News from
Family & Preventive Medicine

December 2021

Wellness Corner

Did you know that people who regularly volunteer have a lower mortality risk than their non-volunteering peers, even after controlling for other behavioral and health factors?
For example, see here and here. Interestingly, time-giving behaviors (i.e. caregiving, volunteering, giving support) are often found to be more beneficial to our health than giving money.

Here is a list of virtual volunteer opportunities: https://service.unitedwayatlanta.org/

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The holidays can be tough

Emory FSAP has a lengthy list of community resources on mental health, addiction, and domestic and sexual violence:

Check out Resiliency Hacks, a podcast series sharing feasible and actionable ways to practice resilience in your everyday life. Hosted by Tim Cunningham, Vice President of Practice and Innovation, Emory Healthcare.

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Transformative Research

News & Events

• Ethan Dubin, a Rollins HPM masters student, working with Dr. Dio Kavalieratos and Dr. Jane Lowers on the InSPIRe:CF clinical trial was a finalist for the junior investigator award at the 2021 North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference. Ethan presented results from a nationwide survey of people living with CF, caregivers, and CF clinicians regarding pain management; his research identified consistent underrecognition of pain, as well as patients reporting experiences with treatment-related stigma from clinicians. 
• Dr. Jane Lowers presented her research on adults aging without caregivers to the Georgia Alzheimer’s Association as an invited researcher. 

• Sarah Cross, PhD, LMSW, MPH, a postdoctoral research fellow in the division of Palliative Medicine, has been accepted into the highly competitive 2022 Harvard Medical School Workshop on Research Methods in Supportive Oncology. Dr. Cross and Dr. Ali John Zarrabi will be attending this virtual workshop starting the evening of Sunday, January 23, through Friday, January 28, 2022. 

• Dr. Leslie Johnson was selected to participate in the 2021 Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) Implementation Science Training School hosted virtually from 11/29-12/10.  This competitive program is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for early- and mid-career researchers to build their knowledge, skills, and confidence in the fields of implementation science and non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries

Recent Awards

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Recent and Upcoming Presentations

Dr. Ambar Kulshreshtha and team presented "A comparison of Patient Satisfaction in Outpatient Telemedicine vs In-Person Clinic visits" at the Emory Department of Medicine Annual Research Meeting. Dr. Kulshreshtha also presented "Statins for secondary prevention following 2013 ACC/AHA Guidelines: Results from National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey" with a team at the American Heart Association, Annual Meeting in Boston.
 

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Dr. Ronak Ghiya (pictured below), Preventive Medicine Resident, presented “Evaluation of a Local Health Department’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic” at the Emory University COVID-19 Response Symposium in November. 

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Palliative Medicine Research Team Celebrates 2021

The Palliative Medicine research team held a holiday social to celebrate all of their good work this year. Pictured below, from left to right: Gabriel Thorne, Michelle Delk, Dr. Dio Kavalieratos, Ethan Dubin, Erica Browne, Dr. Jane Lowers. 

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Highlighted Opportunities:

Emory Venture Navigator serves Emory researchers interested in bringing inventions and discoveries to market – either through a licensing agreement or by starting a company. The site gathers resources inside and outside Emory in three stages of the entrepreneurial journey:

• Learn – if you’re seeking baseline information about commercialization
• Start – if you’re planning to launch a company around your invention
• ​Scale – if you’ve started a company and want to learn how to grow it

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Events

Dec. 13, 2021. 12:00-1:00 pm. K Club: NIH updates to OS pages and biosketches. You can register here if interested

Dec. 17, 2021. 12:30-1:30 pm. DFPM Monthly Research Meeting:
Dr. Sara Turbow Work in Progress.
Zoom link

Jan.  21, 2022, 12:30-1:30 pm. DFPM Monthly Research Meeting:
DOM RAS Director, Lindsay Grasser, will review the process for requesting OS pages and NIH updates to OS pages and biosketches.
Zoom link

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Featured Researcher:
Jennifer Mascaro, PhD

 to studying human empathy and compassion. I was particularly interested in studying meditation approaches that are traditionally practiced to increase compassion, as I had a long-time personal interest in meditation. My dissertation research used functional neuroimaging to examine changes in brain function and social cognition when healthy adults learned and practiced compassion meditation. During my doctoral training, I spent a year in India as a NIMH-funded Fogarty Scholar.

