaction. Consequently, the perceived usefulness and user satisfaction had significant influence on individual performance as well as an indirect influence on organizational performance. Conclusions This study extends the research area on information success from general information systems to CRM systems in health promotion centers applying a previous information success model. This lays a foundation for evaluating health promotion center systems and provides a useful guide for successful implementation of hospital CRM systems. PMID:23882416

  14. 75 FR 17754 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics, (BSC, NCHS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-07

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of...) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and... name, address, telephone number, and organizational affiliation of the presenter. Written comments...

  15. COLLAGE 360: A Model of Person-Centered Care To Promote Health Among Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, Elizabeth P; Schreiber, Robert; Morris, John N; Russotto, Aline; Flashner-Fineman, Susan

    2016-01-01

    Health care leaders and providers have introduced the assumption the typical elder, even in the presence of complex, chronic disease and prevailing illness, is capable of assuming greater personal responsibility for their health care, with a shift from provider-centered to a person-centered model of care. For older adults who often and repeatedly face challenges managing and maintaining their health status, guidance and support is needed. In this study, COLLAGE 360 , a comprehensive assessment system and wellness coaching program that focuses on prevention and wellness, care coordination and self-management of health care was implemented in one continuing care retirement community. Following completion of two assessment tools via directed conversation with a wellness coach, older adults developed an individualized vitality plan that outlined life goals, supporting goals and action plans for goal achievement. Results from this program suggest engagement in the assessment and wellness coaching process via the COLLAGE 360 program translated into sample older adults sensing that they live in a more supportive environment when compared with elders not receiving any wellness coaching. In addition, the older adults had positive effects in the areas of mood, loneliness, social interaction, health status, and life satisfaction. Strategies to improve health and well being need an extended focus beyond the older adult's medical conditions and consider psychological, spiritual and social needs with personal preferences being paramount. These issues are foundational to a person-centered, health promotion approach needed among this population.

  16. Access to patient-centered medical home among Ohio's Children with Special Health Care Needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conrey, Elizabeth J; Seidu, Dazar; Ryan, Norma J; Chapman, Dj Sam

    2013-06-01

    Medical homes deliver primary care that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family centered, coordinated, compassionate and culturally effective. Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) require a wide range of support to maintain health, making medical home access particularly important. We sought to understand independent risk factors for lacking access. We analyzed Ohio, USA data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (2005-2006). Among CSHCN, 55.6% had medical home access. The proportion achieving each medical home component was highest for having a personal doctor/nurse and lowest for receiving coordinated care, family-centered care and referrals. Specific subsets of CSHCN were significantly and independently more likely to lack medical home access: Hispanic (AOR=3.08), moderate/high severity of difficulty (AOR=2.84), and any public insurance (AOR=1.60). Efforts to advance medical home access must give special attention to these CSHCN populations and improvements must be made to referral access, family-centered care, and care coordination.

  17. Assessment of health community at the level of Health center Rakovica: Goals and opportunities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Šćepanović Aleksandar

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Assessment of the health status of the population is the foundation for troubleshooting health of the community. For this first step in solving the problems of health need to have adequate data. The basis for the registration of medical information is medical documentation. The aim is to assess the role and place of assessment of the health status of the community according to the literature in this field. We analyzed the available literature in the field of social medicine and health statistics, enlightened assessment of health in the community. The data necessary for determining the state of health can be related to many characteristics. The data can be accessed: review of available medical records and life statistics. Data analysis is performed with respect to the individual, family, group or the entire community. Based on the analysis and evaluation of health status can begin activities in the planning of preventive measures that should be implemented. To evaluate prevention plan is necessary to select and collect the appropriate data for the evaluation. The analysis and evaluation of individuals involved in cooperation with a team of health care health center for the level of Rakovica. Based on the good judgment of health condition can make appropriate plans of action to protect the health of the community.

  18. Application of Suresight handheld auto-refractometer in refraction screening for infants in Community Health Service Center

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li-Hua Guo

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To observe the application of Suresight handheld auto-refractometer in measuring diopter of infants in Community Health Service Center. METHODS:Totally 836 cases(1 672 eyesfrom June 2013 to December 2013 were examined diopter of infants by Suresight handheld auto-refractometer in Community Health Service Center. RESULTS: Within 1 672 eyes of 836 infants were examined, 202 eyes were diagnosed ametropia, 38 eyes were suspicious, 240 eyes were transferred to the department of ophthalmology, the referral rate was 14.35%; 172 eyes were diagnosed ametropia, and the diagnosis rate of the referral patients was 71.67%. Among 172 eyes, 46 eyes were provided with corrected glasses, accounting for 2.75% of the number of screening, and 126 eyes were given intensive monitoring, accounting for 7.54% of the number of screening.CONCLUSION: Application of Suresight handheld auto-refractometer in refraction screening for infants in Community Health Service Center is convenient and effective. With two-way referral between community health service center and department of ophthalmology can monitor and intervene vision development of infants much earlier.

  19. Zebrafish Health Conditions in the China Zebrafish Resource Center and 20 Major Chinese Zebrafish Laboratories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Liyue; Pan, Luyuan; Li, Kuoyu; Zhang, Yun; Zhu, Zuoyan; Sun, Yonghua

    2016-07-01

    In China, the use of zebrafish as an experimental animal in the past 15 years has widely expanded. The China Zebrafish Resource Center (CZRC), which was established in 2012, is becoming one of the major resource centers in the global zebrafish community. Large-scale use and regular exchange of zebrafish resources have put forward higher requirements on zebrafish health issues in China. This article reports the current aquatic infrastructure design, animal husbandry, and health-monitoring programs in the CZRC. Meanwhile, through a survey of 20 Chinese zebrafish laboratories, we also describe the current health status of major zebrafish facilities in China. We conclude that it is of great importance to establish a widely accepted health standard and health-monitoring strategy in the Chinese zebrafish research community.

  20. Impacts of Initial Transformation to a Patient-Centered Medical Home on Diabetes Outcomes in Federally Qualified Health Centers in Florida.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinsell, Heidi S; Hall, Allyson G; Harman, Jeffrey S; Tewary, Sweta; Brickman, Andrew

    2017-10-01

    Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in Florida see large numbers of vulnerable patients with diabetes. Patient-centered medical home (PCMH) models can lead to improvements in health for patients with chronic conditions and cost savings for providers. Therefore, FQHCs are increasingly moving to PCMH models of care. The study objective was to examine the effects of initial transformation to a level 3 National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) certified PCMH in 2011, on clinical diabetes outcomes among 27 clinic sites from a network of FQHCs in Florida. We used de-identified, longitudinal electronic health record (EHR) data from 2010-2012 and multivariate logistic regression to analyze the effects of initial transformation on the odds of having well-controlled HbA1c, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure (BP) among vulnerable patients with diabetes. Models controlled for clustering by year, patient, and organizational characteristics. Overall, transformation to a PCMH was associated with 19% greater odds of having well-controlled HbA1c values with no statistically significant impact on BMI or BP. Subanalyses showed transformation had less of an effect on BP for African American patients and HbA1c control for Medicare enrollees but a greater effect on weight control for patients older than 35 years. Transformation to a PCMH in FQHCs appears to improve the health of vulnerable patients with diabetes, with less improvement for subsets of patients. Future research should seek to understand the heterogeneous effects of patient-centered transformation on various subgroups.

  1. Care Coordination with Schools: The Role of Family-Centered Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnard-Brak, Lucy; Stevens, Tara; Carpenter, Julianna

    2017-05-01

    Objectives Family-centered care has been associated with positive outcomes for children with special health care needs. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship of family-centered care as associated with care coordination with schools and school absences (e.g., missed days) as reported by parents of children with special health care needs. Methods The current study utilized data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs 2009-201 (N = 40,242) to achieve this purpose. The National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs may be considered a nationally-representative and community-based sample of parent responses for children with special health care needs across the United States. Results Results from the current study indicate that family-centered care is associated with fewer absences and improved care coordination with schools when applicable. The variables of functional difficulties, poverty level, and the number of conditions were statistically controlled. Conclusions We suggest that the positive influence of family-centered care when practiced extends beyond the family and interacts with educational outcomes. We also suggest that the role of schools appears to be under-studied given the role that schools can play in family-centered care.

  2. 75 FR 82030 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics (BSC, NCHS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of...) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and... below. All requests must contain the name, address, telephone number, and organizational affiliation of...

  3. 77 FR 22326 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics, (BSC, NCHS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of...) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and..., and organizational affiliation of the presenter. Written comments should not exceed five single-spaced...

  4. Care team identification in the electronic health record: A critical first step for patient-centered communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalal, Anuj K; Schnipper, Jeffrey L

    2016-05-01

    Patient-centered communication is essential to coordinate care and safely progress patients from admission through discharge. Hospitals struggle with improving the complex and increasingly electronic conversation patterns among care team members, patients, and caregivers to achieve effective patient-centered communication across settings. Accurate and reliable identification of all care team members is a precursor to effective patient-centered communication and ideally should be facilitated by the electronic health record. However, the process of identifying care team members is challenging, and team lists in the electronic health record are typically neither accurate nor reliable. Based on the literature and on experience from 2 initiatives at our institution, we outline strategies to improve care team identification in the electronic health record and discuss potential implications for patient-centered communication. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016;11:381-385. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine.

  5. Developing Collaborative Maternal and Child Health Leaders: A Descriptive Study of the National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarke, Alina Nadira; Cilenti, Dorothy

    2018-01-01

    Purpose An assessment of the National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center (the Center) was conducted to describe (1) effects of the Center's training on the use of collaborative leadership practices by MCH leaders, and (2) perceived barriers to collaboration for MCH leaders. The Center provides services to strengthen MCH professionals' skills in three core areas: Change Management/Adaptive Leadership, Evidence-Based Decision Making, and Systems Integration. Description This descriptive qualitative study compares eight interview responses from a sample of the Center's participants and findings from a document review of the training curriculum against an existing framework of collaborative leadership themes. Assessment Systems thinking tools and related training were highly referenced, and the interviewees often related process-based leadership practices with their applied learning health transformation projects. Perceived barriers to sustaining collaborative work included: (1) a tendency for state agencies to have siloed priorities, (2) difficulty achieving a consensus to move a project forward without individual partners disengaging, (3) strained organizational partnerships when the individual representative leaves that partnering organization, and (4) difficulty in sustaining project-based partnerships past the short term. Conclusion The findings in this study suggest that investments in leadership development training for MCH professionals, such as the Center, can provide opportunities for participants to utilize collaborative leadership practices.

  6. Influence of Human Factor Issues on Patient-Centered mHealth Apps' Impact; Where Do We Stand?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wildenbos, G A; Peute, L W; Jaspers, M W M

    2016-01-01

    This paper discusses the preliminary results of a literature review on studies published in 2014-2015 concerning patient-centered mHealth applications' (apps) impact. Abstracts were included when they described a mHealth app targeted at patients and reported on the effects of this app on patient care. From a total of 559 potentially relevant articles, 17 papers were finally included. Nine studies reported a positive impact of the patient-centered mHealth app on patient care; 4 of these studies were randomized controlled trials. Measured impacts in the 17 studies focused on improving patients' physical activity, self-efficacy and medication adherence. Human factors issues potentially mediating these effects were discussed in all studies. Transitions in the interaction between healthcare providers and their patients were most often discussed as influencing the impact of the mHealth app. More research is needed, focussing on human issues mediating the effect of patient-centered mHealth apps to precipitate knowledge on the effectiveness of mHealth. This research should preferably be guided by socio-technical models.

  7. The Effectiveness of Education Based on BASNEF Model Program in Promotion of Preventive Behavior of Leishmaniasis among Health Workers and Families under Health Centers Coverage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Khani Jeihooni

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Background & Objective: Intervention of educational training in order to prevent the leishmaniasis in endemic areas seems necessary. This study was implemented with the aim of assessing the effectiveness of education based on BASNEF Model program in promotion of preventive behavior of leishmaniasis among Health workers and families under the coverage of Health centers. Materials & Methods: An intervention study was carried out in rural health centers during 2009. Questionnaires were completed by 20 health- workers of two rural health centers. Also 20 families under the coverage of this health centers were randomly selected to complete the questionnaire. Then four training sessions for health workers and 2 training sessions for the influential individuals were conducted to increase the enabling factors and solving their problems, weekly meetings was held with health workers representatives. After three months of health workers training the data were collected again and analyzed via Chi- Square, T Independent, T pair, Regression and Mann- Whitney statistics. Results: The mean score for to knowledge, attitude, behavior intension, enabling factors and health workers behaviors significantly increased after educational intervention in experimental group and influential individuals. The mean scores for knowledge, attitude, behavior intension, enabling factors and the behavior of attendant families under coverage also increased significantly. Conclusion: Educational program of BASNEF Model, leads to behavior change of health workers and eventually their training behavior leads to preventive actions in families under coverage.

  8. Crossing the patient-centered divide: transforming health care quality through enhanced faculty development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frankel, Richard M; Eddins-Folensbee, Florence; Inui, Thomas S

    2011-04-01

    In the report "Crossing the Quality Chasm," the Institute of Medicine asserted that patient-centered care is one of the six domains of quality. In this article, the authors consider how the patient- and relationship-centered components of quality can be achieved in all aspects of medical care. They suggest that faculty development in three key areas-mindful practice, formation, and training in communication skills-is necessary to achieve patient- and relationship-centeredness.The authors first review the philosophical and scientific foundations of patient-centered and relationship-centered care. They next describe and provide concrete examples to illustrate the underlying theory and practices associated with each of the three faculty development areas. They then propose five key areas for faculty development in patient- and relationship-centered care: (1) making it a central competency in all health care interactions, (2) developing a national curriculum framework, (3) requiring performance metrics for professional development, (4) partnering with national health care organizations to disseminate the curriculum framework, and (5) preserving face-to-face educational methods for delivering key elements of the curriculum. Finally, the authors consider the issues faced in faculty development today in light of the medical education issues Abraham Flexner identified more than a century ago. © by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

  9. Needs Assessment for Creating a Patient-Centered, Community-Engaged Health Program for Homeless Pregnant Women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tegan Ake

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Women who experience homelessness during pregnancy have poorer birth outcomes than the general population. This exploratory research describes the needs assessment of homeless women currently living at a shelter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to identify unmet needs related to maternal and infant perinatal health as the first step in designing a mutually beneficial patient-centered service-learning program for medical students to address these needs. Methods: Two 1-hour focus groups were held at a shelter for women who are homeless and/or victims of domestic violence. A total of 13 women participated in each session; four medical students and a physician served as facilitators and scribes at each session. The facilitators alternated asking predetermined open- and close-ended questions, followed by discussion among participants. Questions elicited experiences during pregnancy, what went well, what women living in the shelter struggled with, and what support they wished for but did not have. Scribes captured the conversation through hand-written notes and used content analysis in order of frequency. Results: Thirteen themes were identified. The 5 most frequently identified themes were a need for pregnancy education, access/transportation, baby care, advocacy, and material necessities. Participating shelter residents and the medical students expressed interest in working with one another and forming a long-term partnership with the shelter. Conclusions: Results of this needs assessment will inform the creation of a new shelter-based medical education program that will meet homeless women’s needs while preparing medical students for patient-centered, community-responsive care.

  10. Lower Savannah aging, disability & transportation resource center : regional travel management and coordination center (TMCC) model and demonstration project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-10-01

    This report details the deployed technology and implementation experiences of the Lower Savannah Aging, Disability & Transportation : Resource Center in Aiken, South Carolina, which served as the regional Travel Management and Coordination Center (TM...

  11. An Employee-Centered Care Model Responds to the Triple Aim: Improving Employee Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Kelly; McCorkle, Ruth

    2018-01-01

    Health care expenditures, patient satisfaction, and timely access to care will remain problematic if dramatic changes in health care delivery models are not developed and implemented. To combat this challenge, a Triple Aim approach is essential; Innovation in payment and health care delivery models is required. Using the Donabedian framework of structure, process, and outcome, this article describes a nurse-led employee-centered care model designed to improve consumers' health care experiences, improve employee health, and increase access to care while reducing health care costs for employees, age 18 and older, in a corporate environment.

  12. A Growing Opportunity: Community Gardens Affiliated with US Hospitals and Academic Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    George, Daniel R; Rovniak, Liza S; Kraschnewski, Jennifer L; Hanson, Ryan; Sciamanna, Christopher N

    Community gardens can reduce public health disparities through promoting physical activity and healthy eating, growing food for underserved populations, and accelerating healing from injury or disease. Despite their potential to contribute to comprehensive patient care, no prior studies have investigated the prevalence of community gardens affiliated with US healthcare institutions, and the demographic characteristics of communities served by these gardens. In 2013, national community garden databases, scientific abstracts, and public search engines (e.g., Google Scholar) were used to identify gardens. Outcomes included the prevalence of hospital-based community gardens by US regions, and demographic characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, education, household income, and obesity rates) of communities served by gardens. There were 110 healthcare-based gardens, with 39 in the Midwest, 25 in the South, 24 in the Northeast, and 22 in the West. Compared to US population averages, communities served by healthcare-based gardens had similar demographic characteristics, but significantly lower rates of obesity (27% versus 34%, p gardens are located in regions that are demographically representative of the US population, and are associated with lower rates of obesity in communities they serve.

  13. Center for Contaminated Sediments

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Center for Contaminated Sediments serves as a clearinghouse for technology and expertise concerned with contaminated sediments. The...

