Total versus Partial Workplace Tobacco Use Bans in Texas Behavioral Health Centers and their Associations with Employees' Report of Clear Signage, Policy Enforcement, Policy Awareness, and Their Beliefs, Training, and Practices Conducive to Addressing Clients' Tobacco Use.

Objectives: Adults with behavioral health needs exhibit elevated tobacco use rates. Tobacco-free workplace policies (TFWPs) at behavioral health treatment centers can effectively curb clients' tobacco use and secondhand smoke/vape exposure. However, there is little extant observational research about how total versus partial workplace tobacco use bans are associated with employee's perceptions of signage clarity, consistency of enforcement, and stakeholders' policy awareness in behavioral health centers.

Implementing a tobacco-free workplace program at a substance use treatment center: a case study.

Background: People with substance use disorders smoke cigarettes at much higher rates than the general population in the United States and are disproportionately affected by tobacco-related diseases. Many substance use treatment centers do not provide evidence-based tobacco cessation treatment or maintain comprehensive tobacco-free workplace policies. The goal of the current work is to identify barriers and facilitators to a successful and sustainable implementation of a tobacco-free workplace program, which includes a comprehensive tobacco-free policy and evidence-based cessation treatment services, in a substance use treatment center.

Smoking Intervention Practices in Texas Healthcare Centers with Sexual and Gender Minority Patients.

Objectives: This study evaluated the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for smoking cessation in centers providing behavioral healthcare for patient populations that included some proportion of sexual and gender minorities (SGMs).

Methods: Healthcare providers from 75 healthcare centers across Texas serving SGMs with behavioral health needs participated in a survey assessing their center's tobacco control policies and practices.

Results: Nearly half (N = 36) of participating centers had a comprehensive tobacco-free workplace policy, 30.

Perceptions and Barriers to Physical Activity in Childhood and Adulthood Among Latinas.

Objective: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify perceptions and barriers to physical activity in childhood and adulthood among Latina adults.

Methods: Three focus groups, 2 dyadic interviews, and an individual interview were conducted using semi-structured interview guides with 23 Latina women aged 21-35. A thematic analysis approach employing inductive and deductive coding was utilized to code, categorize, and summarize data into themes.

Empowered Choices: African-American Women's Breast Reconstruction Decisions.

Breast reconstruction (BR) potentially can improve quality of life in postmastectomy breast cancer survivors (BCS); however, African-American women are less likely to undergo BR than Caucasian women. This qualitative study was undertaken to explore individual, sociocultural, and contextual factors influencing African-American women's BR decision-making processes and preferences. Postmastectomy African-American BCS with and without BR participated in semi-structured interviews.

Tobacco-free Workplace Program at a Substance Use Treatment Center.

About 65%-87% of substance use disorder patients smoke cigarettes, compared to 14% of the general adult population. Few substance use treatment centers (SUTCs) have comprehensive tobacco-free workplace (TFW) policies or offer tobacco interventions. Taking Texas Tobacco Free (TTTF) implements an evidence-based TFW program in SUTCs, including at the Billy T.

Adapting and Evaluating Implementation of a Tobacco-Free Workplace Program in Behavioral Health Centers.

State-administered community behavioral health centers (CBHCs) rarely treat tobacco dependence, despite high client tobacco use. Using a mixed-methods approach we examine the adaptation and implementation of an evidence-based tobacco-free workplace (TFW) program in 2 CBHCs (17 individual clinics). Varied data collection included pre- and post-implementation leader, clinician, and staff surveys; pre-, mid-, and post-implementation staff and client focus groups; and monthly implementation logs.

Timely Care is Patient-Centered Care for Patients with Acute Cholecystitis at a Safety-Net Hospital.

Background: Multiple strategies exist to improve the timeliness and efficiency of surgical care at safety-net hospitals (SNH), such as acute care surgery models and nighttime surgery. However, the patient-centeredness of such approaches is unknown.

Methods: Adults ( ≥18 years) with acute cholecystitis were interviewed upon admission to a SNH.

Clinician Training in the Adaptation of a Comprehensive Tobacco-Free Workplace Program in Agencies Serving the Homeless and Vulnerably Housed.

Tobacco use is exceedingly high among those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness but not commonly addressed by clinicians. Taking Texas Tobacco Free (TTTF) is a tobacco control program that addresses known clinician barriers to intervention (e.g.

Perceptions on gender disparity in surgery and surgical leadership: A multicenter mixed methods study.

Background: Our objective was to identify perceptions of the environment for women in surgery among 4 academic institutions.

Methods: Faculty surgeons and senior surgery residents were randomly selected to participate in a parallel study with concurrent quantitative and qualitative data collection. Outcomes were perceptions of the environment for women in surgery.

Advancing Health Behavior Research and Scholarship through Mentorship of First Generation, Underrepresented Undergraduate Students.

This article provides perspectives about mentorship of undergraduate mentees from directors of formal, externally-funded training programs within the context of the one of the most ethnically diverse national universities. The authors reflect about their mentorship of first generation and underrepresented undergraduate students and offer recommendations for others training similar students.

Tobacco-related knowledge following a comprehensive tobacco-free workplace program within behavioral health facilities: Identifying organizational moderators.

Objective: Although smoking prevalence rates among behavioral health consumers is nearly five times that of the general population, evidence-based policies and practices to address tobacco use are uncommon within behavioral health settings. This study assessed changes in non-clinical, general staff and clinician tobacco-related knowledge following brief education provided as part of a comprehensive tobacco-free workplace program implementation and explored organizational moderators of pre- to post-education knowledge change.

Methods: Fifteen behavioral health facilities, comprising hundreds of individual clinics in Texas, participated in a one (for general staff) or two (for clinicians) hour educational session.

Understanding Patients' Experiences of Diagnosis and Treatment of Advanced Colorectal Cancer in a Safety-Net Hospital System: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Greater understanding of barriers to screening of colorectal cancer among lower socioeconomic, particularly Hispanic, patients is needed to improve disparities in care.

Objective: This study aimed to explore patients' perceptions and experiences of care seeking for colorectal cancer to identify barriers to early diagnosis and treatment.

Design: This explorative qualitative study was conducted as a focused ethnography of patients diagnosed with advanced-stage colorectal cancer.

Shared decision-making during surgical consultation for gallstones at a safety-net hospital.

Background: Understanding patient perspectives regarding shared decision-making is crucial to providing informed, patient-centered care. Little is known about perceptions of vulnerable patients regarding shared decision-making during surgical consultation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a validated tool reflects perceptions of shared decision-making accurately among patients seeking surgical consultation for gallstones at a safety-net hospital.

Underserved Patients Seeking Care for Ventral Hernias at a Safety Net Hospital: Impact on Quality of Life and Expectations of Treatment.

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify issues important to patients in their decision-making, expectations, and satisfaction when seeking treatment for a ventral hernia.

Study Design: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted of adult patients with ventral hernias seeking care at a safety-net hospital. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with each patient: before and 6 months after surgical consultation.

Personality and emotional adjustment in infertility.

Objective: To examine the relationship between adjustment to diagnosed infertility and personality, anxiety, depression and stress (in general and inherent to infertility) in couples.

Study Design: A cross-sectional study, with a convenience sample of 35 couples attending infertility consultations, in a public health service in the Lisbon district. Data was collected using the following main outcome measures: NEO Personality Inventory--Short Form; Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale; Fertility Problem Inventory; and Fertility Adjustment Scale.