I did a postdoctoral fellowship in the Hubert Department of Global Health studying the neural, hormonal, and genetic influences on paternal compassion and caregiving. With the health implications underlying all of this research on social connection and compassion, my research took on more and more of a focus on health and well-being. I spent 6-weeks in Australia as the Health and Behavior International Collaborative Award Recipient for the Society of Behavioral Medicine. I finished my postdoctoral fellowship within the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine before joining the faculty. Since joining DFPM, my research focus has been on integrative mind-body interventions for social and psychological well-being.

In what division do you work and who is your mentor?

I am in the Division of Preventive Medicine and I have tons of mentors: George Grant and Charles Raison in Spiritual Health and Ned Waller and Viraj Master in oncology are my main mentors.

Briefly describe your research. Why is it important?

The evidence base for integrative mind-body interventions is growing, and as a result, we know more about whether and how meditation interventions are (and aren’t) effective. At the same time, researchers are uncovering a multitude of barriers to access. Not surprisingly, meditation interventions in modern western healthcare have historically been an exclusive approach, only available to a slim few.

This lack of access is particularly problematic in oncology, where there is a critical need for interventions to improve quality of life during and after cancer treatment. Cancer treatments are improving at the same time that the worldwide incidence of cancer is increasing, leaving many millions of cancer survivors looking to integrate mind-body programs into their treatment plans to reduce the symptom burden associated with treatment and to mitigate the stress and distress that often accompanies the lifetime of surveillance following treatment.

My research focus is on identifying and evaluating novel points of entry for meditation in the healthcare system, with the goal of implementing effective, feasible, and acceptable meditation programs for patient and provider psychosocial well-being.

What do you like most about Emory?

I love Emory’s commitment to sustainability. I feel inspired and proud that the university is such a leader in green architecture and infrastructure, and I love our access to local organic produce through the Oxford teaching farm. I feel optimistic that this commitment is so infused into the education of learners and future leaders. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love being outside as much as possible, playing sports with my kids, hiking with my family and 3 dogs, and gardening, and caring for our chickens.

What is a fun fact about you?

When I was in kindergarten, I choked on my peanut butter sandwich at lunch. My teacher saved me with the Heimlich maneuver, and we were on the front page of the local newspaper together. Only a fun fact in retrospect. 

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Recent Publications

Collaborative department publications

Family Medicine resident Dr. Nikhila Gandrakota and Family Medicine faculty Dr. Miranda Moore and Dr. Megha Shah published Trends in Diet Counseling Among Stroke Versus Non-Stroke Patients: Evidence from the NAMCS, 2011-2016.  (J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2021 Nov 26;31(2):106223. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.106223). 

Dr. Jennifer Mascaro (Preventive Medicine) and Dr. Miranda Moore  (Family Medicine) have an article accepted and in press at International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention: Rationale and design of the Emory Healthy Kitchen Collaborative.

Family Medicine faculty Dr. Mo Ali and Dr. Megha Shah published Effect of a multicomponent intervention on achievement and improvements in quality-of-care indices among people with Type 2 diabetes in South Asia: the CARRS trial.  (Diabet Med. 2020 Nov;37(11):1825-1831. doi: 10.1111/dme.14124). 

Faculty publications

Dr. Mo Ali:

• Hypoglycemic and Hyperglycemic Crises Among U.S. Adults With Diabetes and End-stage Kidney Disease: Population-Based Study, 2013-2017.  (Diabetes Care. 2021 Nov 5:dc211579. doi: 10.2337/dc21-1579) 
• Interpreting global trends in type 2 diabetes complications and mortality (Diabetologia. 2021 Nov 27. doi: 10.1007/s00125-021-05585-2) 
• Spouse's Diabetes Status and Incidence of Depression and Anxiety: An 18-Year Prospective Study. (Diabetes Care. 2021 Jun;44(6):1264-1272. doi: 10.2337/dc20-2652). 
   

