Awards
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) awarded Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education fellow status to Dr. Katarina Friberg Felsted. Fellow status – the highest class of membership within GSA – acknowledges outstanding and continuing work in the field of gerontology, and carries the distinction of FAGHE. As one of two FAGHE fellows selected worldwide this year, Katarina will be formally recognized at the annual scientific meeting, which will be held November 8-12, 2023, in Tampa, FL.
Dr. Sara Bybee received the 2023 Carroll L. Estes Rising Star Award. Conferred by the Social Research, Policy, and Practice (SRPP) Section of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the award acknowledges outstanding early career contributions in social research, policy, and practice. The award was established in 2009 and honors Carroll L. Estes, a distinguished gerontological researcher, tireless advocate for older persons, former SRPP section chair, and former GSA president.
The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) will present Leadership Awards during its 2023 Annual Symposium on November 12, 2023 in New Orleans, LA. Recipients being recognized for outstanding volunteer service advancing the vision, mission, and goals of AMIA 25x5 to reduce clinician documentation burden include Dr. Elizabeth Sloss, Instrumental Contributor and Champion, and Dr. Victoria Tiase, Policy Workstream Lead.
Dr. Jennifer Clifton was awarded the Excellence in Practice award from Alpha Chapter of Sigma, her home chapter.
Dr. Deanna Kepka and her team at Huntsman Cancer Institute received honorable mention for the Carol Friedman Excellence in Comprehensive Cancer Control Award for their Utah Cancer Action Network project titled Using Community-based Methods and Vaccine Registry Data to Improve HPV Vaccination Receipt in the Era of COVID-19.Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the award was established in 2011 to honor Dr. Carol Friedman for her exemplary leadership, outstanding mentorship, and extraordinary dedication and contributions to comprehensive cancer control.
University of Utah Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion selected Jacqueline Kent-Marvick to receive the 2023 Inclusive Excellence Award: Student. Jacqueline was recognized for her contributions and leadership at the Inclusive Excellence Awards Ceremony, which was part of the annual MEDiversity Week, on October 26, 2023.
In the Media
Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted and Dr. Jackie Eaton led work that resulted in the Age-Friendly University Global Network Secretariat designating the University of Utah as an Age-Friendly University. An @theU article titled U receives prestigious Age-Friendly University designation highlights the age-friendly distinction, the University’s commitment to age-friendly initiatives, and quotes Dr. Friberg-Felsted.
Science Friday host Ira Flatow spoke with Dr. Michelle Litchman and Tamiko Rafeek, a member of the Deaf Community Advisory Board, about how board members have provided input and guided development of diabetes education program that works for them. The episode titled How A Deaf Advisory Group Is Changing Healthcare aired on NPR and is available online.
For The Grief of Overdose Death episode of their Addictions Files podcast, Drs. Darlene Peterson and Paula Cook interviewed Dr. Kathie Supiano regarding the grief of overdose death and how loss isolates those involved, including healthcare workers.
Faculty and Staff Spotlight
Dr. Katie Davis and Morgan West led the Flu Immunization Team. Student volunteers included Cassie Reyes, Samantha Scott (Allmacher), Hampton Butler, Isabel Barrera, Jennie Wilson, Paige Beno, Lexie Taylor-Allred, Emma Vernon, Tristan Smart, Brenna Hardy, Tehya Abrahams, Sean Robinson, Dema AL Qassy, Marina Howser, Madi Young, Nicole Halenkamp, Madison Blake, Colton Larsen, Katie Ercanbrack, Sage Migon, Jessie Beecroft, Tessa Cowley, Molly Sugrue, Eve Eversole, Sarah Robertson, Claire Pokorny, Alina Zhivkovich, Maren Speckhard, Jillian Phillips, Lily Prentice, Macy Wilkinson, Junwen Lai, Katherine Sardoni, Shawn Darrington, and Lindsey Vaillancourt. Staff and faculty volunteers included Donnie Benson, Nicole Wells, Dr. Jennifer Clifton, Dr. Theresa Garrett, Dr. Brenda Luther, Dr. Amanda Al-Khudairi, Dr. Sue Chase-Cantarini, Dr. Sharifa Al-Qaaydeh, Dr. Jennifer Hamilton, and Dr. Michelle Litchman. The immunization team organized and held 14 clinics around campus, including Employee Appreciation Day, and administered 1,795 flu shots. Including flu shots they administered at the RedMed Employee Health Clinic, they immunized 1,965 employees.