  14. A Research on Patient Satisfaction with Primary Health Care in the Center of Afyonkarahisar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nazli Sensoy

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Aim: Patient satisfaction is an important indicator to evaluate the quality of primary health care service. It is also significant to improve the quality of medical care, expectation from health staff, priority of patient needs, views and feedbacks about medical services in primary health care. Our objective in this study is to determine the patient satisfaction and the factors effecting this aspect in the evaluation of primary health care quality. Material and Method: This research was carried out in one Mother and Child Health and Family Planning Centre and nine Health Centers in January 2009 at Afyonkarahisar center. The questionnaire was performed to investigate the degree of satisfaction about health services, and socio-demographic characteristics of patients admitted to primary health care by face to face interview method. The data was evaluated by SPSS 15.00.Results: 1227 patients participating in the study, 809 women and 418 were male, married 878, 290 were single.Their education level was 408 graduated from primary school. At the same time, their job distributions were 596 housewives, 133 retired. When the patients had health problems, the most preferable institutione was health center, the choice of the reasons they were satisfied with the services in general, determined as to obtain quick results and confidence in solving problems.75% of the patients waiting time for admission and registration procedures were 0-5minutes. The admission reasons were mostly physical examination and prescription. Patients who are male, aged above 50 years and low educated had much higher satisfaction levels. Discussion: As a result, decreased satisfaction with higher education level, satisfaction increased with increasing age and a short waiting period for the application-registration and examination procedures were being influenced patient satisfaction.

  15. [The role of county health center in the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krcmar, Nevenka; Pristas, Ivan; Stevanović, Ranko

    2009-02-01

    Health emergency service teams play an important role in the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome. They have to be educated, equipped, skilful and supported by the entire health care system. The role of county health center in the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome is illustrated in the article, based on the experience acquired at Medimurje County Health Center from Cakovec. The reformed Health Center activities including organization, coordination and linking of teams, population health monitoring at the local level, epidemiologic surveillance, education (active and passive, on both sides of college chair), joint diagnostic and other services, and quality control are discussed in detail. In contrast to a bureaucratic and formal one, a real and innovative reform should take account of necessary changes in the management and organization, not just in standards, rights and obligations. The management protocol for acute coronary syndrome patients is described: setting the main objective (acute coronary disease morbidity and mortality reduction), setting short-term and long-term specific goals, adoption of strategy based on the main objective (education, completion and particular programs pursuit, connecting, collaboration, quality assurance through clinical guidelines and protocols) and other elements, including dignity, leadership, teamwork, adoption and implementation of patient management protocols.

  16. A long and winding road: federally qualified health centers, community variation and prospects under reform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Aaron B; Felland, Laurie E; Hill, Ian; Stark, Lucy B

    2011-11-01

    Community health centers have evolved from fringe providers to mainstays of many local health care systems. Those designated as federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), in particular, have largely established themselves as key providers of comprehensive, efficient, high-quality primary care services to low-income people, especially Medicaid and uninsured patients. The Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC's) site visits to 12 nationally representative metropolitan communities since 1996 document substantial growth in FQHC capacity, based on growing numbers of Medicaid enrollees and uninsured people, increased federal support, and improved managerial acumen. At the same time, FQHC development has varied considerably across communities because of several important factors, including local health system characteristics and financial and political support at federal, state and local levels. Some communities--Boston; Syracuse, N.Y.; Miami; and Seattle--have relatively extensive FQHC capacity for their Medicaid and uninsured populations, while other communities--Lansing, Mich.; northern New Jersey; Indianapolis; and Greenville, S.C.--fall in the middle. FQHC growth in Phoenix; Little Rock, Ark.; Cleveland; and Orange County, Calif.; has lagged in comparison. Today, FQHCs seem poised to play a key role in federal health care reform, including coverage expansions and the emphasis on primary care and medical homes.

  17. School-Based Health Centers and Childhood Obesity: "An Ideal Location to Address a Complex Issue"

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, 2010

    2010-01-01

    One of today's most pressing public health problems is the rise in childhood overweight and obesity. School-based health centers (SBHCs)--the convergence of public health, primary care, and mental health in schools--represent an important element in the public health toolbox for combating the challenging epidemic. When working side-by-side in a…

  18. 75 FR 37814 - Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Office of Health Reform Statement of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-30

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Office of the Secretary Center for Faith-Based and... Reform (AAE),'' and Chapter AW, ``Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships,'' in the Office..., Chapter AA, Section AA.10 Organization, insert the following: ``Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood...

  19. Implementing the patient-centered medical home in complex adaptive systems: Becoming a relationship-centered patient-centered medical home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flieger, Signe Peterson

    This study explores the implementation experience of nine primary care practices becoming patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) as part of the New Hampshire Citizens Health Initiative Multi-Stakeholder Medical Home Pilot. The purpose of this study is to apply complex adaptive systems theory and relationship-centered organizations theory to explore how nine diverse primary care practices in New Hampshire implemented the PCMH model and to offer insights for how primary care practices can move from a structural PCMH to a relationship-centered PCMH. Eighty-three interviews were conducted with administrative and clinical staff at the nine pilot practices, payers, and conveners of the pilot between November and December 2011. The interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using both a priori and emergent themes. Although there is value in the structural components of the PCMH (e.g., disease registries), these structures are not enough. Becoming a relationship-centered PCMH requires attention to reflection, sensemaking, learning, and collaboration. This can be facilitated by settings aside time for communication and relationship building through structured meetings about PCMH components as well as the implementation process itself. Moreover, team-based care offers a robust opportunity to move beyond the structures to focus on relationships and collaboration. (a) Recognize that PCMH implementation is not a linear process. (b) Implementing the PCMH from a structural perspective is not enough. Although the National Committee for Quality Assurance or other guidelines can offer guidance on the structural components of PCMH implementation, this should serve only as a starting point. (c) During implementation, set aside structured time for reflection and sensemaking. (d) Use team-based care as a cornerstone of transformation. Reflect on team structures and also interactions of the team members. Taking the time to reflect will facilitate greater sensemaking and learning and

  20. Putting women at the center: a review of Indian policy to address person-centered care in maternal and newborn health, family planning and abortion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aradhana Srivastava

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Person-centered care is a critical component of quality care, essential to enable treatment adherence, and maximize health outcomes. Improving the quality of health services is a key strategy to achieve the new global target of zero preventable maternal deaths by 2030. Recognizing this, the Government of India has in the last decade initiated a number of strategies to address quality of care in health and family welfare services. Methods We conducted a policy review of quality improvement strategies in India from 2005 to 15, covering three critical areas– maternal and newborn health, family planning, and abortion (MNHFP + A. Based on Walt and Gilson’s policy triangle framework, we analyzed the extent to which policies incorporated person-centered care, while identifying unaddressed issues. Data was sourced from Government of India websites, scientific and grey literature databases. Results Twenty-two national policy documents, comprising two policy statements and 20 implementation guidelines of specific schemes were included in the review. Quality improvement strategies span infrastructure, commodities, human resources, competencies, and accountability that are driving quality assurance in MNHFP + A services. However, several implementation challenges have affected compliance with person-centered care, thereby affecting utilization and outcomes. Conclusion Focus on person-centered care in Indian MNHFP + A policy has increased in recent years. Nevertheless, some aspects must still be strengthened, such as positive interpersonal behavior, information sharing and promptness of care. Implementation can be improved through better provider training, patient feedback and monitoring mechanisms. Moreover, unless persisting structural challenges are addressed implementation of person-centered care in facilities will not be effective.

  1. Toss differences between the slice serve and the kick serve in tennis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Carboch

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Pre-contact information of servers' motion is important for receiving players in tennis. Objective: The aim of this study is to examine whether serving players use the same ball toss for kick serve (KS and slice serve (SS at two different directions of serves, from the receiver's view. Methods: 10 male right-handed professional tennis players with an average ATP ranking of 533 were videotaped from the receiver's view using a high-speed video camera (200 Hz. Firstly, they served SS and then KS from deuce court. After reaching 3 successful SS and 3 KS to the correct location, the same procedure followed from the ad court. Kinematic analysis was used to obtain the point of ball release, vertical toss peak and racquet-ball contact. Results: Even though the release point was found nearly in the same location, the vertical toss peak of KS was horizontally to the right compared to SS and the point of racquet ball-contact of KS was even more to the right by approximately 30 cm from the receiver's view. Similar findings were obtained from deuce court and ad court. Conclusions: We found differences in the ball toss execution between KS and SS. The serve toss can provide useful information for receiving players. Serving players should use the same toss for each type of serve to hide their intention.

  2. A notational analysis of elite tennis serve and serve-return strategies on slow surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillet, Eric; Leroy, David; Thouvarecq, Régis; Stein, Jean-François

    2009-03-01

    A notational analysis of singles events at the French Open Grand Slam tournament was undertaken in 2005 and 2006 to characterize the game patterns and strategies of serve and serve-return and to determine their influence on the point issue on a clay court surface. One hundred sixteen men's singles matches were video analyzed. The flat serve (57.6%), particularly down the "T" location (50.3%), allowed servers to win significantly more points than the topspin (24.1%) and slice serves (18.3%). When the topspin was the first serve strategy, servers kept a high percentage of points won from the serve (52.4%). This strategy was essentially used on the second serve (91.6%) by playing the "T" location in the deuce court and the wide zone in the advantage court. Returns to the central zone allowed receivers to win more points (73.3% on first serve and 65.9% on second serve) than plays to external locations. The results highlight the high impact of the first shots of all opponents on the rally. Even on clay, the slowest court surface, serves and serve-returns remain the strokes that most influence the match results in modern tennis games.

  3. Mental Health of Survivors of the 2010 Haitian Earthquake Living in the United States

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    2010-04-16

    Thousands of survivors of the 2010 Haitian Earthquake are currently living in the United States. This podcast features a brief non-disease-specific interview with Dr. Marc Safran, CDC's longest serving psychiatrist, about a few of the mental health challenges such survivors may face.  Created: 4/16/2010 by CDC Center of Attribution: Mental and Behavioral Health Team, 2010 CDC Haiti Earthquake Mission, CDC Emergency Operations Center.   Date Released: 5/6/2010.

  4. Evacuation of a mental health center during a forest fire in Israel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreinin, Anatoly; Shakera, Tatiana; Sheinkman, Ayala; Levi, Tamar; Tal, Vered; Polakiewicz, Jacob

    2014-08-01

    Tirat Carmel Mental Health Center was successfully evacuated in December 2010 during a ravaging forest fire in the nearby Carmel Mountains. A total of 228 patients were successfully evacuated from the center within 45 minutes. No fatalities or injuries associated with the evacuation occurred. We believe that the efficient functioning of the administrative and medical staff provides a replicable model that can contribute to the level of awareness and readiness of hospital staff members for natural and manmade disasters.

  5. A participatory evaluation framework in the establishment and implementation of transdisciplinary collaborative centers for health disparities research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scarinci, Isabel C; Moore, Artisha; Benjamin, Regina; Vickers, Selwyn; Shikany, James; Fouad, Mona

    2017-02-01

    We describe the formulation and implementation of a participatory evaluation plan for three Transdisciplinary Collaborative Centers for Health Disparities Research funded by the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities. Although different in scope of work, all three centers share a common goal of establishing sustainable centers in health disparities science in three priority areas - social determinants of health, men's health research, and health policy research. The logic model guides the process, impact, and outcome evaluation. Emphasis is placed on process evaluation in order to establish a "blue print" that can guide other efforts as well as assure that activities are being implemented as planned. We have learned three major lessons in this process: (1) Significant engagement, participation, and commitment of all involved is critical for the evaluation process; (2) Having a "roadmap" (logic model) and "directions" (evaluation worksheets) are instrumental in getting members from different backgrounds to follow the same path; and (3) Participation of the evaluator in the leadership and core meetings facilitates continuous feedback. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Fostering Social Determinants of Health Transdisciplinary Research: The Collaborative Research Center for American Indian Health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amy J. Elliott

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The Collaborative Research Center for American Indian Health (CRCAIH was established in September 2012 as a unifying structure to bring together tribal communities and health researchers across South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota to address American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN health disparities. CRCAIH is based on the core values of transdisciplinary research, sustainability and tribal sovereignty. All CRCAIH resources and activities revolve around the central aim of assisting tribes with establishing and advancing their own research infrastructures and agendas, as well as increasing AI/AN health research. CRCAIH is comprised of three divisions (administrative; community engagement and innovation; research projects, three technical cores (culture, science and bioethics; regulatory knowledge; and methodology, six tribal partners and supports numerous multi-year and one-year pilot research projects. Under the ultimate goal of improving health for AI/AN, this paper describes the overarching vision and structure of CRCAIH, highlighting lessons learned in the first three years.

  7. Establishment of a Community-Based Mental Health Center in Yazd: A Short Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Golrasteh Kholasehzadeh

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available About 40 years ago, the mental health services providing strategies have been dramatically changed worldwide. As well as, it is considered as a new revolution in mental health and named as community-based mental health movement. Moreover, mental health centers in Iran have been established in order to make a change in urban community-based mental health (CMHC. The first CMHC was founded in Tehran 16th district in 2010. In Yazd, it was established in 2010. In this article, the steps for establishment of the first CMHC were described.

  8. Solid health care waste management status at health care centers in the West Bank - Palestinian Territory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Khatib, Issam A.; Sato, Chikashi

    2009-01-01

    Health care waste is considered a major public health hazard. The objective of this study was to assess health care waste management (HCWM) practices currently employed at health care centers (HCCs) in the West Bank - Palestinian Territory. Survey data on solid health care waste (SHCW) were analyzed for generated quantities, collection, separation, treatment, transportation, and final disposal. Estimated 4720.7 m 3 (288.1 tons) of SHCW are generated monthly by the HCCs in the West Bank. This study concluded that: (i) current HCWM practices do not meet HCWM standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) or adapted by developed countries, and (ii) immediate attention should be directed towards improvement of HCWM facilities and development of effective legislation. To improve the HCWM in the West Bank, a national policy should be implemented, comprising a comprehensive plan of action and providing environmentally sound and reliable technological measures.

  9. Care Management Medical Home Center Model: Preliminary Results of a Patient-Centered Approach to Improving Care Quality for Diabetic Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Page, Timothy F; Amofah, St Anthony; McCann, Shelia; Rivo, Julie; Varghese, Asha; James, Terisa; Rivo, Marc; Williams, Mark L

    2015-07-01

    This article presents preliminary findings of the impact of an innovative care management model for diabetic patients. The model was implemented by seven Federally Qualified Health Centers serving 10,000 diabetic patients in Miami-Dade County. A primary intervention of this model is a centralized care management team that makes previsit phone calls to diabetic patients who have scheduled appointments. These previsit phone calls optimize patient knowledge and self-management goals, and provide patient care coordinators with relevant clinical information to optimize the office visit and help to ensure completion of recommended diabetic preventive and chronic care services. Data suggest that following the implementation of this care management model, more diabetic patients are receiving regular care, and compliance with recommended tests and screenings has improved. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

  10. [Patients and quality of primary health care services. Survey of practitioners at the Bahía de Cádiz and La Janda health centers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernán García, M; Gutiérrez Cuadra, J L; Lineros González, C; Ruiz Barbosa, C; Rabadán Asensio, A

    2002-10-31

    To report the opinions of practitioners at health centers on dimensions of quality that affect user satisfaction. Cross-sectional study of focus groups (FG). Bahía de Cádiz and La Janda health centers in southwestern Spain. We studied 4 FG whose participants were staff members of the two health centers: FG1, physicians; FG2, user satisfaction service staff; FG3, social workers; FG4, nurses. The groups were based on the different functions of staff at the two centers. The analysis was based on variables in the SERCAL model (an adaptation of the SERVQUAL model for the Spanish health care system) of opinions regarding service quality: access, comfort (tangibles), personalized service (courtesy), competence, and loyalty. The data were analyzed with version N-Vivo of the NUDIST program. All dimensions of the theoretical model were identified by practitioners as constructs of users' perceptions of service quality. Users' and practitioners' views contrasted with and complemented each other to generate a model that could be validated. Access, personalized service and problem-solving (responsiveness) were key variables. Practitioners' opinions provided information of use in improving the quality model. Differences in opinion between users and practitioners merit further study based on an understanding of these groups' values and interests, and on the care provision context. Practitioners identified access, personalized service and problem-solving as features that influenced users' opinions of the quality of the health center.

  11. Insuring the uninsured: potential impact of Health Care Reform Act of 2010 on trauma centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shafi, Shahid; Ogola, Gerald; Fleming, Neil; Rayan, Nadine; Kudyakov, Rustam; Barnes, Sunni A; Ballard, David J

    2012-11-01

    Viability of trauma centers is threatened by cost of care provided to patients without health insurance. The health care reform of 2010 is likely to benefit trauma centers by mandating universal health insurance by 2014. However, the financial benefit of this mandate will depend on the reimbursement provided. The study hypothesis was that compensation for the care of uninsured trauma patients at Medicare or Medicaid rates will lead to continuing losses for trauma centers. Financial data for first hospitalization were obtained from an urban Level I trauma center for 3 years (n = 6,630; 2006-2008) and linked with clinical information. Patients were grouped into five payments categories: commercial (29%), Medicaid (8%), Medicare (20%), workers' compensation (6%), and uninsured (37%). Prediction models for costs and payments were developed for each category using multiple regression models, adjusting for patient demographics, injury characteristics, complications, and survival. These models were used to predict payments that could be expected if uninsured patients were covered by different insurance types. Results are reported as net margin per patient (payments minus total costs) for each insurance type, with 95% confidence intervals, discounted to 2008 dollar values. Patients were typical for an urban trauma center (median age of 43 years, 66% men, 82% blunt, 5% mortality, and median length of stay 4 days). Overall, the trauma center lost $5,655 per patient, totaling $37.5 million over 3 years. These losses were encountered for patients without insurance ($14,343), Medicare ($4,838), and Medicaid ($15,740). Patients with commercial insurance were profitable ($5,295) as were those with workers' compensation ($6,860). Payments for the care of the uninsured at Medicare/Medicaid levels would lead to continued losses at $2,267 to $4,143 per patient. The health care reforms of 2010 would lead to continued losses for trauma centers if uninsured are covered with Medicare

  12. 78 FR 16471 - National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) Secure Exchange of Electronic Health...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-15

    ...-02] National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) Secure Exchange of Electronic Health...) National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) invited organizations to provide products and technical.... companies to enter into ``National Cybersecurity Excellence Partnerships'' (NCEPs) in furtherance of the...

