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Patricia S. Levinson Fellowship for Community Oriented Research and Service
2009 Projects
- The POWER Program - Combating the Epidemic Growth of Type 2 Diabetes in Children
The POWER program is a new initiative by Mount Sinai's Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes which focuses on addressing the increased incidence of type 2 diabetes among children. We are offering a summer internship for students interested in diabetes education and/or community medicine.
Our student would have the opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary team and review other current institutional efforts in this arena, assess the needs of this population, and investigate community resources available to support educational activities. The intern would also be an active participant in all aspects of designing innovative programs which address the problem, including developing protocol and assessment instruments.
Preceptor: Helaine Ciporen, L.C.S.W.
Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes
E-mail: helaine.ciporen@mountsinai.org
Tel: (212) 241-4872
- Health Services Research
This project is patient-physician communication about healthcare costs. The aim of the work is to identify barriers to communication about costs between doctors and patients and improve access to medications, health care services and assistance programs for older patients with financial barriers to care. I'm also examining cost-effective prescribing of hypertension medications.
Preceptor: Alex D. Federman, M.D., M.P.H.
Department of Medicine/General Internal Medicine
E-mail: alex.federman@mountsinai.org
Tel: (212) 241-8605
- Health Insurance Choices among Low and Middle Income Seniors
Seniors face many challenges to selecting optimal health insurance or prescription coverage. The purpose of this study is to identify characteristics of individuals that influence this selection process and use this information to develop interventions to facilitate insurance decision making. A major focus of this study is the effects of health literacy and cognitive function on plan choice, hence we have collected extensive data on health plans, preference for coverage, cognitive function, education and literacy, and health status and function, among others. The parent study for this project is a survey of 454 seniors from 30 community-based settings New York City that was conducted in the summer of 2007. A follow-up interview will take place beginning in February 2008.
Preceptor: Alex D. Federman, M.D., M.P.H.
Department of Medicine/General Internal Medicine
E-mail: alex.federman@mountsinai.org
Tel: (212) 241-8605
- Community-Based Health-Related Applied Research from a Behavioral/Social Science Perspective
Projects available deal with culture and health; health literacy; substance mis-use/abuse, and barriers to access to care from the provider's and recipient's perspective.
Preceptor: Mary Foley, Ed.D.
Department of Community and Preventive Medicine
E-mail: mary.foley@mssm.edu
Tel: (212) 241-6430
- Growing Up Healthy in East Harlem - Environmental Determinants of Childhood Obesity
Our Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) project is studying structural features of the urban built environment of East Harlem, New York City with particular attention to: 1) accessibility of parks and recreational areas 2) opportunities and spaces for physical activity 3) safety 4) neighborhood aesthetics and 5) accessibility to healthy foods. We are measuring diet, body size, family stressors, physical activity levels, environmental chemicals in urine, and neighborhood environmental factors ("built environment"). Our goal is to characterize features in the built environment of East Harlem associated with overweight and obesity in girls and boys and to design evidence based prevention strategies.
Preceptors: Maida Galvez, M.D. and Barbara Brenner, DrPH
Department of Pediatrics
E-mail: maida.galvez@mssm.edu
Tel: (212) 241-9063
- Health Services Research
Read through the 2006 Community Profile of East Harlem, www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/data/data.shtml#3 published by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to identify one of the health indicators that interests you. You will design a project to address the topic, linking with the East and Central Harlem District Public Health Office and other community-based organizations.
Preceptor: Elizabeth Garland, M.D.
Department of Community and Preventive Medicine
E-mail: elizabeth.garland@mssm.edu
Tel: (212) 824-7056
- Improving Breastfeeding in East Harlem
Breastfeeding has many well-documented benefits to both the baby's and mother's short-term and long-term well being. Breastfeeding rates among mothers in East Harlem are very low. Students will have the opportunity to join in on an ongoing project to assess the barriers and plan and implement interventions to address the problem in East Harlem. You will learn how to approach community-based research, which couples practical interventions with rigorous biostatistical evaluation. The project is a collaborative effort between community-based organizations such as WIC and Little Sisters of the Assumption with physicians from Mount Sinai Departments of Pediatrics and Community and Preventive Medicine as well as lactation consultants and nurses from Maternal Child Health.
Preceptors: Elizabeth Garland, M.D.
Department of Community and Preventive Medicine
E-mail: elizabeth.garland@mssm.edu
Tel: (212) 824-7056
- Community-Based Research and Education Related to Diabetes and Obesity
A dynamic community-academic partnership dedicated to preventing and controlling diabetes in East Harlem has been awarded a large CDC REACH grant to conduct community based approaches to tackle these problems. We will be developing a variety of local assessments and interventions focused on environmental, behavioral and clinical factors. Interested students would have an opportunity to take on one of many important roles in this project. Students could be paired with a researcher and community leader on a planned project. We also welcome ideas from students who want to work with researchers and community leaders on diabetes and obesity prevention and treatment.