Dr. Jodie Guest: 

• COVID-19 Vaccine Perceptions, Intentions, and Uptake: A Prospective College-based Cohort Study. (JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2021 Nov 19. DOI: 10.2196/33739).
• Constructing a web-based health directory for adolescent men who have sex with men: Strategies for development and resource verification.  (J Community Psychol. 2021 Oct 29. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22738). 
  
   

Dr. Dio Kavalieratos:

• Use of Theoretical Frameworks in the Development and Testing of Palliative Care Interventions.  (J Pain Symptom Manage. 2021 Oct 29:S0885-3924(21)00601-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.10.011). 
• Associations between Reason for Inpatient Palliative Care Consultation, Timing, and Cost Savings. (J Palliat Med. 2021 Sep;24(10):1525-1538. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2020.0636).
   

Dr. Ambar Kulshreshtha:

Associations of Telemedicine vs. In-Person Ambulatory Care Visits on Cancellations and 30-Day Follow-up Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits. (Preventive Medicine Reports. 2021 Dec; 24).      doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101629
 

Dr. Jimi Malik:

The development of a nomogram to determine the frequency of elevated risk for non-medical opioid use in cancer patients. (Palliat Support Care. 2021 Feb;19(1):3-10. doi: 10.1017/S1478951520000322). 

Dr. Jennifer Mascaro:

•  Compassion Meditation Training for Hospital Chaplain Residents: A Pilot Study. (J Health Care Chaplain. 2021 Oct-Dec;27(4):191-206. doi: 10.1080/08854726.2020.1723189)
• Incivility Is Associated with Burnout and Reduced Compassion Satisfaction: A Mixed-Method Study to Identify Causes of Burnout among Oncology Clinical Research Coordinators. (Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Nov 12;18(22):11855. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182211855) 
• Randomized, wait-list-controlled pilot study of app-delivered mindfulness for patients reporting chronic pain. (Pain Rep. 2021 Apr 2;6(1):e924. doi: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000924)
• The prevalence, grouping, and distribution of stressors and their association with anxiety among hospitalized patients. (PLOS One. 2021 Dec 6. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0260921) 

Dr. Miranda Moore:

• Framing Benefits in Decision Aids: Effects of Varying Contextualizing Statements on Decisions About Sacubitril-Valsartan for Heart Failure.  (MDM Policy Pract. 2021 Oct 18;6(2):23814683211041623. doi: 10.1177/23814683211041623). 
• The Alter Program: A Nurse-Led, Dementia-Friendly Program for African American Faith Communities and Families Living With Dementia. Nursing Administration Quarterly. 2022 Jan-Mar;46(1):72-80. doi: 10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000506

Dr. Tammie Quest:

Interim Analysis of Attrition Rates in Palliative Care Study on Dignity Therapy. (Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2021 Dec;38(12):1503-1508. doi: 10.1177/1049909121994309). 
 

Dr. Tisha Titus:

Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Prevention Among Youth: A Community Guide Systematic Review. (American Journal of Preventive Medicine. epub 10 Nov 2021. doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2021.06.021).

Dr. Jose Villalon-Gomez:

How to meet the challenges of managing patients with IBS. (J Fam Pract. 2021;70(9):431-441. doi:10.12788/jfp.0299).

Residents and Fellows:

Palliative Fellow Dr. Lauren Sigler has published Effects of an Oncology Nurse-Led, Primary Palliative Care Intervention (CONNECT) on Illness Expectations Among Patients with Advanced Cancer. (JCO Oncology Practice. epub 12 Nov 2021. DOI: 10.1200/OP.21.00573).

Educational Investments for our future

PA Program 50th Graduation

Join the PA Program as they celebrate the Class of 2021 - the 50th Class of physician assistants to complete Emory's PA Program! You can attend in person on December 17 on the Emory College Quad or watch later (the ceremony will be recorded and a link will be available on the PA Program website soon). Congratulations to the historic PA Class of 2021 and the whole PA Program Team! 