  13. Development of an Inventory for Health-Care Office Staff to Self-Assess Their Patient-Centered Cultural Sensitivity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolyn M. Tucker

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Patient-centered culturally sensitive health care (PC-CSHC is a best practice approach for improving health-care delivery to culturally diverse populations and reducing health disparities. Despite patients’ report that cultural sensitivity by health-care office staff is an important aspect of PC-CSHC, the majority of available research on PC-CSHC focuses exclusively on health-care providers. This may be due in part to the paucity of instruments available to assess the cultural sensitivity of health-care office staff. The objective of the present study is to determine the psychometric properties of the Tucker-Culturally Sensitive Health Care Office Staff Inventory-Self-Assessment Form (T-CSHCOSI-SAF. This instrument is designed to enable health-care office staff to self-assess their level of agreement that they display behaviors and attitudes that culturally diverse patients have identified as office staff cultural sensitivity indicators. Methods: A sample of 510 health-care office staff were recruited at 67 health-care sites across the United States. These health-care office staff anonymously completed the T-CSHCOSI-SAF and a demographic data questionnaire. Results and Level of Evidence: Confirmatory factor analyses of the T-CSHCOSI-SAF revealed that this inventory has 2 factors with high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s αs= .916 and .912. Conclusion and Implications: The T-CSHCOSI-SAF is a useful inventory for health-care office staff to assess their own level of patient-centered cultural sensitivity. Such self-assessment data can be used in the development and implementation of trainings to promote patient-centered cultural sensitivity of health-care office staff and to help draw the attention of these staff to displaying patient-centered cultural sensitivity.

  14. "Innovation" institutes in academic health centers: enhancing value through leadership, education, engagement, and scholarship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pines, Jesse M; Farmer, Steven A; Akman, Jeffrey S

    2014-09-01

    In the next decade, the biggest change in medicine in the United States will be the organizational transformation of the delivery system. Organizations-including academic health centers-able to achieve better outcomes for less will be the financial winners as new payment models become more prevalent. For medical educators, the question is how to prepare the next generation of physicians for these changes. One solution is the development of new "innovation" or "value" institutes. Around the nation, many of these new institutes are focused on surmounting barriers to value-based care in academic health centers, educating faculty, house staff, and medical students in discussions of cost-conscious care. Innovation institutes can also lead discussions about how value-based care may impact education in environments where there may be less autonomy and more standardization. Quality metrics will play a larger role at academic health centers as metrics focus more on outcomes than processes. Optimizing outcomes will require that medical educators both learn and teach the principles of patient safety and quality improvement. Innovation institutes can also facilitate cross-institutional discussions to compare data on utilization and outcomes, and share best practices that maximize value. Another barrier to cost-conscious care is defensive medicine, which is highly engrained in U.S. medicine and culture. Innovation institutes may not be able to overcome all the barriers to making medical care more cost-conscious, but they can be critical in enabling academic health centers to optimize their teaching and research missions while remaining financially competitive.

  15. A Learner-Centered Molecular Modeling Exercise for Allied Health Majors in a Biochemistry Class

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fletcher, Terace M.; Ershler, Jeff

    2014-01-01

    Learner-centered molecular modeling exercises in college science courses can be especially challenging for nonchemistry majors as students typically have a higher degree of anxiety and may not appreciate the relevance of the work. This article describes a learner-centered project given to allied health majors in a Biochemistry course. The project…

  16. Changing structure to improve function: one academic health center's experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, B; Davis, L; Kohler, P O

    1997-04-01

    Academic health centers (AHCs) have been under siege for the past few years, with decreased federal and state funding for educational and research programs and increasing competition in the health care marketplace. In addition, many AHCs are burdened with the bureaucratic red tape of large educational institutions, which makes agility in responding to a demanding health care market difficult. The authors describe the response to these threats by Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU), an approach that has been different from those of most similar institutions. OHSU chose to change its structure from being part of the state system of higher education to being an independent public corporation. The authors outline the political process of building widespread support for the legislation passed in 1995, the key features of the restructuring, the challenges faced before and after the transition to a public corporation, and lessons learned in this metamorphosis to a new form.

  17. Community-centered family health history: a customized approach to increased health communication and awareness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Leary, James; Edelson, Vaughn; Gardner, Nicora; Gepp, Alejandra; Kyler, Panelpha; Moore, Penelope; Petruccio, Claudia; Williams, Marc; Terry, Sharon; Bowen, Deborah

    2011-01-01

    There has been little study of whether family health history (FHH) tools used by individuals, families, and communities inspire measurable changes in communication and behavior. The Community-Centered Family Health History (CCFHH) project was a collaborative endeavor among national and community-based organizations with an interest in genetics education and health. Using community- based participatory research principles as a foundation, CCFHH examined whether the Does It Run In the Family? toolkit, a set of two customizable booklets on health and genetics, encourages discussion and collection of FHH information across diverse communities. Five communities across the country measured the utility of customized versions of the Does It Run In the Family? toolkit. Each community partner recruited families, consisting of two or more blood relatives, to use the toolkit for 3 months, discuss it among their family members, and consider the implications of the health information. Pre- and postintervention surveys measured family communication about family history and disease risk and the use of FHH information in health care provider interactions. After aggregate, cross-community analysis of individual responses, from pre- to post-toolkit use family members showed increases in communication about family history of disease risk (p < .05) and in awareness about FHH (p < .05). These findings indicate that diverse communities are receptive to FHH intervention, and tailored health educational materials can lead to increased conversations and awareness about health issues across communities.

  18. 78 FR 14303 - Statement of Delegation of Authority; Health Resources and Services Administration and Centers...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-05

    ... Services Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention I hereby delegate to the Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with authority to redelegate, the authority vested in the Secretary of the...

  19. Job satisfaction survey among health centers staff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahnazi, Hossein; Daniali, Seyede Shahrbanoo; Sharifirad, Gholamreza

    2014-01-01

    Due to the importance of health care organizations with significant responsibility for prevention and care, assessment of job satisfaction among health care staff is essential. Quality of health services will be decreased provided they are not satisfied. This study was a cross-sectional analysis of health care staff in Khomeinishahr (centers, buildings, and networks) If they had at least 6 months work experience, they could enter the study. Data included a two-part questionnaire with a standardized questionnaire, demographic variables, and Smith job descriptive index, which is a questionnaire with six domains. Reliability was obtained for each domain and its validity was reported 0.93. The results showed an overall satisfaction score averages 43.55 ± 12.8 (from 100). Job satisfaction score was not significantly different between the sexes. However, within the current attitude toward job satisfaction, men scores was better than women (P = 0.001). Highest score in job satisfaction was related to relationships with colleagues and lowest score was related to the income, benefits, and job promotion. The more the years of work, the less the job satisfaction was. The attitude toward the current job had a direct relationship with income (P = 0.01). There was a significant inverse relationship between educational level and job satisfaction in domains promotion, income, and benefits (P = 0.01). The staff with higher education levels was less satisfied with income and job promotion qualification. Managers should focus on job qualification to increase job satisfaction and improve the quality of work.

  20. Burnout of Physicians Working in Primary Health Care Centers under Ministry of Health Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bawakid, Khalid; Mandoura, Najlaa; Shah, Hassan Bin Usman; Ibrahim, Adel; Akkad, Noura Mohammad; Mufti, Fauad

    2017-01-01

    Introduction The levels of physicians' job satisfaction and burnout directly affect their professionalism, punctuality, absenteeism, and ultimately, patients' care. Despite its crucial importance, little is known about professional burnout of the physicians in Saudi Arabia. The objectives of this research are two-fold: (1) To assess the prevalence of burnout in physicians working in primary health care centers under Ministry of Health; and (2) to find the modifiable factors which can decrease the burnout ratio. Methodology Through a cross-sectional study design, a representative sample of the physicians working in primary health care centers (PHCCs) Jeddah (n=246) was randomly selected. The overall burnout level was assessed using the validated abbreviated Maslach burnout inventory (aMBI) questionnaire. It measures the overall burnout prevalence based on three main domains i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Independent sample T-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multivariate regression analysis were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Version 22, IBM, Armonk, NY). Results Overall, moderate to high burnout was prevalent in 25.2% of the physicians. Emotional exhaustion was noted in 69.5%. Multivariate regression analysis showed that patient pressure/violence (p <0.001), unorganized patients flow to clinics (p=0.021), more paperwork (p<0.001), and less co-operative colleague doctors (p=0.045) were the significant predictors for high emotional exhaustion. A positive correlation was noted between the number of patients per day and burnout. The patient’s pressure/violence was the only significant independent predictor of overall burnout. Conclusion Emotional exhaustion is the most prominent feature of overall burnout in the physicians of primary health care centers. The main reasons include patient’s pressure/violence, unorganized patient flow, less cooperative colleague doctors, fewer

  1. Word of Mouth Marketing in Mouth and Dental Health Centers towards Consumers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aykut Ekiyor

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Influencing the shopping style of others by passing on the experiences of goods purchased or services received is a way of behavior that has its roots in history. The main objective of th is research is to analyze the effects of demographic factors within the scope of word of mouth marketing on the choices of mouth and dental health services. Consumers receiving service from mouth and dental health centers of the Turkish Republic Ministry o f Health constitute the environment of the research. The research conducted in order to determine the mouth and dental health center selection of consumers within the scope of word of mouth marketing. The research has been conducted in Ankara through simpl e random sampling. The sample size has been determined as 400. In terms of word of mouth marketing which has been determined as the third hypothesis of the study, as a result of the analysis of the statistical relationship between mouth and dental health c enter preference and demographic factor groups, it has been determined that there is a meaningful difference in terms of age, level of education, level of income and some dimensions of marital status and that no meaningful difference has been found in term s of gender. It has been attempted to determine the importance of word of mouth marketing in healthcare services

  2. 76 FR 21748 - Health Disparities Subcommittee (HDS), Advisory Committee to the Director, Centers for Disease...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-18

    ... Disparities Subcommittee (HDS), Advisory Committee to the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... through the ACD on strategic and other health disparities and health equity issues and provide guidance on... update including the CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report, U.S. 2011; the National Prevention...

  3. Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers Impact Report: Advances in protecting children's health where they live, learn, and play

    Science.gov (United States)

    In 1997, EPA and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) partnered to form the Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers. This impact report summarizes the history of the program, scientific findings since the program's incept...

  4. Consumer health information partnerships: the health science library and multitype library system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollander, S

    1996-04-01

    The University of Illinois Library of the Health Sciences at Rockford (LHS-Rockford) long has honored a commitment to serving the health information needs of the greater Rockford community. Utilization data collected over the past five years indicate that approximately 50% of reference transactions involve persons not affiliated with the university. In early 1994, LHS-Rockford submitted a proposal to the Northern Illinois Library System (NILS), a multitype system spanning twelve counties in northwestern Illinois, asking to serve as a resource library for improving medical and health information services provided by the 138 NILS member libraries. The NILS funded this pilot project as part of an effort to implement a new strategic plan, which encouraged member libraries to form networks to provide reference back-up service. LHS-Rockford acquired InfoTrac's Health Reference Center, a consumer health information database, and set up a dedicated workstation near the information and circulation desk. Referral guidelines were established and the project was promoted among NILS member libraries. Activities were documented in order to track project success in terms of referrals and outcomes. The demonstration project was very successful, and it proves public consumers seeking health information can benefit greatly from this type of cooperative arrangement.

  5. NIEHS/EPA Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers: 2017 Annual Meeting Proceedings

    Science.gov (United States)

    The 2017 Annual Meeting of the NIEHS/EPA Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers was hosted by EPA in collaboration with NIEHS and the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs). The meeting was held at the EPA Region 9 offices i...

  6. Affiliations of community health centers with the accredited schools and colleges of optometry in the states and territories of the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-10-01

    In 2006, the American Optometric Association Community Health Center Committee surveyed schools/colleges of optometry in the United States and its territories to assess collaborations between community health centers and optometric institutions. The survey investigated the number and structure of affiliations that existed between Federally Qualified Health Centers and schools/colleges of optometry in the United States. The survey reached the schools through the American Optometric Association Faculty Relations Committee or personal contact (Inter-American University of Puerto Rico). The survey showed wide variation in affiliations of community health centers with optometry programs. Six schools had no affiliations, whereas the remaining 11 ranged from 1 to 14. Information relating to 37 community health centers was reported. Results showed that schools utilized community health centers for fourth-year students in 5 schools, and both third- and fourth-year students in the remaining 6 schools. Schools vary regarding how precepting is managed with either full-time faculty (64.9%) or adjunct faculty. Business models also vary between schools. Affiliations between school/colleges of optometry and community health centers differ considerably. Optometric affiliations with community health centers can result in increased access to eye care for underserved populations and increased clinical experience for optometry students and residents. Opportunities exist to establish additional affiliations. Educational benefits and costs associated with affiliations should be explored before entering into a collaborative model of eye care delivery.

  7. Launch of patient-centered website is associated with reduced health care utilization: a nationwide natural experiment.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spoelman, W.; Bonten, T.; Waal, M. de; Drenthen, T.; Smeele, I.; Nielen, M.; Chavannes, N.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Health care costs and utilization are rising. High quality patient-centered online information may reduce health care utilization, but evidence of the effect of online health information on health care utilization is scarce. We hypothesized that the release of a nationwide evidence-based

  8. A user-centered model for designing consumer mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnall, Rebecca; Rojas, Marlene; Bakken, Suzanne; Brown, William; Carballo-Dieguez, Alex; Carry, Monique; Gelaude, Deborah; Mosley, Jocelyn Patterson; Travers, Jasmine

    2016-04-01

    Mobile technologies are a useful platform for the delivery of health behavior interventions. Yet little work has been done to create a rigorous and standardized process for the design of mobile health (mHealth) apps. This project sought to explore the use of the Information Systems Research (ISR) framework as guide for the design of mHealth apps. Our work was guided by the ISR framework which is comprised of 3 cycles: Relevance, Rigor and Design. In the Relevance cycle, we conducted 5 focus groups with 33 targeted end-users. In the Rigor cycle, we performed a review to identify technology-based interventions for meeting the health prevention needs of our target population. In the Design Cycle, we employed usability evaluation methods to iteratively develop and refine mock-ups for a mHealth app. Through an iterative process, we identified barriers and facilitators to the use of mHealth technology for HIV prevention for high-risk MSM, developed 'use cases' and identified relevant functional content and features for inclusion in a design document to guide future app development. Findings from our work support the use of the ISR framework as a guide for designing future mHealth apps. Results from this work provide detailed descriptions of the user-centered design and system development and have heuristic value for those venturing into the area of technology-based intervention work. Findings from this study support the use of the ISR framework as a guide for future mHealth app development. Use of the ISR framework is a potentially useful approach for the design of a mobile app that incorporates end-users' design preferences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. 78 FR 32657 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-31

    ..., diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of physical and mental diseases and other impairments; (2... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Board of.... L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announces the following meeting of...

  10. [Person-centered approach in occupational mental health: theory, research and practice].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikemi, A; Kubota, S; Noda, E; Tomita, S; Hayashida, Y

    1992-01-01

    The objective of this study was to articulate the person-centered approach (PCAp) in theory and in the research and practice of occupational mental health. First, Carl Rogers' person-centered theory was reviewed. Secondly, a study on 1,661 workers was presented in which psychological variables such as fatigue (FG), depression (DP) and anxiety (AX) were found to be negatively correlated with relationship scales concerning the workers' perception of the person-centered attitudes (PCA) of their superiors, the democratic leadership of their superiors (DEM) and the overall activation (ACT) of their worksites. Significant differences in FG, DP and AX were found among workers who perceived of their superiors as having either high or low PCA. Workers who reported that their superiors had high PCA had significantly less FG, DP and AX than those who perceived of their superiors as having low PCA. Similar results were also obtained when high DEM/low DEM and high ACT/low ACT were compared in terms of workers' FG, DP and AX. Thus, the PCA of job superiors was considered to be positively related to the mental health of workers. Thirdly, PCA training in industry was introduced and evaluated. A total of 137 trainees (managers) conducted active listening, a basic skill in the PCAp, and filled out a relationship inventory immediately afterwards, evaluating themselves as listeners and their partners as listeners. A comparison of scores between the first and last sessions of training showed significant increases in empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard at the last session in both the speakers' version and the listeners' version of the relationship inventory. Cases showing changes in human relations at work as a consequence of PCA training, reported by the trainees and confirmed by an occupational health nurse, were presented. This study showed that PCA, which is positively related to workers' mental health, can increase as a result of training. The implications of

  11. Perceptions of Smartphone User-Centered Mobile Health Tracking Apps Across Various Chronic Illness Populations: An Integrative Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birkhoff, Susan D; Smeltzer, Suzanne C

    2017-07-01

    This integrative review presents a synthesis of the current qualitative research addressing the motivating factors, usability, and experiences of mobile health tracking applications (apps) across various chronic disease populations. Integrative review of the literature. Databases used to conduct this integrative review included: PubMed Plus, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Google Scholar, Science Direct, and EBSCO megafile. The following search terms were used in all five databases: smartphone apps, apps, mHealth, eHealth, mobile health apps, health tracking apps, user-centered apps, wireless technology, engagement, qualitative, and usability. The initial literature review yielded 689 results. Once inclusion and exclusion criteria were employed, 11 studies met the criteria set forth for this review. The reviewed studies provided insight into users' perceptions, experiences, and motivations to incorporate smartphone mobile health apps into their daily lives when living with chronic illnesses. This review indicates the growing interest in user-centered mobile health tracking apps, but with little understanding of motivating factors that foster sustained app use. Mobile health tracking apps targeted to users with chronic conditions need to have a high level of usability in order to motivate users to sustain engagement with their mobile health tracking app. User-centered mobile health tracking app technology is being used with increasing frequency to potentially provide individualized support to chronic illness populations. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  12. Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy in a Community Mental Health Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comtois, Katherine Anne; Elwood, Lynn; Holdcraft, Laura C.; Smith, Wayne R.; Simpson, Tracy L.

