Andrea Wallace, PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate Dean for Research at the University of Utah College of Nursing, was among a select group of prominent scientists invited to present at the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) 40th Anniversary Scientific Symposium on September 17 in Bethesda, Maryland.
The symposium, Advancing Nursing Science to Improve Health for All: NINR’s Impact, celebrated four decades of excellence in nursing research—work that focuses on practical solutions to help people and communities achieve their best possible health—and marked an important milestone in NINR’s history with the 1985 establishment of the National Center for Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Wallace presented during the Translating Science to Solutions session, where she highlighted transformative research that is bridging health systems and communities. She discussed the College of Nursing’s SINCERE social needs screener, developed with Utah 211 and supported by NINR and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which focuses on better understanding the social context of patients’ lives, connecting patients to both personal and community resources, and measuring the impact of those connections on health and health care systems.
She explained how her team has embedded social needs screening using existing, low-cost tools into routine care across four settings: emergency departments, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and primary care. The process relies on a simple, validated 10-item tool that is low-literacy, quick, and integrated into staff workflows and patient portals. Patients are referred directly to Utah 211 navigators, who follow up within 48 hours, while data from screenings, community encounters, health system records, and information reported by patients are linked.
Since late 2021, more than 52,000 patients have been screened; roughly 37% reported at least one social need, and nearly a third of those requested help—over 6,000 patients in total.
“These findings show that social needs screening and connection can be implemented at scale within health systems using existing infrastructure, turning evidence into actionable, real-world solutions,” said Wallace. “Our work with 211 demonstrates how research can provide timely, critical information for both health systems and community partners, a real-time win-win that maximizes the impact of the science.”
Kerri Nakamura, interim director of Client and Partner Engagement at 211 Utah, also presented during the symposium in the Nursing Research Impact Through Community Voice segment, sharing a community perspective and explaining how 211 is using SINCERE study data to improve services, including adopting a navigator model informed by preliminary results and participant feedback.
Wallace’s address at symposium follows her NIH Clinical Center Grand Rounds lecture in May, where she highlighted similar findings on integrating social care into clinical settings and translating research into practical, real-world solutions.
Reflecting on Wallace’s address, Marla De Jong, PhD, RN, CCNS, FAAN, Dean of the College of Nursing said, “Dr. Wallace’s selection to speak during this landmark year reflects national recognition of her contributions to advancing nursing science. For 40 years, nurse scientists at the University of Utah have advanced research and improved care with support from the NINR. Her work, along with that of other nurse scientists, is shaping national conversations in nursing research and health policy, and exemplifies how the College of Nursing drives innovation, tests new models of care, and prepares the next generation of nurses to deliver high-quality care for all.”