Kathelen and Dan Amos Medical Student Loan Forgiveness Program: Increasing Primary Care in Georgia

Spring Cycle now open

The inaugural recipients of the Kathelen and Dan Amos Medical Student Loan Forgiveness Program will be announced on December 15. Meanwhile, please help spread the word to current Emory MD students who are interested in a career in primary care (family medicine, general medicine, pediatrics, or geriatrics) and recent Emory MD graduates who are training in one of the above disciplines - the application cycle for the spring awards is now open. Eligibility determination is December 1, 2021 - January 24, 2022 and full applications are due January 31, 2021. More information available on the department website. 

PMR Alum and DeKalb CEO/District Health Director Valenciano lectures to PM Residents

Dr. Sandra Valenciano, a 2020 graduate of and current adjunct assistant professor in the Preventive Medicine Residency Program, recently lectured to current PM residents on the challenges of the past year leading a large county health department. This was a great opportunity for the PM residents to see how their training prepares them to step into leadership roles in the challenging U.S. public health landscape. Dr. Valenciano is pictured below with the PM residents, and Dr. Sara Turbow, Dr. Javier Valle, and Dr. Rick Goodman.  

Dr. Nwosu brings his "A" Game to clinical education

Dr. Oguchi Nwosu's celebratory Atlanta Braves attire (photo below) was captured by one of the Family Medicine residents. The playoffs and World Series may have brought some added excitement to October for Atlanta residents and baseball fans, but our faculty are world champion educators and clinicians every day! 

PM Residency Celebrates Semester's End

The Preventive Medicine Residency celebrated the winter holidays with a socially-distanced party at Ladybird. Dr. Sarah Dupont shared pictures of the celebration below. 

Being of Service

Quest Receives National DEI Award from
American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Dr. Quest is the Montgomery Chair in Palliative Medicine and Director of the Emory Palliative Care Center for the Woodruff Health Sciences Center. She is Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and the Department of Emergency Medicine and is the Chief of Palliative Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine. She is the Past President of the American Academy of Hospice and serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.

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Mitchell selected as Emory Midtown Site Director for Emory Palliative Care Center

since 2019 and is part of the 2021-2022 cohort of the Woodruff Health Educators Academy Teaching Fellowship. She is also currently participating in the 2021-2022 cohort of the New Clinical Leaders Course at Emory Healthcare.  Recognition and awards include Emory School of Medicine Educator Appreciation Day Recognition (2019) and Emory School of Medicine Doctor’s Day Recognition (2021).

In addition to her leadership role with the fellowship, Dr. Mitchell serves on both the Hospice Shared Governance Committee and the Executive Mortality Oversight Committee at EUHM. She served as Interim Site Director for the EUHM Palliative Medicine Service in April 2020.

Dr. Mitchell has been author/co-author on several important works in our field to include: 1) Dying on Hospice in the Midst of an Opioid Crisis: What Should We Do Now? American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care. 2019 Apr; 36(4): 273-281; 2) Screening for Opioid Misuse in the Non-hospitalized Seriously Ill Patient. Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2019 Sept; 22(9): 1115-1119 and 3) Feasibility and Acceptability of Inpatient Palliative Care E-Family Meetings During COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2020 Sept; 60(3): e28-e32.

As Dr. Mitchell assumes leadership at Emory Midtown, Dr. Quest and the Division of Palliative Medicine want to thank and herald Dr. Joanne Kuntz for her outstanding, unwavering and passionate leadership of the Emory Midtown Palliative and Supportive Care service since 2016 when she started in the role as a Quality Leader and moved into the role as Site Director in 2018. Over the last 3 years, Dr. Kuntz has worked tirelessly with her team on excellence in patient care and support of the broader Emory Midtown community with teaching and scholarship through some of the most trying times in the history of medicine and healthcare. Dr. Kuntz has led and served on a number of committees and initiatives at Emory Midtown that have undeniably made it a better place. While Dr. Kuntz will be missed in the leadership role at Emory Midtown, her work at Emory is far from done, and the Division of Palliative Medicine and the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine are enormously grateful that she will remain with us to share her talents and gifts in so many areas.