    2007-01-01

    Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been shown to be effective in randomized controlled trials with women with borderline personality disorder and histories of chronic self-inflicted injury including suicide attempts. The present study is a pre-post replication of a comprehensive DBT program in a community mental health center for individuals…

  13. Bringing Wellness to Schools: Opportunities and Challenges to Mental Health Integration in School Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Karen; Guo, Sisi; Ijadi-Maghsoodi, Roya; Puffer, Maryjane; Kataoka, Sheryl H.

    2016-01-01

    Objective School-based health centers (SBHCs) reduce mental health access-to-care barriers and improve educational outcomes for youth. This qualitative study evaluates the innovations and challenges of a unique network of SBHCs in a large, urban school district, as they attempt to integrate health, mental health, and educational services. Methods The 43 participants sampled included mental health providers, primary care providers, and care coordinators at 14 SBHCs. Semi-structured interviews with each participant were audio-recorded and transcribed. Themes were identified and coded using Atlas.ti 5.1, and collapsed into three domains: Operations, Partnership, and Engagement. Results Interviews revealed provider models ranging from single agencies offering both health and mental health services to co-located services. Sites with the Health Agency providing at least some mental health services reported more mental health screenings. Many sites utilized SBHC coordinators and coordination team meetings to facilitate relationships between schools and Health Agency and Community Mental Health Clinic providers. Partnership challenges included confidentiality policies and staff turnover. Participants also highlighted student and parent engagement, through culturally sensitive services, peer health advocates, and “drop-in” lunches. Conclusions Staffing and operational models are critical in the success of health-mental health-education integration. Among the provider models observed, the combined health and mental health provider model offered the most integrated services. Despite barriers, providers and schools have begun to implement novel solutions for operational problems and family engagement in mental health services. Implications for future SBHCs as an integrated model are described. PMID:27417895

  14. Adult care transitioning for adolescents with special health care needs: a pivotal role for family centered care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duke, Naomi N; Scal, Peter B

    2011-01-01

    To examine the relationship between having a usual source of care, family centered care, and transition counseling for adolescents with special health care needs. Data are from 18,198 parents/guardians, of youth aged 12-17 years, who participated in the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs. Linear and logistic regression models were used to define relationships between parent report of identification of a usual place and provider of medical care for their child and counseling on four transition issues: transfer to adult providers, review of future health needs, maintaining health insurance in adulthood, and youth taking responsibility for care. The direct mediating effect of family centered care was evaluated. Youth having a usual source of care (vs. not) were more likely to receive counseling on future health needs (47.4 vs. 33.6%, P needs (56.3 vs. 39.6%, P needs and 94.9% of the effect of a usual source of care on encouragement to take responsibility for care. Study findings support the development of health care delivery models focusing on family centered care to the same degree as other health care access issues.

  15. MacMillan Pier Transportation Center Feasibility Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2006-06-01

    The MacMillan Pier Transportation Center Feasibility Study examines two potential sites (landside and waterside) for a transportation center that provides a range of tourist and traveler information. It would serve as a gateway for Provincetown and t...

  16. Evaluation of an electronic health record-supported obesity management protocol implemented in a community health center: a cautionary note.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steglitz, Jeremy; Sommers, Mary; Talen, Mary R; Thornton, Louise K; Spring, Bonnie

    2015-07-01

    Primary care clinicians are well-positioned to intervene in the obesity epidemic. We studied whether implementation of an obesity intake protocol and electronic health record (EHR) form to guide behavior modification would facilitate identification and management of adult obesity in a Federally Qualified Health Center serving low-income, Hispanic patients. In three studies, we examined clinician and patient outcomes before and after the addition of the weight management protocol and form. In the Clinician Study, 12 clinicians self-reported obesity management practices. In the Population Study, BMI and order data from 5000 patients and all 40 clinicians in the practice were extracted from the EHR preintervention and postintervention. In the Exposure Study, EHR-documented outcomes for a sub-sample of 46 patients actually exposed to the obesity management form were compared to matched controls. Clinicians reported that the intake protocol and form increased their performance of obesity-related assessments and their confidence in managing obesity. However, no improvement in obesity management practices or patient weight-loss was evident in EHR records for the overall clinic population. Further analysis revealed that only 55 patients were exposed to the form. Exposed patients were twice as likely to receive weight-loss counseling following the intervention, as compared to before, and more likely than matched controls. However, their obesity outcomes did not differ. Results suggest that an obesity intake protocol and EHR-based weight management form may facilitate clinician weight-loss counseling among those exposed to the form. Significant implementation barriers can limit exposure, however, and need to be addressed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. 76 FR 55078 - National Center on Minority and Health Disparities; Notice of Closed Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-06

    ... and Health Disparities; Notice of Closed Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... and Health Disparities Special Emphasis Panel, ZMD1 RN (02) NIMHD Comprehensive Center of Excellence... Disparities, 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 496-3996, [email protected

  18. 75 FR 6402 - Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Marketing (BSC, NCHM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-09

    ... on the future course for health communications and marketing at CDC; and a discussion of focus areas... Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Marketing (BSC, NCHM) In accordance with section 10(a)(2..., goals and organizational structure of the new Office of Communications; discussions on program...

  19. Determinants of puberty health among female adolescents residing in boarding welfare centers in Tehran: An application of health belief model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shirzadi, Shayesteh; Asghari Jafarabadi, Mohammad; Nadrian, Haidar; Mahmoodi, Hassan

    2016-01-01

    Background: Adolescence is a critical stage of growth and development. That is associated with changes in body shape and appearance. Issues such as irregular menstrual periods, amenorrhea, and menstrual cycle are major issues in women's health. The purpose of this study was to examine the determinants of physical puberty health based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) among female adolescents. Methods: This analytical cross sectional study was conducted in welfare boarding centers in Tehran, Iran. Data were collected in 2011 by a structured and valid questionnaire. Total 61 female adolescents (age range: 12-19 yrs) participated in this study from welfare boarding centers in Iran, Tehran, by using convenience sampling method. The questionnaire consisted of demographic characteristics, health belief model constructs and physical puberty health behaviors gathered by using interview. A series of univariate general linear models were used to assess the relationship between puberty health and health belief model constructs. Results: According to the results of this study there were positive significant relationships between perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action and increased puberty health in female adolescents (p<0.05). Perceived benefits, perceived barriers and cues to action were predictors of physical puberty health behaviors. Conclusion: Based on the results of the study to improve the physical Puberty health behaviors of female adolescents should make them aware of the benefits of health behaviors, and remove or reform the perceived barriers of health behaviors. Also, the appropriate information resources should be introduced for obtaining information about puberty health.

  20. Bullying among adolescents in a Brazilian urban center – “Health in Beagá” Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelle Ralil da Costa

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE To analyze the prevalence of bullying and its associated factors in Brazilian adolescents.METHODS Data were used from a population-based household survey conducted by the Urban Health Observatory (OSUBH utilizing probability sampling in three stages: census tracts, residences, and individuals. The survey included 598 adolescents (14-17 years old who responded questions on bullying, sociodemographic characteristics, health-risk behaviors, educational well-being, family structure, physical activity, markers of nutritional habits, and subjective well-being (body image, personal satisfaction, and satisfaction with their present and future life. Univariate and multivariate analysis was done using robust Poisson regression.RESULTS The prevalence of bullying was 26.2% (28.0% among males, 24.0% among females. The location of most bullying cases was at or on route to school (70.5%, followed by on the streets (28.5%, at home (9.8%, while practicing sports (7.3%, at parties (4.6%, at work (1.7%, and at other locations (1.6%. Reports of bullying were associated with life dissatisfaction, difficulty relating to parents, involvement in fights with peers and insecurity in the neighborhood.CONCLUSIONS A high prevalence of bullying among participating adolescents was found, and the school serves as the main bullying location, although other sites such as home, parties and workplace were also reported. Characteristics regarding self-perception and adolescent perceptions of their environment were also associated with bullying, thus advancing the knowledge of this type of violence, especially in urban centers of developing countries.

  1. Consumer Health Information Provision in Rural Public Libraries: A Comparison of Two Library Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flaherty, Mary Grace

    2013-01-01

    To better understand health information provision in the public library setting, two cooperative library systems that serve primarily rural populations in upstate New York were studied. The central library in one of those systems established a consumer health information center (CHIC) in 1999. In the other system, the central library does not have…

  2. The Central American Network for Disaster and Health Information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnesen, Stacey J; Cid, Victor H; Scott, John C; Perez, Ricardo; Zervaas, Dave

    2007-07-01

    This paper describes an international outreach program to support rebuilding Central America's health information infrastructure after several natural disasters in the region, including Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and two major earthquakes in 2001. The National Library of Medicine joined forces with the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, and the Regional Center of Disaster Information for Latin America and the Caribbean (CRID) to strengthen libraries and information centers in Central America and improve the availability of and access to health and disaster information in the region by developing the Central American Network for Disaster and Health Information (CANDHI). Through CRID, the program created ten disaster health information centers in medical libraries and disaster-related organizations in six countries. This project served as a catalyst for the modernization of several medical libraries in Central America. The resulting CANDHI provides much needed electronic access to public health "gray literature" on disasters, as well as access to numerous health information resources. CANDHI members assist their institutions and countries in a variety of disaster preparedness activities through collecting and disseminating information.

  3. Virtual Globes: Serving Science and Society

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salman Qureshi

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Virtual Globes reached the mass market in 2005. They created multi-million dollar businesses in a very short time by providing novel ways to explore data geographically. We use the term “Virtual Globes” as the common denominator for technologies offering capabilities to annotate, edit and publish geographic information to a world-wide audience and to visualize information provided by the public and private sectors, as well as by citizens who volunteer new data. Unfortunately, but not surprising for a new trend or paradigm, overlapping terms such as “Virtual Globes”, “Digital Earth”, “Geospatial Web”, “Geoportal” or software specific terms are used heterogeneously. We analyze the terminologies and trends in scientific publications and ask whether these developments serve science and society. While usage can be answered quantitatively, the authors reason from the literature studied that these developments serve to educate the masses and may help to democratize geographic information by extending the producer base. We believe that we can contribute to a better distinction between software centered terms and the generic concept as such. The power of the visual, coupled with the potential of spatial analysis and modeling for public and private purposes raises new issues of reliability, standards, privacy and best practice. This is increasingly addressed in scientific literature but the required body of knowledge is still in its infancy.

  4. Spatial analyses identify the geographic source of patients at a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Shu-Chih; Kanarek, Norma; Fox, Michael G; Guseynova, Alla; Crow, Shirley; Piantadosi, Steven

    2010-02-01

    We examined the geographic distribution of patients to better understand the service area of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, a designated National Cancer Institute (NCI) comprehensive cancer center located in an urban center. Like most NCI cancer centers, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center serves a population beyond city limits. Urban cancer centers are expected to serve their immediate neighborhoods and to address disparities in access to specialty care. Our purpose was to learn the extent and nature of the cancer center service area. Statistical clustering of patient residence in the continental United States was assessed for all patients and by gender, cancer site, and race using SaTScan. Primary clusters detected for all cases and demographically and tumor-defined subpopulations were centered at Baltimore City and consisted of adjacent counties in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey and New York, and the District of Columbia. Primary clusters varied in size by race, gender, and cancer site. Spatial analysis can provide insights into the populations served by urban cancer centers, assess centers' performance relative to their communities, and aid in developing a cancer center business plan that recognizes strengths, regional utility, and referral patterns. Today, 62 NCI cancer centers serve a quarter of the U.S. population in their immediate communities. From the Baltimore experience, we might project that the population served by these centers is actually more extensive and varies by patient characteristics, cancer site, and probably cancer center services offered.

  5. Research brief : Serving Bowl Selection Biases the Amount of Food Served

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kleef, van E.; Shimizu, M.; Wansink, B.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To determine how common serving bowls containing food for multiple persons influence serving behavior and consumption and whether they do so independently of satiation and food evaluation. Methods: In this between-subjects experiment, 68 participants were randomly assigned to either a

  6. Patient-Centered e-Health Record over the Cloud.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koumaditis, Konstantinos; Themistocleous, Marinos; Vassilacopoulos, George; Prentza, Andrianna; Kyriazis, Dimosthenis; Malamateniou, Flora; Maglaveras, Nicos; Chouvarda, Ioanna; Mourouzis, Alexandros

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to introduce the Patient-Centered e-Health (PCEH) conceptual aspects alongside a multidisciplinary project that combines state-of-the-art technologies like cloud computing. The project, by combining several aspects of PCEH, such as: (a) electronic Personal Healthcare Record (e-PHR), (b) homecare telemedicine technologies, (c) e-prescribing, e-referral, e-learning, with advanced technologies like cloud computing and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), will lead to an innovative integrated e-health platform of many benefits to the society, the economy, the industry, and the research community. To achieve this, a consortium of experts, both from industry (two companies, one hospital and one healthcare organization) and academia (three universities), was set to investigate, analyse, design, build and test the new platform. This paper provides insights to the PCEH concept and to the current stage of the project. In doing so, we aim at increasing the awareness of this important endeavor and sharing the lessons learned so far throughout our work.

  7. 76 FR 57068 - National Center on Minority and Health Disparities Notice of Closed Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-15

    ... and Health Disparities Notice of Closed Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... and Health Disparities Special Emphasis Panel; ZMD1 RN 01 NIMHD Exploratory Centers of Excellence (P20... Disparities, 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 496-3996, [email protected

  8. Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) 2015 Annual Report. Publication No. STA 15-108

    Science.gov (United States)

    Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2015

    2015-01-01

    College student mental health received widespread attention during the 2014-2015 academic year with in depth commentary appearing in numerous major media outlets. These articles examined college student mental health from various perspectives including the experiences of students and parents, counseling centers, the rise of anxiety in higher…

  9. A Survey on Health Literacy of Referred Diabetic Patients to Yazd Diabetes Research Center

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    z Rezaee Esfahrood

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction:The ability to use skills such as reading, listening, analysis and decision making in health status depends on the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understanding basic health information and services needed which is defined in term of health literacy. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of health literacy in referred patients to Yazd Diabetes Research Center. Methods: This cross-sectional study performed on 432 patients referred to Yazd Diabetes Research Center in 2014. Health literacy was measured by the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA and analyzed using the SPSS-17 software and analytical statistics (T-Test, Chi-Square, A-Nova and linear regression. Results: The mean age of studied population was 55.02 ± 6.32 years old and the mean duration of diabetes was 10.24 ± 7.13 years old. Increase age and decrease the Duration of diabetes, Increase health literacy scores. The average of Health literacy scores was significantly higher in men than women. Retired people, people living in the city, people with high educational level and good economic situation were more literate. (P-Value <0.001 Conclusion: The results showed that health literacy in 59.3 percent of patients was insufficient, in 18.5 percent was border and only 22.2 percent of patients had adequate health literacy that providing facilities and health literacy education seems to be necessary for them.  

  10. Politics and the success of school-based health centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rienzo, B A; Button, J W; Wald, K D

    2000-10-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) provide access to health services by bringing providers to children (and sometimes parents) and furnishing low cost services in an atmosphere of trust. While the number of SBHCs has continued to grow and some clinics have continued to expand their services, others have barely survived and some have even closed. This study investigated factors, particularly political forces, that affected the success of SBHCs. Using a national survey of clinic directors, this study assessed clinic success in terms both of longevity and service delivery. Findings indicate the factors most consistently and significantly associated with success include not only measures of "need" (school size and percent African-American enrollment or population) but of "politics" (citizen political ideology and Southern conservatism). Thus, politics matters more than previous studies suggested.

  11. Health information security: a case study of three selected medical centers in iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hajrahimi, Nafiseh; Dehaghani, Sayed Mehdi Hejazi; Sheikhtaheri, Abbas

    2013-03-01

    Health Information System (HIS) is considered a unique factor in improving the quality of health care activities and cost reduction, but today with the development of information technology and use of internet and computer networks, patients' electronic records and health information systems have become a source for hackers. This study aims at checking health information security of three selected medical centers in Iran using AHP fuzzy and TOPSIS compound model. To achieve that security measures were identified, based on the research literature and decision making matrix using experts' points of view. Among the 27 indicators, seven indicators were selected as effective indicators and Fuzzy AHP technique was used to determine the importance of security indicators. Based on the comparisons made between the three selected medical centers to assess the security of health information, it is concluded that Chamran hospital has the most acceptable level of security and attention in three indicators of "verification and system design, user access management, access control system", Al Zahra Hospital in two indicators of "access management and network access control" and Amin Hospital in "equipment safety and system design". In terms of information security, Chamran Hospital ranked first, Al-Zahra Hospital ranked second and Al- Zahra hospital has the third place.