During October 2023 the RedMed Employee Health Clinic team – Dr. Katie Davis, Morgan West, Dr. Lyndsay Wixom, Dr. Carrie Huntsman-Jones, and Dr. Josh Twitchell – had a three times higher provider utilization rate than in October 2022, while earning a Net Promoter Score of 100, the highest score possible. Net Promotor Score is a metric regarding how likely people are to recommend the clinic to others. The average score for the health care industry is 58. Patients provided the following feedback:
- Everyone was friendly and knowledgeable.
- Service was quick, professional, and friendly. Very happy with the healthcare provided and glad I got to show a med student something interesting.
- Very clear explanation during the procedure. Loved the environment.
- Everything was free. The nurses were very accommodating and made me feel super comfortable. Very quick, and totally painless even though it was my first-time getting stitches and I was quite nervous.
- He was so professional and showed empathy.
Professional Development
Adrienne Bott completed the Project Management Fundamentals Program through University of Utah Professional Education.
Professional Service
Mandi Keddington has been selected as a Graduate Nursing Student Academy (GNSA) Advocacy Leader by the American Academy of Colleges of Nursing. As she represents the state of Utah in this role, Mandi will develop skills to engage in the advocacy process to advance priority nursing education initiatives.
Dr. Jennifer Macali was appointed to the Utah Acupuncture Licensing Board for a 4-year term, which began on October 10, 2023.
Community Engagement
Given the Family Caregiving Collaborative’s impactful work in Utah, Utah was one of six states invited to the first Caregiver Nation Summit on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The National Alliance for Caregiving hosted the summit at which leaders in caregiving discussed the future of family caregiving, national and state strategies for supporting caregivers, and equity, innovation, and policy change for caregivers. Representatives from Utah included Dr. Becky Utz, Dr. Nancy Allen, and Rob Ence, Executive Director of the Utah Commission on Aging. As part of the summit, they met with Senators Mitt Romney and Mike Lee, Representatives Blake Moore and Burgess Owens, and White House staffers.
Steve Seckinger and Emily Cluff medaled in their respective age categories at the Lauren McCluskey 2nd Annual Race for Campus Safety, an event led event that brought the community together to support campus safety. Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit the Lauren McCluskey Foundation.
Dr. Deanna Kepka partnered with Alliance Community Services to facilitate College of Nursing faculty collaboration with leaders of community-based health organizations and advance the health of underserved communities. The Building Bridges, Transforming Lives: Nursing-Community Collaboration in Action half-day symposium at the WCF Insurance Utah Corporate Headquarters drew in 25 attendees, including Drs. Schola Matovu, Michelle Litchman, and Diane Chapman. By participating in interactive activities like group cafés and a panel discussion, leaders underscored their desire to partner with College of Nursing faculty, and elaborated on the best approaches to begin and maintain successful collaborations.
Health care professionals, members of community organizations, researchers, health department representatives, and others participated in the Mountain West human papillomavirus (HPV) Stakeholder Meeting on October 9, 2023 to discuss the state of the science and latest strategies to prevent HPV cancers. Hosted by Dr. Deanna Kepka’s Mountain West HPV Vaccination Coalition and in partnership with the American Cancer Society, the meeting served as a space for participants to review and understand the latest trends for HPV vaccination, as well as to foster new, cross-sector partnerships for reducing cancers related to HPV. Forty participants attended in person at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, the first in-person Coalition meeting since 2018, and another 29 attended virtually.