- Stroke Prevention in Harlem
Adults who have had strokes are likely to have another stroke, unless their risk factors (such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol) are controlled. We are beginning a community-based intervention to help adults control these risk factors and avoid future strokes. Students would have an opportunity to work with project leaders (researchers and community leaders) to develop our strategies to engage local people in these efforts, to develop a peer-led educational program, and conduct screenings throughout Harlem to identify people at highest risk for having a stroke.
Preceptor: Carol Horowitz, M.D.
Departments of Health Policy and Medicine
E-mail: carol.horowitz@mssm.edu
Tel: (212) 659-9567
- The Witness Project of Harlem and Esperanza y Vida
These are culturally competent breast and cervical cancer education program for African American and Latina women. Each is designed to increase adherence to recommended screening guidelines. For each program, we train breast cancer survivors, referred to as Witness Role Models (WRMs), to share their own experience of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Other women from these communities are trained as Lay Health Educators, to teach breast and cervical cancer facts as well as to dispel known myths. Together, the women go as teams, into the community, raising awareness of the importance of screening and the location of places to go for screening. The project aims to increase the number of African American and Latinas who understand the importance of early detection. Our goals also include understanding the factors which serve as barriers or facilitators of cancer screening, research participation by community members, and increasing physician support of cancer screening and research, thereby increasing support and enrollment of community members. Department of Community and Preventive Medicine
Preceptor: Lina Jandorf
Department of Oncological Sciences, Cancer Prevention and Control
E-mail: lina.jandorf@mssm.edu
Tel: (212) 659-5506
- African American Colorectal Cancer Research Study
This study seeks to understand the most effective method of assisting African American primary care patients in completing their physician recommended colorectal cancer screening. Through screening a substantial amount of deaths may be prevented. In a randomized clinical trial we are comparing the use of professional-led patient navigation (PN-PRO) and peer-led navigation (PN-PEER) to help participants manage (i.e., navigate) the health care system in order to complete screening. Key outcome measures will include adherence to CRC screening and the relative cost-effectiveness of PN-PRO, PN-PEER, and usual care (UC).This research brings together public health professionals and researchers in cancer prevention from Mount Sinai Medical Center, the Internal Medicine Associates (IMA) health clinic.
Interns will be an instrumental part of this research by:
- Completing interviews with study participants
- Performing statistical software data entry
- Maintaining a filing system
- Conducting literature reviews on minority participation in research and health based interventions
- Developing an annotated bibliography from the literature review
Preceptor: Lina Jandorf
Department of Oncological Sciences, Cancer Prevention and Control
E-mail: lina.jandorf@mssm.edu
Tel: (212) 659-5506
- Family Groups to Reduce Youth Behavioral Difficulties - MFG Project
The Multiple Family Group Project (MFG) is a research study that examines the effectiveness of a multiple family group (MFG) service delivery strategy on child mental health service use and mental health outcome for urban, low-income children of color. The study is specifically targeted to children, between the ages of 7 to 11 years with disruptive behaviors, and their families. MFGs are in several mental health clinics, preventive agencies, and schools within primarily African-American and Latino communities throughout New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County. Students' work will include consenting and screening families and conducting periodic assessments. Students may be responsible for tracking assigned families and addressing any barriers to continued participation. Spanish language abilities are preferred but not required. A willingness to work with a broad group of people from different backgrounds (professionals, parents, children, etc.) required.
Principal Investigator: Mary M. McKay, Ph.D.
Project Director: Lydia Franco, L.M.S.W.
Preceptor: Mary McKay, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., Anil Chacko, Ph.D., and Mary A. Cavaleri, Ph.D.
Department of Community and Preventive Medicine
E-mail: mary.mckay@mssm.edu
E-mail: anil.chacko@mssm.edu
E-mail: mary.cavaleri@mssm.edu
Tel: (212) 659-8836
- Patient Assistance to Reduce Disparities in Breast Cancer Care
We are conducting a patient-centered randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of patient-assistance programs on receipt of adjuvant therapies among minority and non-minority women with newly operated early-stage breast cancer. We will assess 350 patients' beliefs about cancer, its treatment, their needs and barriers to care. Patients will be recruited from 8 participating hospitals including tertiary referral centers, municipal and community hospitals serving northern Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. We expect this study to provide new knowledge about racial differences in patient beliefs about cancer, its treatment, as well as the effectiveness of existing patient assistance programs to reduce underuse of breast cancer treatment.
Nina Bickell, M.D., M.P.H.
Associate Professor
Departments of Health Policy and Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1077
New York, NY 10029
Tel: (212) 659-9567
Fax: (212) 423-2998
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