  12. Training medical students in the social determinants of health: the Health Scholars Program at Puentes de Salud.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, Matthew J; Garland, Joseph M; Murphy, Katie M; Shuman, Sarah J; Whitaker, Robert C; Larson, Steven C

    2014-01-01

    Given the large influence of social conditions on health, physicians may be more effective if they are trained to identify and address social factors that impact health. Despite increasing interest in teaching the social determinants of health in undergraduate medical education, few models exist. We present a 9-month pilot course on the social determinants of health for medical and other health professional students, which is based at Puentes de Salud, Philadelphia, PA, USA, a community health center serving a Latino immigrant population. This service-learning course, called the Health Scholars Program (HSP), was developed and implemented by volunteer medical and public health faculty in partnership with the community-based clinic. The HSP curriculum combines didactic instruction with service experiences at Puentes de Salud and opportunities for critical reflection. The HSP curriculum also includes a longitudinal project where students develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention to address a community-defined need. In our quantitative evaluation, students reported high levels of agreement with the HSP meeting stated course goals, including developing an understanding of the social determinants of health and working effectively with peers to implement community-based projects. Qualitative assessments revealed students' perception of learning more about this topic in the HSP than in their formal medical training and of developing a long-term desire to serve vulnerable communities as a result. Our experience with the HSP suggests that partnerships between academic medical centers and community-based organizations can create a feasible, effective, and sustainable platform for teaching medical students about the social determinants of health. Similar medical education programs in the future should seek to achieve a larger scale and to evaluate both students' educational experiences and community-defined outcomes.

  13. Health issues amongst call center employees, an emerging occupational group in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raja, Jeyapal Dinesh; Bhasin, Sanjiv Kumar

    2014-07-01

    Call center sector in India is a relatively new industry and one of the fastest growing sectors driving employment and growth in modern India today. While employment in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector has meant that young adults are reaching their career milestones and financial goals much earlier than before, surveys and anecdotal evidence show that workers in the BPO sector experience high levels of stress and its related disorders, primarily due to its contemporary work settings. Safeguarding the health of youngsters employed in this new, growing economy becomes an occupational health challenge to public health specialists.

  14. Health issues amongst call center employees, an emerging occupational group in India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeyapal Dinesh Raja

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Call center sector in India is a relatively new industry and one of the fastest growing sectors driving employment and growth in modern India today. While employment in the business process outsourcing (BPO sector has meant that young adults are reaching their career milestones and financial goals much earlier than before, surveys and anecdotal evidence show that workers in the BPO sector experience high levels of stress and its related disorders, primarily due to its contemporary work settings. Safeguarding the health of youngsters employed in this new, growing economy becomes an occupational health challenge to public health specialists.

  15. Evaluation of health resource utilization efficiency in community health centers of Jiangsu Province, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xinglong; Zhou, Lulin; Antwi, Henry Asante; Chen, Xi

    2018-02-20

    While the demand for health services keep escalating at the grass roots or rural areas of China, a substantial portion of healthcare resources remain stagnant in the more developed cities and this has entrenched health inequity in many parts of China. At its conception, China's Deepen Medical Reform started in 2012 was intended to flush out possible disparities and promote a more equitable and efficient distribution of healthcare resources. Nearly half a decade of this reform, there are uncertainties as to whether the attainment of the objectives of the reform is in sight. Using a hybrid of panel data analysis and an augmented data envelopment analysis (DEA), we model human resources, material, finance to determine their technical and scale efficiency to comprehensively evaluate the transverse and longitudinal allocation efficiency of community health resources in Jiangsu Province. We observed that the Deepen Medical Reform in China has led to an increase concern to ensure efficient allocation of community health resources by health policy makers in the province. This has led to greater efficiency in health resource allocation in Jiangsu in general but serious regional or municipal disparities still exist. Using the DEA model, we note that the output from the Community Health Centers does not commensurate with the substantial resources (human resources, materials, and financial) invested in them. We further observe that the case is worst in less-developed Northern parts of Jiangsu Province. The government of Jiangsu Province could improve the efficiency of health resource allocation by improving the community health service system, rationalizing the allocation of health personnel, optimizing the allocation of material resources, and enhancing the level of health of financial resource allocation.

  16. The Complementary Roles of the School Nurse and School Based Health Centers. Position Statement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ondeck, Lynnette; Combe, Laurie; Baszler, Rita; Wright, Janet

    2015-01-01

    It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that the unique combination of school nursing services and school-based health centers (SBHCs) facilitate positive health outcomes for students. The registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) is responsible for management of the daily health…

  17. Assessing Culture and Climate of Federally Qualified Health Centers: A Plan for Implementing Behavioral Health Interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kramer, Teresa L; Drummond, Karen L; Curran, Geoffrey M; Fortney, John C

    2017-01-01

    This study examines organizational factors relating to climate and culture that might facilitate or impede the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP) targeting behavioral health in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). Employees at six FQHCs participating in an evidence-based quality improvement (EBQI) initiative for mood disorders and alcohol abuse were interviewed (N=32) or surveyed using the Organizational Context Survey (OCS) assessing culture and climate (N=64). The FQHCs scored relatively well on proficiency, a previously established predictor of successful EBP implementation, but also logged high scores on scales assessing rigidity and resistance, which may hinder implementation. Qualitative data contextualized scores on FQHC culture and climate dimensions. Results suggest that the unique culture of FQHCs may influence implementation of evidence-based behavioral health interventions.

  18. Antibiotics use among Palestine refugees attending UNRWA primary health care centers in Jordan - A cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Baz, Maysun; Law, Michael R; Saadeh, Rawan

    The irrational use of antibiotics is increasing in Jordanian refugee camps and consequently so too is bacterial resistance. About one-third of health expenditures at UNRWA health centers in Jordan are attributed to antibiotics. We studied knowledge, attitude and behaviour of Palestine refugees attending UNRWA health centers in Jordan regarding antibiotic use in order to plan public health interventions accordingly. A cross-sectional, interviewer-administered survey among 250 adult Palestine refugees at four different health centers was conducted. Irrational antibiotic use was widespread: 63% of patients share antibiotics at home, 38% use left-over antibiotics and 60% purchase antibiotics directly from the pharmacy without prescription (OTC) . 1 At the same time, knowledge about antibiotics side effects, resistance, and target agent was low. 90% of patients trust their doctor, however long waiting hours prevent them from seeking medical advice, which significantly increased self-medication. Our findings suggest a strong need for public education about antibiotics. In addition, health institutional level improvements such as shorter waiting hours and strict regulations prohibiting dispensing without prescription are necessary to combat growing bacterial resistance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Method Extreme Learning Machine for Forecasting Number of Patients’ Visits in Dental Poli (A Case Study: Community Health Centers Kamal Madura Indonesia)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sari Rochman, E. M.; Rachmad, A.; Syakur, M. A.; Suzanti, I. O.

    2018-01-01

    Community Health Centers (Puskesmas) are health service institutions that provide individual health services for outpatient, inpatient and emergency care services. In the outpatient service, there are several polyclinics, including the polyclinic of Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT), Eyes, Dentistry, Children, and internal disease. Dental Poli is a form of dental and oral health services which is directed to the community. At this moment, the management team in dental poli often has difficulties when they do the preparation and planning to serve a number of patients. It is because the dental poli does not have the appropriate workers with the right qualification. The purpose of this study is to make the system of forecasting the patient’s visit to predict how many patients will come; so that the resources that have been provided will be in accordance with the needs of the Puskesmas. In the ELM method, input and bias weights are initially determined randomly to obtain final weights using Generalized Invers. The matrix used in the final weights is a matrix whose outputs are from each input to a hidden layer. So ELM has a fast learning speed. The result of the experiment of ELM method in this research is able to generate a prediction of a number of patient visit with the RMSE value which is equal to 0.0426.

  20. An Evaluation of a Voluntary Academic Medical Center Website Designed to Improve Access to Health Education among Consumers: Implications for E-Health and M-Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris-Hollingsworth, Nicole Rosella

    2012-01-01

    Academic Medical Centers across the United States provide health libraries on their web portals to disseminate health promotion and disease prevention information, in order to assist patients in the management of their own care. However, there is a need to obtain consumer input, consumer satisfaction, and to conduct formal evaluations. The purpose…

  1. Books, Books, Books--Let Us Read: A Library Serving Sheltered and Incarcerated Youth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Pam

    1994-01-01

    Describes the growth and development of a library program serving a shelter for abused and neglected children and youth and a juvenile detention center in Orange County (California). Program funding, materials preferred by teen users, library management, special events, and problems are discussed. Teen patrons and their use of the services are…

  2. Perceived job stress and health complaints at a bank call center: comparison between inbound and outbound services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Yen-Hui; Chen, Chih-Yong; Hong, Wei-Hsien; Lin, Yu-Chao

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated how perceived job stress and health status differ, as well as the relationships to inbound (incoming calls) versus outbound (outgoing calls) calling activities, for call center workers in a bank in Taiwan. The sample bank employed 289 call center workers at the time of the survey, ranging in age from 19 to 54 yr old. Data were obtained on individual factors, health complaints, perceived level job stress, and major job stressors. Overall, 33.5% of outbound operators and 27.1% of inbound operators reported frequently or always experiencing high stress at work, however, the differences between inbound and outbound operators were insignificant. "Having to deal with difficult customers" was the most frequent job stressor for all workers. Musculoskeletal discomfort, eye strain, and hoarse or sore throat were the most prevalent complaints among call center workers. The relationship between perceived job stress and health complaints indicated that workers who perceived higher job stress had significantly increased risk of multiple health problems, including eye strain, tinnitus, hoarse or sore throat, chronic cough with phlegm, chest tightness, irritable stomach or peptic ulcers, and musculoskeletal discomfort (with odds ratios ranging from 2.13 to 8.24). These analytical results suggest that perceived job stress in the call center profoundly affected worker health. This study identified main types of job stressors requiring further investigation.

  3. Changes in chronic disease management among community health centers (CHCs) in China: Has health reform improved CHC ability?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhaoxin; Shi, Jianwei; Wu, Zhigui; Xie, Huiling; Yu, Yifan; Li, Ping; Liu, Rui; Jing, Limei

    2017-07-01

    Since the 1980s, China has been criticized for its mode of chronic disease management (CDM) that passively provides treatment in secondary and tertiary hospitals but lacks active prevention in community health centers (CHCs). Since there are few systematic evaluations of the CHCs' methods for CDM, this study aimed to analyze their abilities. On the macroperspective, we searched the literature in China's largest and most authoritative databases and the official websites of health departments. Literature was used to analyze the government's efforts in improving CHCs' abilities to perform CDM. At the microlevel, we examined the CHCs' longitudinal data after the New Health Reform in 2009, including financial investment, facilities, professional capacities, and the conducted CDM activities. A policy analysis showed that there was an increasing tendency towards government efforts in developing CDM, and the peak appeared in 2009. By evaluating the reform at CHCs, we found that there was an obvious increase in fiscal and public health subsidies, large-scale equipment, general practitioners, and public health physicians. The benefited vulnerable population in this area also rose significantly. However, rural centers were inferior in their CDM abilities compared with urban ones, and the referral system is still not effective in China. This study showed that CHCs are increasingly valued in managing chronic diseases, especially after the New Health Reform in 2009. However, we still need to improve collaborative management for chronic diseases in the community and strengthen the abilities of CHCs, especially in rural areas. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Civilian social work: serving the military and veteran populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savitsky, Laura; Illingworth, Maria; DuLaney, Megan

    2009-10-01

    This article discusses social work practice areas for civilian social workers who provide services to military service members,veterans, and their families. These practice areas include education, child welfare, domestic violence, mental health, health care, substance abuse, and criminal justice. The authors examine the impact of the contemporary military lifestyle and current military operations on service members and their families in the context of these practice areas, with the goal of compelling civilian social workers to acknowledge their responsibility to competently serve military and veteran clients.

  5. 77 FR 22691 - Fees on Health Insurance Policies and Self-Insured Plans for the Patient-Centered Outcomes...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-17

    ... 1545-BK59 Fees on Health Insurance Policies and Self-Insured Plans for the Patient-Centered Outcomes... certain health insurance policies and plan sponsors of certain self-insured health plans to fund the... health insurance policies) or R. Lisa Mojiri-Azad at (202) 622-6080 (regarding self- insured health...

  6. Serving Data to the GLAST Users Community

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stephens, Thomas E.

    2007-01-01

    The scientific community will access the public GLAST data through the website of the GLAST Science Support Center (GSSC). For most data products the GSSC website will link to the NASA High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center's (HEASARC) Browse interface, which will actually serve the data. For example, data from the GLAST Burst Monitor (GBM) from a given burst will be packaged together and accessible through Browse. However, the photon and event data produced by the Large Area Telescope (LAT), GLAST's primary instrument, will be distributed through a custom GSSC interface. These data will be collected over the LAT's large field-of-view, usually while the LAT is scanning the sky, and thus photons from a particular direction cannot be attributed to a single 'observation' in the traditional sense. Users will request all photons detected from a region on the sky over a specified time and energy range. Through its website the GSSC will also provide long and short term science timelines, spacecraft position and attitude histories, exposure maps and other scientific data products. The different data products provided by the GSSC will be described

  7. Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, Annual Report 2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    applications for recovering from disaster and trauma Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center Develops and delivers advanced TBI-specifi c treatment...specifically aimed at developing cognitive and motor therapy tools using videogame technology, game-based PH outreach tools and support tools for children of...Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Annual Report 2009 Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No

  8. A Helpful Serving

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rockower, David

    2006-01-01

    This article briefly describes how a fifth-grade class collaborated with a downtown diner for several months and then actually ran the restaurant for four hours. Through the Chatters Cafe, a local high school cafe that serves as a culinary arts training ground for high school students, fifth graders had the opportunity to prepare and serve dinner…

  9. Restaurant Policies and Practices for Serving Raw Fish in Minnesota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedeen, Nicole

    2016-10-01

    The number of restaurants serving sushi within Minnesota is continuously increasing. The practices and protocols of serving raw fish are complex and require detailed planning to ensure that food served to patrons will not cause illness. Although the popularity of sushi is increasing, there is a lack of research on food safety issues pertaining to preparation of raw fish and sushi rice. To address this gap, the Minnesota Department of Health Environmental Health Specialists Network Food program collected descriptive data on restaurant practices and policies concerning the service of raw fish and sushi rice in 40 Minnesota restaurants. At each restaurant, a specialist interviewed a restaurant manager, conducted an observation of the sushi prep areas in the restaurant kitchen, and reviewed parasite destruction letters and invoices from fish supplier(s). Over half of the restaurants (59%) were missing one or more of the parasite destruction letters from their fish supplier(s) guaranteeing that fish had been properly frozen to the time and temperature requirements in the Minnesota Food Code. A total of 42 parasite destruction letters from suppliers were observed; 10% were considered "adequate" letters. The majority of the letters were missing details pertaining to the types of fish frozen, the length of time fish were frozen, or details on what temperatures fish were held frozen or a combination of all three. Most restaurants were using time as a public health control for their sushi rice. For those restaurants using time as a public health control, 26% had a written procedure on-site, and approximately 53% were keeping track of time. Bare hand contact during sushi prep was observed in 17% of restaurants, and in more than 40% of the restaurants, at least one fish was mislabeled on the menu. Findings from this study indicate that many Minnesota restaurants are not complying with the Food Code requirements pertaining to parasite destruction for the service of raw fish or

  10. Barriers to Providing Health Education During Primary Care Visits at Community Health Centers: Clinical Staff Insights.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alicea-Planas, Jessica; Pose, Alix; Smith, Linda

    2016-04-01

    The rapid increase of diverse patients living in the US has created a different set of needs in healthcare, with the persistence of health disparities continuing to challenge the current system. Chronic disease management has been discussed as a way to improve health outcomes, with quality patient education being a key component. Using a community based participatory research framework, this study utilized a web-based survey and explored clinical staff perceptions of barriers to providing patient education during primary care visits. With a response rate of nearly 42 %, appointment time allotment seemed to be one of the most critical factors related to the delivery of health education and should be considered key. The importance of team-based care and staff training were also significant. Various suggestions were made in order to improve the delivery of quality patient education at community health centers located in underserved areas.

  11. Tax Exemption Issues Facing Academic Health Centers in the Managed Care Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Darryll K.

    1997-01-01

    Traditional characteristics of academic health centers are outlined, and conflicts with managed care are identified. Operating strategies designed to resolve the conflicts are discussed in light of tax statutes and regulations, Internal Revenue Service interpretations, and case law. Detailed references are included to provide a complete resource…

  12. Serving Special Needs Students in the School Library Media Center. Greenwood Professional Guides in School Librarianship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wesson, Caren L., Ed.; Keefe, Margaret J., Ed.

    This collection of papers considers how the school library media specialist serves special needs students and classroom teachers in multiple roles as teacher, information specialist, and instructional consultant or collaborator. Included are the following papers: "Teaching Library and Information Skills to Special Needs Students" (Caren…

  13. Comparison of mental health, happiness, and emotion control with adolescents’ residential centers of state welfare organization and family reared adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laila Bawi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objective: Many research indicated that adolescents’ residential centers have the high possibility to diagnose with psychological disorders. Therefore, the aim of this study was investigated the mental health, happiness and emotion control among adolescents’ residential centers of state welfare organization.Materials and Methods: This research is a causal –comparative research. The 80 adolescents’ residential centers were chosen through available sampling and 80 adolescents of schools of Alborz city were selected through cluster method. Statistical analysis was conducted by using the independent t-test. The research instruments were Emotion Control Questionnaire (ECQ, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ, Goldenberg, and Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI.Results: The significantly different was observed in mental health, happiness and emotion control between two adolescents groups (p<0.05.Conclusion: The results indicate that the institutional-reared decrease the level of mental health, happiness and emotion control in adolescents. Thus, counselors should be considered these factors in therapeutic intervention to enhancing the mental health of adolescents’ residential centers.