Grant Award
Dr. Shawna Sisler, Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson, Dr. Katarina Friberg Felsted, Dr. Jennifer Macali,and Dr. Jennifer Clifton received a $1,000 University of Utah Wellness Seed Grant to develop and implement an innovative workshop about integrative health for CON faculty, staff, and students. The College of Nursing Wellness Committee is introducing an immersive workshop series on Interdisciplinary Integrative Health (IIH) and its role in modern healthcare and self-care. The series will be offered monthly, blending discussions and experiential curricula. Each month, a different modality will be explored in full – examining its evidence-base, treatment considerations, legal/ethical concerns in healthcare practice, and ending with an immersive experience. The College will partner with the Osher Center and its affiliates to bring in groundbreaking research and efforts in the greater UHealth Community within the IIH space.
Presentations
Dr. Deanna Kepka, Amanda Petrik, Emily McGough, Kaila Christini, and Gloria Coronado presented a poster titled PREVENT – Practice-based Approaches to Promote HPV Vaccination at the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences New Grantee Workshop on October 30-31, 2023 in Shady Grove, MD.
Dr. Rebekah Perkins, Dr. Nanci McLeskey, and Dr. Ann Butt delivered a presentation titled Promoting Competency-Based Education: An Innovative Undergraduate Nursing Course at the National Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence (NHCGNE) Leadership Conference. A unique segment of the course NURS 3430 Nursing Across the Lifespan stands out due to its integration of large-group simulation-based education within the classroom. The objective is to facilitate the development of students' skills and confidence in using the Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms Framework to assess older adults and form care plans. Students achieve learning objectives through collaborative work within peer groups, involving standardized patients and their family caregivers.
As an invited speaker, Dr. Echo Warner provided a lightning talk titled Perceptions of Online Cancer Misinformation among Cancer Patients at the First Annual DELPHI Symposium.
As an invited speaker, Dr. Echo Warner provided a talk titled Social Media Use among Young Cancer Patients and Caregivers at the Pediatric, Adolescent, & Young Adult Cancer Research Symposium.
Dr. Cheryl Armstrong will deliver an oral presentation titled Educating Low-Literacy Lay Midwives in Guatemala about Breastfeeding Recommendations in the Era of COVID-19 at the Sigma 47th Biennial Convention in San Antonio, TX on November 14, 2023.
Dr. Liz Sloss, Dr. Catherine Staes, Jordan McPherson, Dr. Carolyn Scheese, Teresa Taft, and Dr. Jia-Wen Guo presented a poster titled Information Needs When Deciding to Start a New Line of Therapy for Advanced Cancer: Are Patients, Caregivers, and Oncologists Aligned? at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Care Symposium in Boston, MA on October 27, 2023.
Dean Marla De Jong and Tammy Austin-Ketch facilitated the Academic Health Center Like Schools Focused Discussion at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) 2023 Academic Nursing Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, and presented themes to the AACN Board of Directors.
Numerous faculty, staff, pre- and post-doctoral fellows, and students will represent the College of Nursing at the GSA 2023 on November 8-12, 2023 in Tampa, FL.v
Podium Presentations
Workshop: AGHE Program of Merit: Technical and Practical Application Information and Assistance. Dr. Marilyn Gugliucci, Dr. Donna Weinreich, and Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted.