News from the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council

DEPT. DEI SURVEY REMINDER: 
Response Needed by DEC 13

Click HERE to fill out the survey

We ask that you complete the following brief survey, for the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine on the climate of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our department. These questions have been specifically created by our DEI council members with the goal to assess our current climate as a department and focus our department’s DEI initiatives and programming. Results will be confidential and aggregated with the sole purpose of internal use only. The survey is multiple choice and should take 5 minutes or less of your time.

We recognize that you may have completed similar surveys or questions in the past and appreciate your willingness to provide feedback in this survey specific to our department. Your participation is crucial to understanding the needs of our department.

We commit to sharing our findings with department leadership and using them to tailor our DEI interventions to best suit our department’s needs.

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Meet the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine DEI Council

The department, with inclusive representation through its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, will strive to utilize platforms such as faculty/staff development, mentorship, education, scholarship, research, quality improvement, advocacy, and equitable patient care to achieve these goals through the promotion of social justice.  Respecting diversity within ourselves and our patients with respect to, but not limited to, age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, socioeconomic status and points of view is a core value of our department.

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DEI Council Spotlights:

Each month, the FPM DEI Council will spotlight a different staff member of the department.  This month, the council spotlights Ms. Porsha Clayton, MSM, Associate Academic Coordinator, Undergraduate Medical Education and Student Programs.

My father and grandfather were military so naturally that’s how my parents met. I do have some distinct memories of growing up on military bases in Georgia and enjoyed helping my dad train German Shepherds to sniff out bombs and other hazardous materials. We moved to Marietta for most of my childhood so I consider that my home.

4. A fun fact about yourself. 

I am a quarter Korean. My grandmother is Korean and I very much enjoy that part of my culture. My family and I enjoy celebrating two heritages in our household. It’s my goal to learn to speak the language and travel to Seoul.

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News from the
Faculty Development
Committee

Spring 2022 Public Scholars Institute
Open to Applications

Hone your skills and expertise in public discourse about your scholarship. Application deadline: December 15, 2021. Apply here.

In Spring 2022, the Center for Faculty Development and Excellence and the Emory College Office of Communications will offer the Emory Public Scholars Institute, a four-session curriculum for faculty interested in engaging more deeply with various forms of traditional and new media and public audiences to heighten the profile and influence of their research and scholarship. The curriculum will be activity-oriented and participatory, with workshops focused on helping participants hone their expertise in each topic area.

All faculty are invited to apply to participate in the institute. Space is available for at least three faculty from each school who have the potential and interest to contribute meaningfully to public discourses, and who would welcome and benefit from a structured program of guidance and support.

The institute's four sessions:

1. Fri Jan 21, 11 am – 1:30 pm: Communicating with a General Audience:

• Explore best practices for persuasive communication that makes messages memorable for non-specialist readers/audiences.
• Develop/practice delivery of a three-minute elevator pitch about your work

2. Fri Feb 18, 11 am – 1:30 pm: Your Online Identity and Finding Your Comfort Zone in Social Media:

• Online and social media strategies to extend the reach of research and scholarship
• Counteracting misinformation and managing online hostility

3. Fri Mar 18, 11 am - 1:30 pm: Media Training (or, How to Become an "Expert"):

• Strategies for working effectively with mainstream media outlets and with print/digital reporters
• Mock interviews - videotaped for feedback on everything from the length of answers to posture to verbal and nonverbal tics

4. Fri Apr 22, 11 am - 1:30 pm: Workshop with Dad's Garage Theater:

• Using improvisational theater techniques
• Engaging non-expert audiences with research and ideas in live settings

The first three institute sessions will be led by teams of experienced Emory faculty and skilled communications professionals, while the fourth session will be led by theater professionals from Dad’s Garage. The first three sessions will be offered in a hybrid format – both online and in-person (box lunches will be provided for in-person participants). The fourth session will be offered in person only. If pandemic conditions necessitate, however, we will pivot to an online-only format for all four sessions.

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Save the Date/Register Now

Got news? Please send your announcements and photos to leigh.partington@emory.edu.
The DFPM newsletter is published monthly.