  14. Improving access to care through the patient-centered medical home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    North, Stephen W; McElligot, James; Douglas, Gaye; Martin, Amanda

    2014-02-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) serve an essential role in providing access to high-quality, comprehensive care to underserved children and adolescents in more than 2,000 schools across the United States. SBHCs are an essential component of the health care safety net, and their role in the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) continues to evolve as both collaborating partners and, when fully functioning, independent PCMHs. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports the use of SBHCs, citing the proven benefits and exciting potential as justification, but also offers caution and recommends a focus on communication within the community. Traditional "brick and mortar" SBHCs are more likely to be located in urban communities (54.2% urban versus 18.0% rural) and be in schools with more students, allowing for a greater return on investment. Current SBHCs are located in schools with an average population of 997 students. The need for a large school population to help an SBHC approach financial viability excludes children in rural communities who are more likely to attend a school with fewer than 500 students, be poor, and have difficulty accessing health care.2 The expansion of telehealth technologies allows the creation of solutions to decrease geographic barriers that have limited the growth of SBHCs in rural communities. Telehealth school-based health centers (tSBHCs) that exclusively provide services through telemedicine are operating and developing in communities where geographic barriers and financial challenges have prevented the establishment of brick and mortar SBHCs. TSBHCs are beginning to increase the number and variety of services they provide through the use of telehealth to include behavioral health, nutrition services, and pediatric specialists. Understanding the role of tSBHCs in the growth of the PCMH model is critical for using these tools to continue to improve child and adolescent health. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

  15. Dealing With Deans and Academic Medical Center Leadership: Advice From Leaders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanfilippo, Fred; Powell, Deborah; Folberg, Robert; Tykocinski, Mark

    2018-01-01

    The 2017 Association of Pathology Chairs Annual Meeting included a session for department chairs and other department leaders on "how to deal with deans and academic medical center leadership." The session was focused on discussing ways to foster positive relationships with university, medical school, and health system leaders, and productively address issues and opportunities with them. Presentations and a panel discussion were provided by 4 former pathology chairs who subsequently have served as medical deans and in other leadership positions including university provost, medical center CEO, and health system board chair. There was a strong consensus among the participants on how best to deal with superiors about problems, conflicts, and requests for additional resources and authority. The importance of teamwork and accountability in developing a constructive and collaborative relationship with leaders and peers was discussed in detail. Effectiveness in communication, negotiation, and departmental advocacy were highlighted as important skills. As limited resources and increased regulations have become growing problems for universities and health systems, internal stress and competition have increased. In this rapidly changing environment, advice on how chairs can interact most productively with institutional leaders is becoming increasingly important.

  16. Community health center provider and staff's Spanish language ability and cultural awareness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baig, Arshiya A; Benitez, Amanda; Locklin, Cara A; Campbell, Amanda; Schaefer, Cynthia T; Heuer, Loretta J; Lee, Sang Mee; Solomon, Marla C; Quinn, Michael T; Burnet, Deborah L; Chin, Marshall H

    2014-05-01

    Many community health center providers and staff care for Latinos with diabetes, but their Spanish language ability and awareness of Latino culture are unknown. We surveyed 512 Midwestern health center providers and staff who managed Latino patients with diabetes. Few respondents had high Spanish language (13%) or cultural awareness scores (22%). Of respondents who self-reported 76-100% of their patients were Latino, 48% had moderate/low Spanish language and 49% had moderate/low cultural competency scores. Among these respondents, 3% lacked access to interpreters and 27% had neither received cultural competency training nor had access to training. Among all respondents, Spanish skills and Latino cultural awareness were low. Respondents who saw a significant number of Latinos had good access to interpretation services but not cultural competency training. Improved Spanish-language skills and increased access to cultural competency training and Latino cultural knowledge are needed to provide linguistically and culturally tailored care to Latino patients.

  17. Strategic planning as a tool for achieving alignment in academic health centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higginbotham, Eve J; Church, Kathryn C

    2012-01-01

    After the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010, there is an urgent need for medical schools, teaching hospitals, and practice plans to work together seamlessly across a common mission. Although there is agreement that there should be greater coordination of initiatives and resources, there is little guidance in the literature to address the method to achieve the necessary transformation. Traditional approaches to strategic planning often engage a few leaders and produce a set of immeasurable initiatives. A nontraditional approach, consisting of a Whole-Scale (Dannemiller Tyson Associates, Ann Arbor, MI) engagement, appreciative inquiry, and a balanced scorecard can, more rapidly transform an academic health center. Using this nontraditional approach to strategic planning, increased organizational awareness was achieved in a single academic health center. Strategic planning can be an effective tool to achieve alignment, enhance accountability, and a first step in meeting the demands of the new landscape of healthcare.

  18. Strategic Planning as a Tool for Achieving Alignment in Academic Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higginbotham, Eve J.; Church, Kathryn C.

    2012-01-01

    After the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010, there is an urgent need for medical schools, teaching hospitals, and practice plans to work together seamlessly across a common mission. Although there is agreement that there should be greater coordination of initiatives and resources, there is little guidance in the literature to address the method to achieve the necessary transformation. Traditional approaches to strategic planning often engage a few leaders and produce a set of immeasurable initiatives. A nontraditional approach, consisting of a Whole-Scale (Dannemiller Tyson Associates, Ann Arbor, MI) engagement, appreciative inquiry, and a balanced scorecard can, more rapidly transform an academic health center. Using this nontraditional approach to strategic planning, increased organizational awareness was achieved in a single academic health center. Strategic planning can be an effective tool to achieve alignment, enhance accountability, and a first step in meeting the demands of the new landscape of healthcare. PMID:23303997

  19. Job satisfaction and perceived autonomy for nurse practitioners working in nurse-managed health centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pron, Ann Linguiti

    2013-04-01

    More primary care providers are needed to deliver health care to Americans living in poverty and those soon to be insured under the Affordable Care Act. Nurse practitioners (NPs) in nurse-managed health centers (NMHCs) are poised to meet this need. This research study examined the characteristics of NPs working in NMHCs and measured job satisfaction and perceived level of autonomy. No studies about job satisfaction or autonomy for NPs working in NMHCs had been previously reported. This descriptive, quantitative study surveyed primary care NPs working in NMHCs that are part of the National Nursing Centers Consortium (NNCC). NP e-mail addresses were obtained from NNCC center directors. Of 198 NPs invited to the electronic survey, 99 completed the Misener Nurse Practitioner Job Satisfaction Scale, demographic questionnaire, questions about perceived autonomy, and whether they would recommend working in an NMHC. Participants came from 16 states and 46 NMHCs. NPs working in NMHCs have job satisfaction, perceive their role as autonomous, and are satisfied with the autonomy they have. NMHCs can provide access to primary health care for many Americans. More NPs may choose employment in NMHCs for job satisfaction and autonomy. ©2012 The Author(s) Journal compilation ©2012 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

  20. Missed Opportunities for Chronic Diseases Prevention in a Primary Health Care Center in Istanbul

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmet Topuzoglu

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate missed opportunities about chronic diseases and related risk factors in a primary health care center in Istanbul. Method: This cross sectional study was held in a Primary Health Care Center in Istanbul with the study population consisted of 500 people which were applicated in one month period. Participants were asked; if they were questioned by their physician about major risk factors (smoking, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coroner heart disease in family, glysemic level, cholesterol level and regular exercise practice according to Primary Care 2006 Guidelines. The data was evaluated by descriptive statatistics, chi square test. Results: The median age of the participants were 40 (25.p; 32-75.p;52 and 76.4% of them were female. 50.4% of participants were overweight, 20.8% of them were obese. 36.2% of them were smoking, 22.0% were hypertensive, 10.4% were hiperglysemic. There were around 90.0% missing opportunities screening and management of obesity and blood cholesterol level, 70.0% about hypertension and 85.0% about diabetes. Conclusion: Opportunities about chronic diseases and their risk factors are being missed and asking about risk factors are neglected in primary health care center. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2011; 10(6.000: 665-674

  1. 75 FR 384 - Event Problem Codes Web Site; Center for Devices and Radiological Health; Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-05

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2009-N-0576] Event Problem Codes Web Site; Center for Devices and Radiological Health; Availability AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing...

  2. Lessons for the new CMS innovation center from the Medicare health support program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barr, Michael S; Foote, Sandra M; Krakauer, Randall; Mattingly, Patrick H

    2010-07-01

    The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act establishes a new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The center is intended to enhance the CMS's role in promoting much-needed improvements in payment and service delivery. Lessons from the Medicare Health Support Program, a chronic care pilot program that ran between 2005 and 2008, illustrate the value of drawing on experience in planning for the center and future pilot programs. The lessons include the importance of strong leadership; collaboration and flexibility to foster innovation; receptivity of beneficiaries to care management; and the need for timely data on patients' status. The lessons also highlight pitfalls to be avoided in planning future pilot programs, such as flawed strategies for selecting populations to target when testing payment and service delivery reforms.

  3. Current and Projected Characteristics and Unique Health Care Needs of the Patient Population Served by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eibner, Christine; Krull, Heather; Brown, Kristine M; Cefalu, Matthew; Mulcahy, Andrew W; Pollard, Michael; Shetty, Kanaka; Adamson, David M; Amaral, Ernesto F L; Armour, Philip; Beleche, Trinidad; Bogdan, Olena; Hastings, Jaime; Kapinos, Kandice; Kress, Amii; Mendelsohn, Joshua; Ross, Rachel; Rutter, Carolyn M; Weinick, Robin M; Woods, Dulani; Hosek, Susan D; Farmer, Carrie M

    2016-05-09

    The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 addressed the need for access to timely, high-quality health care for veterans. Section 201 of the legislation called for an independent assessment of various aspects of veterans' health care. The RAND Corporation was tasked with an assessment of the current and projected demographics and health care needs of patients served by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The number of U.S. veterans will continue to decline over the next decade, and the demographic mix and geographic locations of these veterans will change. While the number of veterans using VA health care has increased over time, demand will level off in the coming years. Veterans have more favorable economic circumstances than non-veterans, but they are also older and more likely to be diagnosed with many health conditions. Not all veterans are eligible for or use VA health care. Whether and to what extent an eligible veteran uses VA health care depends on a number of factors, including access to other sources of health care. Veterans who rely on VA health care are older and less healthy than veterans who do not, and the prevalence of costly conditions in this population is projected to increase. Potential changes to VA policy and the context for VA health care, including effects of the Affordable Care Act, could affect demand. Analysis of a range of data sources provided insight into how the veteran population is likely to change in the next decade.

  4. Current and Projected Characteristics and Unique Health Care Needs of the Patient Population Served by the Department of Veterans Affairs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eibner, Christine; Krull, Heather; Brown, Kristine M.; Cefalu, Matthew; Mulcahy, Andrew W.; Pollard, Michael; Shetty, Kanaka; Adamson, David M.; Amaral, Ernesto F. L.; Armour, Philip; Beleche, Trinidad; Bogdan, Olena; Hastings, Jaime; Kapinos, Kandice; Kress, Amii; Mendelsohn, Joshua; Ross, Rachel; Rutter, Carolyn M.; Weinick, Robin M.; Woods, Dulani; Hosek, Susan D.; Farmer, Carrie M.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 addressed the need for access to timely, high-quality health care for veterans. Section 201 of the legislation called for an independent assessment of various aspects of veterans' health care. The RAND Corporation was tasked with an assessment of the current and projected demographics and health care needs of patients served by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The number of U.S. veterans will continue to decline over the next decade, and the demographic mix and geographic locations of these veterans will change. While the number of veterans using VA health care has increased over time, demand will level off in the coming years. Veterans have more favorable economic circumstances than non-veterans, but they are also older and more likely to be diagnosed with many health conditions. Not all veterans are eligible for or use VA health care. Whether and to what extent an eligible veteran uses VA health care depends on a number of factors, including access to other sources of health care. Veterans who rely on VA health care are older and less healthy than veterans who do not, and the prevalence of costly conditions in this population is projected to increase. Potential changes to VA policy and the context for VA health care, including effects of the Affordable Care Act, could affect demand. Analysis of a range of data sources provided insight into how the veteran population is likely to change in the next decade. PMID:28083423

  5. Establishing a health outcomes and economics center in radiology: strategies and resources required

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Medina, Santiago L.; Altman, Nolan R.

    2002-01-01

    To describe the resources and strategies required to establish a health outcomes and economics center in radiology.Methods. Human and nonhuman resources required to perform sound outcomes and economics studies in radiology are reviewed.Results. Human resources needed include skilled medical and nonmedical staff. Nonhuman resources required are: (1) communication and information network; (2) education tools and training programs; (3) budgetary strategies; and (4) sources of income. Effective utilization of these resources allows the performance of robust operational and clinical research projects in decision analysis, cost-effectiveness, diagnostic performance (sensitivity, specificity, and ROC curves), and clinical analytical and experimental studies.Conclusion. As new radiologic technology and techniques are introduced in medicine, society is increasingly demanding sound clinical studies that will determine the impact of radiologic studies on patient outcome. Health-care funding is scarce, and therefore third-party payers and hospitals are demanding more efficiency and productivity from radiologic service providers. To meet these challenges, radiology departments could establish health outcomes and economics centers to study the clinical effectiveness of imaging and its impact on patient outcome. (orig.)

  6. Lower risk of incident dementia among Chinese older adults having three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits a day.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Allen T C; Richards, Marcus; Chan, Wai C; Chiu, Helen F K; Lee, Ruby S Y; Lam, Linda C W

    2017-09-01

    dietary modification can potentially reduce dementia risk, but the importance of fruits and the amount of vegetables and fruits required for cognitive maintenance are uncertain. We examined whether the minimal daily requirement of vegetables and fruits recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) would independently lower dementia risk. in this population-based observational study, we examined the diet of 17,700 community-living dementia-free Chinese older adults who attended the Elderly Health Centres in Hong Kong at baseline and followed their cognitive status for 6 years. In line with the WHO recommendation, we defined the cutoff for minimal intake of vegetables and fruits as at least three and two servings per day, respectively. The study outcome was incident dementia in 6 years. Dementia was defined by presence of clinical dementia in accordance with the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) or Clinical Dementia Rating of 1-3. multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the estimated odds ratios for incident dementia were 0.88 (95% confidence interval 0.73-1.06; P = 0.17) for those consuming at least three servings of vegetables per day, 0.86 (0.74-0.99; P dementia in older adults. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  7. Detecting Postpartum Depression in Referents to Medical and Health Centers in Hamadan City

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Shobeiri

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction & Objective: Pregnancy and childbirth are significant developmental excitable for most women. Physical, intrapersonal and relational adaptations are needed to adjust successfully to pregnancy and delivery. Postpartum depression is a serious psychiatric disorder and the adverse impact on infants has been noted. The purpose of this study was to detect postpartum depression in referents to medical and health centers in Hamadan city.Materials & Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study involving 400 women completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI within 2-8 weeks of delivery was conducted in urban health centers in Hamadan city, Iran. Data were collected through interviews with women in the clinics in the health centers. Data processing and statistical analysis were performed using SPSS 10.0.Results: The results revealed that majority of women (68.0% were considered normal. Depression was detected in 32.0% of women. Out of these 19.0, 4.0 and 9.0% were mild, moderate and severe depression, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between postpartum depression and age, number of delivery, education, job and husband's job (P=0.000.Conclusion: Nearly 32.0% of selected women had depression. Therefore, it is important for medical personnel to be well versed in the course and treatment of postpartum depression. Post partum depression should be screened and treated as early as possible for several reasons. It can cause significant suffering for the woman who experiences it, and it can have deleterious consequences for the newborn.

  8. Medical-Legal Partnerships At Veterans Affairs Medical Centers Improved Housing And Psychosocial Outcomes For Vets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Jack; Middleton, Margaret; Villegas, Jennifer; Johnson, Cindy; Retkin, Randye; Seidman, Alison; Sherman, Scott; Rosenheck, Robert A

    2017-12-01

    Medical-legal partnerships-collaborations between legal professionals and health care providers that help patients address civil legal problems that can affect health and well-being-have been implemented at several Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers to serve homeless and low-income veterans with mental illness. We describe the outcomes of veterans who accessed legal services at four partnership sites in Connecticut and New York in the period 2014-16. The partnerships served 950 veterans, who collectively had 1,384 legal issues; on average, the issues took 5.4 hours' worth of legal services to resolve. The most common problems were related to VA benefits, housing, family issues, and consumer issues. Among a subsample of 148 veterans who were followed for one year, we observed significant improvements in housing, income, and mental health. Veterans who received more partnership services showed greater improvements in housing and mental health than those who received fewer services, and those who achieved their predefined legal goals showed greater improvements in housing status and community integration than those who did not. Medical-legal partnerships represent an opportunity to expand cross-sector, community-based partnerships in the VA health care system to address social determinants of mental health.