Symposium: Addressing the Needs of African American Bereaved Dementia Caregivers. Dr. Zachary Baker, Ashley Millenbah, Sheryl Fairbanks, Robbin Frazier. Discussant: Dr. Katherine Supiano
Symposium: Using Community Engagement to Develop, Test, and Implement Interventions for Dementia Care Partners. Chair: Dr. Jacqueline Eaton
- A Community-Based Approach to Refining the Enhancing Active Caregiver Training (EnACT) Intervention. Dr. Jacqueline Eaton, Dr. Sara A. Neller, Moroni D. Fernandez Cajavilca, Dr. Julene K. Johnson, Dr. Lee Ellington
- Using RE-AIM to Guide Intervention Development and Pilot Testing: Case Study of the TLC Intervention. Dr. Rebecca Utz, Amber Thompson, Cathi Sparks, Dr. Bob Wong, Dr. Eli Iacob, Dr. Alexandra L. Terrill, Dr. Mike Caserta
- LEADing Advance Care Conversations: Development of an Intervention Platform. Dr. Kara B. Dassel, Nancy Aruscavage, Emily Nachtweih, Dr. Katherine P. Supiano, Dr. Rebecca Utz, Dr. Eli Iacob, Jordana L. Clayton
- Engaging with Nursing Home Social Workers to Develop and Implement Clinical Intervention Training. Dr. Katherine P. Supiano, Dr. Troy C. Andersen, Laura Bradbury, Kimberly Ponce Gonzalez
ESPO and Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section Symposium: Law as a Determinant of Health: A Social Justice Lens to Impactful Policy Engagement. Chair: Dr. Sara Bybee, Co-Chair: Dr. Kexin Yu
- A Life Course Approach to Identifying Eviction Laws Affecting Older Adults and Historically Marginalized Groups. Dr. Sara Bybee, Dr. Sarah L. Canham, Nasser Sharareh, Dr. Fernando Wilson, Nathanael Player, Dr. Andrea Wallace
Symposium: Embracing the Queer Art of Failure in Gerontological Research and Education. Chair: Dr. Sara Bybee, Co-Chair: Dr. Austin Oswald
- Participants’ Perspectives on Receiving Results Using Found Poetry: A Mixed-Methods Study. Dr. Sara Bybee, Dr. Jacqueline Eaton, Dr. Bob Wong
Symposium: Rural Health, Family Caregiving, and Dementia: Characteristics and Needs Across Populations. Chair: Dr. Caroline Stephens, Co-Chair: Rebecca Goodwin
- Dying with Dementia in Nursing Homes: A Population-Based Perspective of Decedents and Their Families. Dr. Caroline Stephens, Rebecca Goodwin, Dr. Eli Iacob, Michael Hollingshaus, Dr. Ken R. Smith, Dr. Djin L. Tay, Dr. Rebecca Utz, Dr. Katherine Ornstein
- Who Dies in a Rural Nursing Home With and Without Family? Evidence from the Utah Population Database. Rebecca Goodwin, Dr. Katherine Ornstein, Dr. Eli Iacob, Dr. Michael Hollingshaus, Dr. Ken R. Smith, Dr. Djin L. Tay, Dr. Rebecca Utz, Dr. Caroline Stephens
Paper Session: Enhancing Caregiver Services and Supports. Developing a Conceptual Model to Assess Active Engagement within a Dementia Caregiver Intervention. Dr. Sara A. Neller, Moroni D. Fernandez Cajavilca, Dr. Julene K. Johnson, Dr. Lee Ellington, Dr. Jacqueline Eaton
Paper Session: Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. Chair: Dr. Kara B. Dassel
- Feasibility and Efficacy of the LEAD Dementia Advance Care Planning Intervention. Dr. Kara B. Dassel, Dr. Eli Iacob, Jordana L. Clayton, Nancy Aruscavage, Dr. Katherine P. Supiano, Dr. Rebecca Utz
Paper Session: Recommendations Regarding the Design of Pain Assessment and Management Tool for Older Adults with Heart Failure. Dr. Youjeong Kang, Dr. Yong K. Choi, Dr. Seung-Eun Oh
Paper Session: Intergenerational Health Promotion Projects with College Students
- Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Programs as AAA Age-Friendly Initiatives Partner. Dr. Jennifer J. Severance, Dr. Linda S. Edelman, Barbara Gordon, Susanna Luk-Jones, Jacqueline Telonidis, Jennifer Morgan
Poster Presentations
Making an IMPACT: An Integrated Model to Reduce Ageism and Support Professional Identities. Amy N. Powell-Versteeg, Dr. Rebekah Perkins, Dr. Scott Ward, Dr. Linda S. Edelman, Dr. Katherine P. Supiano
Conducting a Needs Assessment to Inform Age-Friendly Health Systems Initiative for University of Utah Health. Ashley D. Cadiz, Dr. Rebekah Perkins, Dr. Timothy Farrell, Dr. Linda S. Edelman
Engagement During Post-Acute Care Transition: Perceptions and Experiences of Dementia Family Caregivers. Dr. Ruth S. Tadesse, Dr. Karen S. Lyons, Dr. Glenise McKenzie, Dr. Sara Hart, Dr. Lee Ellington, Dr. Kristin G. Cloyes
The Impact of COVID-19: Identifying Wellness Strategies for Academic Gerontology and Nursing Faculty and Staff, in Physical and Mental Health Education and Interventions. Dr. Katarina Friberg-Felsted, Dr. Cheryl Armstrong, Dr. Jennifer Macali, Dr. Sara Simonsen, and Dr. Jennifer Clifton.