  9. Changes in Serving Size, Calories, and Sodium Content in Processed Foods From 2009 to 2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clapp, Jenifer E; Niederman, Sarah A; Leonard, Elizabeth; Curtis, Christine J

    2018-03-15

    Approximately 60% of the American diet comes from processed foods, which makes improving their nutritional quality important for Americans' health. The objective of this study was to measure changes in serving sizes, calories, and sodium in top-selling processed foods that were on the market in 2009 and 2015. We analyzed products in the top 80% of sales in the 54 processed food categories with consistent serving sizes and sales metrics that were on the market in both 2009 and 2015. Mean serving size, calories (per serving and density), sodium (per serving and density), and sales were calculated for 2,979 branded processed food products. For each stratification of calorie density and sodium density (decreased, increased, or did not change), we calculated the mean serving size, calorie density, sodium density, and sales for each year. From 2009 to 2015, we found decreases in serving size (-2.3%, P calories per serving (-2.0%, P calorie density (-1.1%, P calorie density did not correspond to an increase in sodium density or vice versa. A decline in sales was observed regardless of whether calorie density or sodium density decreased, increased, or did not change. Reductions in calorie and sodium density occurred in tandem, suggesting that manufacturers reformulated for more than one health goal at the same time. Instead of unintended negative consequences of encouraging companies to reformulate for one nutrient, an overall net nutritional benefit occurred.

  10. Building a Culture of Authentic Partnership: One Academic Health Center Model for Nursing Leadership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heath, Janie; Swartz, Colleen

    2017-09-01

    Senior nursing leaders from the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Nursing and UK HealthCare have explored the meaning of an authentic partnership. This article quantifies the tangible benefits and outcomes from this maturing academic nursing and clinical practice partnership. Benefits include inaugural academic nursing participation in health system governance, expanded integration of nursing research programs both in the college and in the health science center, and the development of collaborative strategies to address nursing workforce needs.

  11. Human-Centered Design of an mHealth App for the Prevention of Burnout Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narváez, Santiago; Tobar, Ángela M; López, Diego M; Blobel, Bernd

    2016-01-01

    Stress-related disorders have become one of the main health problems in many countries and organizations worldwide. They can generate depression and anxiety, and could derive in work absenteeism and reduction in productivity. Design, develop, and evaluate an mHealth App for the prevention of Burnout Syndrome following the recommendations of standard User-Centered Design methodologies. 1) A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 59 faculty members and workers at the University of Cauca, Colombia using the Maslach Burnout Inventory as an instrument for measuring Burnout, accompanied by a demographic and technological questionnaire. 2) Three prototypes of the mHealth App were iteratively developed following the recommendations provided by the ISO Usability Maturity Model and the ISO User-Centered Design model. 3) Usability tests of the system were performed based on the ISO 9126 standard. The results obtained are considered positive, particularly those regarding user's satisfaction measured using the System Usability Scale.

  12. Mother Behavior Prefer Untrained Traditional Birth Attendant As Labor Support Person At Tembilahan Hulu Public Health Center Districts On 2016

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    alhidayati yati

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR is one indicator of health development in Indonesia. Deliveries by health personnel to be very important in efforts to reduce maternal mortality. Coverage of births attended by skilled health personnel at health centers Tembilahan Hulu has yet to reach the target of 90%. Target Health Center Tembilahan Hulu is 80% but reached only 45%. The number of maternal deaths in health centers Hulu 2016 Tembilahan 1 case and the number of infant mortality as much as 5 case, one cause of death is handled by TBAs. Objective: to know the mother's behavior in selecting birth attendants in health centers working area Tembilahan Hulu. Design: Qualitative research, to obtain in-depth information about how the Mother Behavior in Choosing Auxiliary Power Delivery at Puskesmas Tembilahan Hulu 2016. Methods: This study used a qualitative descriptive method, which is an approach to research that revealed certain social situations to describe reality correctly, formed by words based on the techniques of collecting and analyzing relevant data obtained from the natural situation. Results and Discussion: Research shows that mothers choose birth attendants decision is closely linked to the knowledge, attitudes, social culture, access to health services, family support. Conclusions: The behavior of mothers in selecting birth attendant is still a lot to TBAs compared to the health worker / midwife.

  13. NIEHS/EPA Children’s Environmental Health Centers: Novel Methods to Assess Effects of Chemicals on Child Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University studies long-term health of urban pollutants on children raised in minority neighborhoods in inner-city communities.

  14. The use of random-effects models to identify health care center-related characteristics modifying the effect of antipsychotic drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nordon, Clementine; Battin, Constance; Verdoux, Helene; Haro, Josef Maria; Belger, Mark; Abenhaim, Lucien; van Staa, Tjeerd Pieter

    2017-01-01

    A case study was conducted, exploring methods to identify drugs effects modifiers, at a health care center level. Data were drawn from the Schizophrenia Outpatient Health Outcome cohort, including hierarchical information on 6641 patients, recruited from 899 health care centers from across ten European countries. Center-level characteristics included the following: psychiatrist's gender, age, length of practice experience, practice setting and type, countries' Healthcare System Efficiency score, and psychiatrist density in the country. Mixed multivariable linear regression models were used: 1) to estimate antipsychotic drugs' effectiveness (defined as the association between patients' outcome at 3 months - dependent variable, continuous - and antipsychotic drug initiation at baseline - drug A vs other antipsychotic drug); 2) to estimate the similarity between clustered data (using the intra-cluster correlation coefficient); and 3) to explore antipsychotic drug effects modification by center-related characteristics (using the addition of an interaction term). About 23% of the variance found for patients' outcome was explained by unmeasured confounding at a center level. Psychiatrists' practice experience was found to be associated with patient outcomes ( p =0.04) and modified the relative effect of "drug A" ( p <0.001), independent of center- or patient-related characteristics. Mixed models may be useful to explore how center-related characteristics modify drugs' effect estimates, but require numerous assumptions.

  15. Socio-demographic and Lifestyle Factors in Breastfeeding Mothers, Referring to Isfahan Health Centers

    OpenAIRE

    Zahra Sohrabi; Fatemeh Momenzadeh; Seyedeh Zahra Aemmi; Malihe Tabibi; Zahra Musavi; Mitra Savabi

    2016-01-01

    Background The feeding importance of child in first two years of life and mental damage caused by malnutrition during this period is obvious. However the mother's lifestyle and long-term effects on the health of the mother and infant during breastfeeding period should not be neglected. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between the demographic characteristics and lifestyle of breastfeeding mothers referring to health centers in Isfahan. Materials and Methods In this cro...

  16. Implementing the obesity care model at a community health center in Hawaii to address childhood obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okihiro, May; Pillen, Michelle; Ancog, Cristeta; Inda, Christy; Sehgal, Vija

    2013-01-01

    Obesity, the most common chronic disease of childhood, is prevalent among economically disadvantaged children. The Chronic Care and Obesity Care Models are comprehensive health care strategies to improve outcomes by linking primary care best practices and community-based programs. Pediatric providers and community health centers are well positioned to design and implement coordinated and synergistic programs to address childhood health disparities. This article describes a comprehensive project based on the Obesity Care Model initiated at a rural community health center in Hawaii to address childhood obesity including: (1) the health care delivery changes constituting the quality improvement project; (2) capacity and team-building activities; (3) use of the project community level data to strengthen community engagement and investment; and (4) the academic-community partnership providing the project framework. We anticipate that these efforts will contribute to the long-term goal of reducing the prevalence of obesity and obesity associated morbidity in the community.

  17. Using Videoconferencing Technology to Provide Breastfeeding Support to Low-Income Women: Connecting Hospital-Based Lactation Consultants with Clients Receiving Care at a Community Health Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friesen, Carol A; Hormuth, Laura J; Petersen, Devan; Babbitt, Tina

    2015-11-01

    The Tele-Lactation Pilot Project (TLPP), 1 of 13 community-based breastfeeding projects implemented in Indiana in 2013 using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant funds, explored the feasibility of using videoconferencing technology to provide breastfeeding education and support to low-income women by a centrally located International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). The IBCLC was housed at the Breastfeeding Center at the hospital where the women would deliver; the women receiving the education and support were located at an inner-city community health center (CHC) where they received their primary care. The videoconferencing sessions were juxtaposed with the women's regularly scheduled prenatal and postnatal visits at the CHC. After delivery, the lactation consultant visited the mother and infant in person at the hospital to offer additional support. Overall, 35 mothers were served by the TLPP during the 9-month project period. A total of 134 visits (30-45 minutes each) were conducted (3.8 sessions per woman). At the conclusion of the project, interviews with key participants indicated that the tele-lactation videoconferencing sessions were easy to implement, allowed the IBCLC to reach a wider client base, and allowed the women to receive expert support that they might not have otherwise received. Comments indicated that, in addition to providing education and increasing the women's confidence, the tele-lactation sessions appeared to have decreased the mothers' anxiety about the birthing process and the hospital experience. The TLPP demonstrated that incorporating videoconferencing technology into routine care can help foster collaboration among health care providers and provide mothers with continuous, easily accessible breastfeeding education and support. © The Author(s) 2015.

  18. Occupational stress among the staffs of health centers in Yazd in 2016

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mozhgan Modarresi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Occupational stress is a kind of stress that a person undergoes doing certain jobs, and it is caused by the interaction between working conditions and demographic characteristics of the employee. Given the role of the health professionals in preventive care services in our health system, decision was made to determine the occupational stress among the staffs of the health centers in Yazd. Methods: In the present cross-sectional descriptive study, staffs of the health centers in Yazd were studied following census method and making use of standard Occupational Stress Questionnaire of Health and Safety Executive (HSE. A total of 237 questionnaires were collected and the obtained data was analyzed using SPSS software 16 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA. Results: The mean score of occupational stress in individuals was calculated as 91.5±13.51. Findings of the study indicated that 54.1% of the participants were very undesirable and undesirable in terms of occupational stress. There was no statistically significant relationship between the occupational stress and age (P=0.7, gender (P=0.24, marital status (P=0.08, and educational level (P=0.19. On the other hand, the rate of occupational stress was significantly associated with work experience (P=0.04. A greater percentage was observed in unfavourable category regarding communication and change sub-scale. Conclusion: According to the results of the current study, it seems that health care workers have a high level of occupational stress. Therefore, the reformation ideas such as stress reduction techniques, supervisor support, staff training on working conditions, and how to manage tasks and participate in decision-making are among the necessities of making an environment enabling so that managers can use the potential capabilities of the staffs in providing services to the community.

  19. Creating 21st-Century Laboratories and Classrooms for Improving Population Health: A Call to Action for Academic Medical Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeVoe, Jennifer E; Likumahuwa-Ackman, Sonja; Shannon, Jackilen; Steiner Hayward, Elizabeth

    2017-04-01

    Academic medical centers (AMCs) in the United States built world-class infrastructure to successfully combat disease in the 20th century, which is inadequate for the complexity of sustaining and improving population health. AMCs must now build first-rate 21st-century infrastructure to connect combating disease and promoting health. This infrastructure must acknowledge the bio-psycho-social-environmental factors impacting health and will need to reach far beyond the AMC walls to foster community "laboratories" that support the "science of health," complementary to those supporting the "science of medicine"; cultivate community "classrooms" to stimulate learning and discovery in the places where people live, work, and play; and strengthen bridges between academic centers and these community laboratories and classrooms to facilitate bidirectional teaching, learning, innovation, and discovery.Private and public entities made deep financial investments that contributed to the AMC disease-centered approach to clinical care, education, and research in the 20th century. Many of these same funders now recognize the need to transform U.S. health care into a system that is accountable for population health and the need for a medical workforce equipped with the skills to measure and improve health. Innovative ideas about communities as centers of learning, the importance of social factors as major determinants of health, and the need for multidisciplinary perspectives to solve complex problems are not new; many are 20th-century ideas still waiting to be fully implemented. The window of opportunity is now. The authors articulate how AMCs must take bigger and bolder steps to become leaders in population health.

  20. Mobile Health Insurance System and Associated Costs: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Primary Health Centers in Abuja, Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chukwu, Emeka; Garg, Lalit; Eze, Godson

    2016-05-17

    Nigeria contributes only 2% to the world's population, accounts for 10% of the global maternal death burden. Health care at primary health centers, the lowest level of public health care, is far below optimal in quality and grossly inadequate in coverage. Private primary health facilities attempt to fill this gap but at additional costs to the client. More than 65% Nigerians still pay out of pocket for health services. Meanwhile, the use of mobile phones and related services has risen geometrically in recent years in Nigeria, and their adoption into health care is an enterprise worth exploring. The purpose of this study was to document costs associated with a mobile technology-supported, community-based health insurance scheme. This analytic cross-sectional survey used a hybrid of mixed methods stakeholder interviews coupled with prototype throw-away software development to gather data from 50 public primary health facilities and 50 private primary care centers in Abuja, Nigeria. Data gathered documents costs relevant for a reliable and sustainable mobile-supported health insurance system. Clients and health workers were interviewed using structured questionnaires on services provided and cost of those services. Trained interviewers conducted the structured interviews, and 1 client and 1 health worker were interviewed per health facility. Clinic expenditure was analyzed to include personnel, fixed equipment, medical consumables, and operation costs. Key informant interviews included a midmanagement staff of a health-management organization, an officer-level staff member of a mobile network operator, and a mobile money agent. All the 200 respondents indicated willingness to use the proposed system. Differences in the cost of services between public and private facilities were analyzed at 95% confidence level (Phealth care facilities is significantly higher than at public primary health care facilities. Key informant interviews with a health management organizations

  1. The effect of Health smart cards for Quality Health care services ( doctor martyr Beheshti medical research center in Qom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saeed zarandi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the use health smart card on the aspects quality of healthcare services in doctor martyr beheshti medical research center in qom . With regard to the measures taken in the context of the establishment of this card in Qom and the lack of previous experience in this province, one of the concerns of the authorities to investigate the performance and capabilities of the card and its effects on the quality of health services is affecting the present study is to respond to this concerns. This research method is descriptive and applied to the target population of physicians, nurses and medical record experts employed at the Medical Center have formed a martyr Beheshti Qom due to more awareness cognitive advantages associated with its use of smart cards have given. The population is equal to the number of 444 and 124 questionnaire for data analysis is used. The sampling method used in this research was stratified random sampling conducted in the respective classes. Spss software for data analysis & exploratory factor analysis & confirmed, Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, Wilcoxon Test & matrix of factors were used. The analysis results showed that Health Smart Cards for quality of health care services positive and significant effects on Dimension quality of the reliability & Tangibles . Analysis of demographic variables that influence opinions about the quality of health care Health Smart Cards significantly related to gender and education level, and also no experience discussed the variables significantly associated with age.

  2. Everything is connected: social determinants of pediatric health and disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarazi, Carine; Skeer, Margie; Fiscella, Kevin; Dean, Stephanie; Dammann, Olaf

    2016-01-01

    Carine Tarazi, MA, is an Assistant Editor for Pediatric Research in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Margie Skeer, ScD, MPH, MSW, served as a Guest Editor for this special issue. Dr. Skeer is Assistant Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University. Her research focuses on adolescent substance misuse and sexual risk prevention, both from epidemiologic and intervention-development perspectives. Kevin Fiscella, MD, MPH, served as a Guest Editor for this special issue. Dr. Fiscella is Tenured Professor of Family Medicine, Public Health Sciences and Community Health at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Fiscella's research focuses on health and health care disparities, particularly practical strategies to improve health equity. Stephanie Dean, MBA, is Managing Editor of Pediatric Research and is based out of editorial office in The Woodlands, Texas. Olaf Dammann, MD, served as a Guest Editor for this special issue. Dr. Dammann is a Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine, Pediatrics, and Ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, as well as Professor of Perinatal Neuroepidemiology at Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. His research interests include the elucidation of risk factors for brain damage and retinopathy in preterm newborns, the theory of risk and causation in biomedical and public health research, and the development of computational chronic disease models.

  3. Training medical students in the social determinants of health: the Health Scholars Program at Puentes de Salud

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O’Brien MJ

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Matthew J O’Brien,1–4 Joseph M Garland,4,5 Katie M Murphy,4,6,7 Sarah J Shuman,3,4 Robert C Whitaker,1,3,8 Steven C Larson4,9 1Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 2Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Temple University of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 3Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 4Puentes de Salud Health Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 5Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 6Master of Public Health Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 7Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 8Department of Pediatrics, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 9Department of Emergency Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA Purpose: Given the large influence of social conditions on health, physicians may be more effective if they are trained to identify and address social factors that impact health. Despite increasing interest in teaching the social determinants of health in undergraduate medical education, few models exist. Participants and methods: We present a 9-month pilot course on the social determinants of health for medical and other health professional students, which is based at Puentes de Salud, Philadelphia, PA, USA, a community health center serving a Latino immigrant population. This service-learning course, called the Health Scholars Program (HSP, was developed and implemented by volunteer medical and public health faculty in partnership with the community-based clinic. The HSP curriculum combines didactic instruction with service experiences at Puentes de Salud and opportunities for critical reflection. The HSP curriculum also includes a longitudinal project where

  4. Characteristics of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Who Received Services through Community Mental Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryson, Stephanie A.; Corrigan, Susan K.; McDonald, Thomas P.; Holmes, Cheryl

    2008-01-01

    Despite the presence of significant psychiatric comorbidity among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), little research exists on those who receive community-based mental health services. This project examined one year (2004) of data from the database maintained by 26 community mental health centers (CMHCs) in the Midwestern US state of…

  5. Articles Published and Downloaded by Public Health Scientists: Analysis of Data From the CDC Public Health Library, 2011-2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iskander, John; Bang, Gail; Stupp, Emma; Connick, Kathy; Gomez, Onnalee; Gidudu, Jane

    2016-01-01

    To describe scientific information usage and publication patterns of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Library and Information Center patrons. Administratively collected patron usage data and aggregate data on CDC-authored publications from the CDC Library for 3 consecutive years were analyzed. The CDC Public Health Library and Information Center, which serves CDC employees nationally and internationally. Internal patrons and external users of the CDC Library. Three-year trends in full-text article publication and downloads including most common journals used for each purpose, systematic literature searches requested and completed, and subscriptions to a weekly public health current literature awareness service. From 2011 to 2013, CDC scientists published a total of 7718 articles in the peer-reviewed literature. During the same period, article downloads from the CDC Library increased 25% to more than 1.1 million, completed requests for reviews of the scientific literature increased by 34%, and electronic subscriptions to literature compilation services increased by 23%. CDC's scientific output and information use via the CDC Library are both increasing. Researchers and field staff are making greater use of literature review services and other customized information content delivery. Virtual public health library access is an increasingly important resource for the scientific practice of public health.

  6. SURVEY OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND HEALTH BEHAVIOR OF PREGNANT WOMEN IN BONTOMATE’NE HEALTH CENTER OF JENEPONTO DISTRICT, INDONESIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yusriani

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Maternal mortality is a global health problem, and generally occurs mainly in developing countries. The main causes of maternal mortality still include bleeding, eclampsia and infections which contribute about 60% of total maternal deaths. Interventions to reduce the number of maternal deaths is pretty much done, especially in improving the nutritional status and health behavior of pregnant women, but have not yielded optimal results. Aim: This study aimed to determine the nutritional status and health behavior of pregnant women at health centers Bontomate'ne Jeneponto. Methods: This study uses survey design analytic descriptive approach. The population was all pregnant women in the working area Bontomate'ne health center with 189 people. All the population census or taken by total sampling. Data obtained through direct interviews and observations by using a questionnaire. Results: The results showed that normal nutritional status of pregnant women as much as 85.1% and maternal nutritional status category KEK as much as 14.9%. Knowledge of pregnant women about the risk factors of maternal death, danger signs of pregnancy, the importance of antenatal care (ANC, planning a pregnancy and a safe delivery and post natal care (PNC is categorized as less as much as 90.1%, and the mother's knowledge enough category only 9.9%. Pregnant women who have a positive attitude by 71.3% and amounted to 28.7% negative. Actions poor pregnant women as much as 34.7% and the capital measures both categories as much as 65.3%. Conclusion: Nutritional status and health behavior of pregnant mothers can provide chances for the occurrence of maternal deaths. Suggested the need to conduct needs to conduct education and training to build the knowledge and experience of pregnant women about the nutritional status and health behavior was good with involving the active participation of health workers, community, family, mother and husband.

  7. The use of random-effects models to identify health care center-related characteristics modifying the effect of antipsychotic drugs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nordon C

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Clementine Nordon,1 Constance Battin,1 Helene Verdoux,2 Josef Maria Haro,3 Mark Belger,4 Lucien Abenhaim,1 Tjeerd Pieter van Staa5 On behalf of the IMI GetReal WP2 Group 1Epidemiological Research, Analytica LASER, Paris, 2Population Health Research Center, Team Pharmaco-Epidemiology, UMR 1219, Bordeaux-2 University, INSERM, Bordeaux, France; 3Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Deu, CIBERSAM, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 4Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Erl Wood Manor, Windlesham, 5Farr Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK Purpose: A case study was conducted, exploring methods to identify drugs effects modifiers, at a health care center level.Patients and methods: Data were drawn from the Schizophrenia Outpatient Health Outcome cohort, including hierarchical information on 6641 patients, recruited from 899 health care centers from across ten European countries. Center-level characteristics included the following: psychiatrist’s gender, age, length of practice experience, practice setting and type, countries’ Healthcare System Efficiency score, and psychiatrist density in the country. Mixed multivariable linear regression models were used: 1 to estimate antipsychotic drugs’ effectiveness (defined as the association between patients’ outcome at 3 months – dependent variable, continuous – and antipsychotic drug initiation at baseline – drug A vs other antipsychotic drug; 2 to estimate the similarity between clustered data (using the intra-cluster correlation coefficient; and 3 to explore antipsychotic drug effects modification by center-related characteristics (using the addition of an interaction term.Results: About 23% of the variance found for patients’ outcome was explained by unmeasured confounding at a center level. Psychiatrists’ practice experience was found to be associated with patient outcomes (p=0.04 and modified the relative effect of “drug A” (p<0.001, independent of center- or patient

  8. Tried & Tested. Ideas from Teacher Centers in the Southeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohstedt, Jinx, Ed.; Eisenmann-Donahue, Pat, Ed.

    Throughout the southeastern United States, teacher centers share much in common. The conceptual framework of teachers helping teachers inspires the development of resources and services which are similar whether the center serves a large district or only a few schools. Although the teacher centers share similar philosophies, concerns, successes,…

  9. Mission & Role | NCI Technology Transfer Center | TTC

    Science.gov (United States)

    The NCI TTC serves as the focal point for implementing the Federal Technology Transfer Act to utilize patents as incentive for commercial development of technologies and to establish research collaborations and licensing among academia, federal laboratories, non-profit organizations, and industry. The TTC supports technology development activities for the National Cancer Institute and nine other NIH Institutes and Centers. TTC staff negotiate co-development agreements and licenses with universities, non-profit organizations, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to ensure compliance with Federal statutes, regulations and the policies of the National Institutes of Health. TTC also reviews employee invention reports and makes recommendations concerning filing of domestic and foreign patent applications. | [google6f4cd5334ac394ab.html

  10. The Harvard Joint Center for Radiation Therapy, 1968-1999: a unique concept and its relationship to the prevailing times in academic medicine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coleman, C. Norman; Govern, Frank S.; Svensson, Goran; Mitchell, Ronald; Chaffey, John T.

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: Institutional structure, function, and philosophy reflect the organizational needs, and tend to mirror societal values of the times. For many years, the field of radiation oncology had among its major academic centers, an organization that served as a model for collaboration among health care institutions in an effort to serve the common good of its patients, hospitals, professional colleagues, and community. For over three decades, the Joint Center for Radiation Therapy (JCRT) was a leader in developing new organizational approaches for academic and clinical radiation oncology through the philosophy of collaboration in patient care, education, and research. Methods and Results: In tracing the development and changes in organizational philosophy and structure of the JCRT, one can see the impact on academic oncology and cancer care through the emergence of both radiation and medical oncology as independent subspecialties, the importance of the National Cancer Act of 1971 accompanied by the growth of the NIH research and training programs and, more recently, the effect of the changing attitudes and approaches of hospitals, academicians, practitioners, and policy makers to health care delivery, structures, and cooperation. Conclusion: Lessons learned from the 31-year history of the JCRT may help provide organizational insight useful in guiding academic oncology and academic medical centers through periods of change

  11. Impact of Patient-centered eHealth Applications on Patient Outcomes: A Review on the Mediating Influence of Human Factor Issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wildenbos, G A; Peute, L W; Jaspers, M W M

    2016-11-10

    To examine the evidence of the impact of patient- centered eHealth applications on patient care and to analyze if and how reported human factor issues mediated the outcomes. We searched PubMed (2014-2015) for studies evaluating the impact of patient-centered eHealth applications on patient care (behavior change, self-efficacy, and patient health-related outcomes). The Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS 2.0) model was used as a guidance framework to identify the reported human factors possibly impacting the effectiveness of an eHealth intervention. Of the 348 potentially relevant papers, 10 papers were included for data analysis. None of the 10 papers reported a negative impact of the eHealth intervention. Seven papers involved a randomized controlled trial (RCT) study. Six of these RCTs reported a positive impact of the eHealth intervention on patient care. All 10 papers reported on human factor issues possibly mediating effects of patient-centered eHealth. Human factors involved patient characteristics, perceived social support, and (type of) interaction between patient and provider. While the amount of patient-centered eHealth interventions increases, many questions remain as to whether and to what extent human factors mediate their use and impact. Future research should adopt a formal theory-driven approach towards human factors when investigating those factors' influence on the effectiveness of these interventions. Insights could then be used to better tailor the content and design of eHealth solutions according to patient user profiles, so as to enhance eHealth interventions impact on patient behavior, self-efficacy, and health-related outcomes.

  12. 77 FR 72721 - Fees on Health Insurance Policies and Self-Insured Plans for the Patient-Centered Outcomes...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-06

    ... 1545-BK59 Fees on Health Insurance Policies and Self-Insured Plans for the Patient-Centered Outcomes... Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on issuers of certain health insurance policies and plan... arrangements) or Rebecca L. Baxter at (202) 622-3970 (regarding health insurance policies). SUPPLEMENTARY...

  13. Faculty development to improve teaching at a health sciences center: a needs assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scarbecz, Mark; Russell, Cynthia K; Shreve, Robert G; Robinson, Melissa M; Scheid, Cheryl R

    2011-02-01

    There has been increasing interest at health science centers in improving the education of health professionals by offering faculty development activities. In 2007-08, as part of an effort to expand education-related faculty development offerings on campus, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center surveyed faculty members in an effort to identify faculty development activities that would be of interest. Factor analysis of survey data indicated that faculty interests in the areas of teaching and learning can be grouped into six dimensions: development of educational goals and objectives, the use of innovative teaching techniques, clinical teaching, improving traditional teaching skills, addressing teaching challenges, and facilitating participation. There were significant differences in the level of interest in education-related faculty development activities by academic rank and by the college of appointment. Full professors expressed somewhat less interest in faculty development activities than faculty members of lower ranks. Faculty members in the Colleges of Medicine and Dentistry expressed somewhat greater interest in faculty development to improve traditional teaching skills. The policy implications of the survey results are discussed, including the need for faculty development activities that target the needs of specific faculty groups.

  14. Service utilization in community health centers in China: a comparison analysis with local hospitals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Xiaohang

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Being an important part of China's Urban Health Care Reform System, Community Health Centers (CHCs have been established throughout the entire country and are presently undergoing substantial reconstruction. However, the services being delivered by the CHCs are far from reaching their performance targets. In order to assess the role of the CHCs, we examined their performance in six cities located in regions of South-East China. The purpose of this investigation was to identify the utilization and the efficiency of community health resources that are able to provide basic medical and public health services. Methods The study was approved by Peking University Health Science Center Institutional Reviewing Board (NO: IRB00001052-T1. Data were collected from all the local health bureaux and processed using SPSS software. Methods of analysis mainly included: descriptive analysis, paired T-test and one-way ANOVA. Results The six main functions of the CHCs were not fully exploited and the surveys that were collected on their efficiency and utilization of resources indicate that they have a low level of performance and lack the trust of local communities. Furthermore, the CHCs seriously lack funding support and operate under difficult circumstances, and residents have less positive attitudes towards them. Conclusion The community health service must be adjusted according to the requirements of urban medical and health reform, taking into account communities' health needs. More research is required on the living standards and health needs of residents living within the CHC's range, taking into consideration the users' needs in expanding the newly implemented service, and at the same time revising the old service system so as to make the development of CHCs realistic and capable of providing a better service to patients. Several suggestions are put forward for an attainable scheme for developing a community health service.

  15. National evaluation of policies on individual financial conflicts of interest in Canadian academic health science centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lexchin, Joel; Sekeres, Melanie; Gold, Jennifer; Ferris, Lorraine E; Kalkar, Sunila R; Wu, Wei; Van Laethem, Marleen; Chan, An-Wen; Moher, David; Maskalyk, M James; Taback, Nathan; Rochon, Paula A

    2008-11-01

    Conflicts of interest (COI) in research are an important emerging topic of investigation and are frequently cited as a serious threat to the integrity of human participant research. To study financial conflicts of interest (FCOI) policies for individual investigators working in Canadian academic health centers. Survey instrument containing 61 items related to FCOI. All Canadian academic health science centers (universities with faculties of medicine, faculties of medicine and teaching hospitals) were requested to provide their three primary FCOI policies. Number of all centers and teaching hospitals with policies addressing each of the 61 items related to FCOI. Only one item was addressed by all 74 centers. Thirteen items were present in fewer than 25% of centers. Fewer than one-quarter of hospitals required researchers to disclose FCOI to research participants. The role of research ethics boards (REBs) in hospitals was marginal. Asking centers to identify only three policies may not have inclusively identified all FCOI policies in use. Additionally, policies at other levels might apply. For instance, all institutions receiving federal grant money must comply with the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans. Canadian centers within the same level (for instance, teaching hospitals) differ significantly in the areas that their policies address and these policies differ widely in their coverage. Presently, no single policy in any Canadian center informs researchers about the broad range of individual FCOI issues. Canadian investigators need to understand the environment surrounding FCOI, be able to access and follow the relevant policies and be confident that they can avoid entering into a FCOI.

  16. Patient-centered medical homes in Louisiana had minimal impact on Medicaid population's use of acute care and costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Evan S; Campbell, Claudia; Diana, Mark L; Webber, Larry; Culbertson, Richard

    2015-01-01

    The patient-centered medical home model of primary care has received considerable attention for its potential to improve outcomes and reduce health care costs. Yet little information exists about the model's ability to achieve these goals for Medicaid patients. We sought to evaluate the effect of patient-centered medical home certification of Louisiana primary care clinics on the quality and cost of care over time for a Medicaid population. We used a quasi-experimental pre-post design with a matched control group to assess the effect of medical home certification on outcomes. We found no impact on acute care use and modest support for reduced costs and primary care use among medical homes serving higher proportions of chronically ill patients. These findings provide preliminary results related to the ability of the patient-centered medical home model to improve outcomes for Medicaid beneficiaries. The findings support a case-mix-adjusted payment policy for medical homes going forward. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  17. Secure Cloud-Based Solutions for Different eHealth Services in Spanish Rural Health Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de la Torre-Díez, Isabel; Lopez-Coronado, Miguel; Garcia-Zapirain Soto, Begonya; Mendez-Zorrilla, Amaia

    2015-07-27

    The combination of eHealth applications and/or services with cloud technology provides health care staff—with sufficient mobility and accessibility for them—to be able to transparently check any data they may need without having to worry about its physical location. The main aim of this paper is to put forward secure cloud-based solutions for a range of eHealth services such as electronic health records (EHRs), telecardiology, teleconsultation, and telediagnosis. The scenario chosen for introducing the services is a set of four rural health centers located within the same Spanish region. iCanCloud software was used to perform simulations in the proposed scenario. We chose online traffic and the cost per unit in terms of time as the parameters for choosing the secure solution on the most optimum cloud for each service. We suggest that load balancers always be fitted for all solutions in communication together with several Internet service providers and that smartcards be used to maintain identity to an appropriate extent. The solutions offered via private cloud for EHRs, teleconsultation, and telediagnosis services require a volume of online traffic calculated at being able to reach 2 Gbps per consultation. This may entail an average cost of €500/month. The security solutions put forward for each eHealth service constitute an attempt to centralize all information on the cloud, thus offering greater accessibility to medical information in the case of EHRs alongside more reliable diagnoses and treatment for telecardiology, telediagnosis, and teleconsultation services. Therefore, better health care for the rural patient can be obtained at a reasonable cost.

  18. Secure Cloud-Based Solutions for Different eHealth Services in Spanish Rural Health Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Background The combination of eHealth applications and/or services with cloud technology provides health care staff—with sufficient mobility and accessibility for them—to be able to transparently check any data they may need without having to worry about its physical location. Objective The main aim of this paper is to put forward secure cloud-based solutions for a range of eHealth services such as electronic health records (EHRs), telecardiology, teleconsultation, and telediagnosis. Methods The scenario chosen for introducing the services is a set of four rural health centers located within the same Spanish region. iCanCloud software was used to perform simulations in the proposed scenario. We chose online traffic and the cost per unit in terms of time as the parameters for choosing the secure solution on the most optimum cloud for each service. Results We suggest that load balancers always be fitted for all solutions in communication together with several Internet service providers and that smartcards be used to maintain identity to an appropriate extent. The solutions offered via private cloud for EHRs, teleconsultation, and telediagnosis services require a volume of online traffic calculated at being able to reach 2 Gbps per consultation. This may entail an average cost of €500/month. Conclusions The security solutions put forward for each eHealth service constitute an attempt to centralize all information on the cloud, thus offering greater accessibility to medical information in the case of EHRs alongside more reliable diagnoses and treatment for telecardiology, telediagnosis, and teleconsultation services. Therefore, better health care for the rural patient can be obtained at a reasonable cost. PMID:26215155

  19. NIEHS/EPA Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers at Dartmouth

    Science.gov (United States)

    The overall goals of this center are to better understand the impact of arsenic in drinking water and food on children's health, inform the public of how to minimize those risks and develop and strengthen ties with local communities to reduce the risk of e

  20. NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS): A U.S. Network of Data Centers Serving Earth Science Data: A Network Member of ICSU WDS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behnke, Jeanne; Ramapriyan, H. K. " Rama"

    2016-01-01

    NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) has been in operation since August 1994, and serving a diverse user community around the world with Earth science data from satellites, aircraft, field campaigns and research investigations. The ESDIS Project, responsible for EOSDIS is a Network Member of the International Council for Sciences (ICSU) World Data System (WDS). Nine of the 12 Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), which are part of EOSDIS, are Regular Members of the ICSUWDS. This poster presents the EOSDIS mission objectives, key characteristics of the DAACs that make them world class Earth science data centers, successes, challenges and best practices of EOSDIS focusing on the years 2014-2016, and illustrates some highlights of accomplishments of EOSDIS. The highlights include: high customer satisfaction, growing archive and distribution volumes, exponential growth in number of products distributed to users around the world, unified metadata model and common metadata repository, flexibility provided to uses by supporting data transformations to suit their applications, near-real-time capabilities to support various operational and research applications, and full resolution image browse capabilities to help users select data of interest. The poster also illustrates how the ESDIS Project is actively involved in several US and international data system organizations.