Re-Imagining Dementia Family Caregiver Engagement for Post-Acute Care Transitions: Lessons Learned from COVID-19. Dr. Ruth S. Tadesse, Dr. Karen S. Lyons, Dr. Glenise McKenzie, Dr. Sara Hart, Dr. Lee Ellington, Dr. Kristin G. Cloyes
CONTACT: An Online Coaching Tool to Empower Care Partners to Facilitate Conversations in Nursing Homes. Dr. Gail L. Towsley,Dr. Alexandra L. Terrill, Dr. Gregory N. Bayles
Predictors of Financial Burden in Two Samples of Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. Jordana L. Clayton, Dr. Eli Iacob, Nancy Aruscavage, Dr. Rebecca Utz, Dr. Katherine P. Supiano, Dr. Sara Bybee, Dr. Kara B. Dassel
Successful Care Conferences: Nursing Home Staff, Persons with Dementia and Caregiver Perspectives. Dr. Gail L. Towsley, Dr. Linda S. Edelman, Shelby Montez
Publications
Amos V, LeBaron V, Chuong T, Elmore CE, Hamal PK, Paudel BD, Steen A, Chapagain S. Co-constructing collaboration: An evidence-based approach to advance and evaluate equitable global public health research partnerships. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2023;3(10):e0002481.
Huntsman-Jones CE, Melini J, Steans T. Starting a follow-up clinic for patients who experience sexual violence. J Nurse Pract. In press.
Huntsman-Jones C, Igweobi L. The rise of serotonin syndrome. J Nurse Life Care Plan. 2023;XXIII(4):30-33.
Staes CJ, Beck AC, Chalkidis G, Scheese CH, Taft T, Guo J-W, Newman MG, Kawamoto K, Sloss EA, McPherson JP. Design of an interface to communicate artificial intelligence-based prognosis for patients with advanced solid tumors: A user-centered approach. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2023; ocad201.
Van Thiel Berghuijs KM, Kadas HK, Warner EL, Fair DB, Fluchel M, Knackstedt ED, Verma A, Kepka D, Green A, Smitherman AB, Draper L, Johnson R, Kirchhoff AC. Vaccination practices of pediatric oncologists from eight states. BMC Public Health. In press.
Warner EL, Hebdon M, Lai D, Smith K, Xiaou J. Young adult cancer care partners: An emerging generation of millennial caregivers. Int J Environ Public Health. In press.
Waters AR, Turner C, Easterly CW, Tovar I, Mulvaney M, Poquadeck M, Johnston H, Ghazal LV, Rains SA, Cloyes KG, Kirchhoff AC, Warner EL. Exploring online crowdfunding for cancer-related costs among LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus) cancer survivors: Integration of community-engaged and technology-based methodologies. JMIR Cancer. 2023;9:e51605.