The Rise of the Hospital Chief Equity Officer-A National Survey of Early Experiences and Attributes.

Background: Many hospitals have created the position of equity officer (EQO) in efforts to reduce disparities and address social determinants of health.

Objective: To describe EQOs' experiences and needs, and the environment in which they operate.

Design And Participants: A national, cross-sectional survey of EQOs in US community hospitals in 2023.

Athletic Trainers' Observations of Social Determinants of Health in the Secondary School Setting: A Card Study.

Context: Athletic trainers (ATs) are in a unique position to mitigate the negative impact of social determinants of health (SDH) in their patients. In the secondary school setting, understanding common SDH may inform strategies that reduce these impacts. However, little is known about the types of SDH that ATs observe in patients in this setting.

Recruiting transgender men in the Southeastern United States for genital microbiome research: Lessons learned.

Background: Transgender men (TGM) are underrepresented in genital microbiome research. Our prospective study in Birmingham, AL investigated genital microbiota changes over time in TGM initiating testosterone, including the development of incident bacterial vaginosis (iBV). Here, we present lessons learned from recruitment challenges encountered during the conduct of this study.

Understanding the Roles, Responsibilities, and Factors for Success of Health Equity Officers in Health Care Settings: A Qualitative Study.

Context: Recent national guidelines aimed at addressing equity in health care settings have contributed to an increase in equity officer positions, yet little is known about their roles, responsibilities, or strategies for engaging in health equity work.

Objective: To understand the roles and responsibilities of equity officers, as well as facilitators and barriers to their success.

Design: In-depth semi-structured interviews with selected respondents from the Equity Officer National Study.

Advancing Virtual at-Home Care for Community Health Center Patients Using Patient Self-Care Tools, Technology, and Education.

Introduction: Health centers are community-based, patient directed primary care providers that offer accessible, high-quality primary care within medically underserved communities. Screening for cancer and managing complex chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and depression are vital services for the vulnerable populations seen by community health centers. Delivering care for complex chronic conditions and preventive services using virtual models that integrate self-care tools and technology is an important approach to increasing access for hard-to-reach patients served by health centers.

Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives From Community Health Center Clinicians.

The early period of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid increase in out-of-office care. To capture the impact from COVID-19 on care for patients with hypertension, a questionnaire was disseminated to community health center clinicians. The extent, types, and causes of care delays and disruptions were assessed along with adaptations and innovations used to address them.

How Hospitals Are Addressing The Effects Of Racism: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Hospital Equity Officers.

Hospital equity officers have become critical leaders in the effort to address the determinants of health care disparities, including structural racism. In this mixed-methods study, we surveyed a national sample of equity officers and interviewed a subset of respondents to provide additional perspective. About one-half of survey respondents reported at least some obstacles to achieving their health equity objectives, including racist beliefs among people working in their hospitals and health care systems, policies that perpetuate racism, and a lack of staff diversity.

Athletic Trainers' Observations of Social Determinants of Health in the Collegiate Setting: A Card Study.

Context: Addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) in all populations improves patient outcomes, leading to better patient-centered care. Despite known influences of SDOH, little is known about the ability of athletic trainers (ATs) to observe SDOH in practice.

Objective: To explore ATs' observations of SDOH and describe actions taken at the point of care in collegiate and university settings.

Athletic Trainers' Perceptions of and Experience with Social Determinants of Health.

The role that social determinants of health (SDHs) play in athletic healthcare is gaining attention, yet little is known about athletic trainers' (ATs) perceptions of and encounters with the impact of SDHs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate ATs' perceptions of various SDHs and their experience treating patients whose health and well-being were influenced by SDHs. This was a cross-sectional, web-based survey completed by 1694 ATs (completion rate = 92.

Athletic Trainers' Familiarity, Comfort, Knowledge, and Recognition of Social Determinants of Health.

Context: Social determinants of health (SDOH)-education, transportation, housing, employment, health systems and services, economic status, and physical and social environments-influence patient outcomes; therefore, athletic trainers (ATs) need to understand and address these factors. However, little is known about how ATs perceive SDOH or how knowledgeable they are about social factors that contribute to patient health and well-being.

Objective: To evaluate ATs' familiarity and comfort with SDOH and their perceived knowledge and recognition of SDOH.

The Primary Care Transformation Executive Fellowship to Develop Community Health Center Leaders.

Introduction: Although many primary care providers from community health centers recognize health disparities and work to transform healthcare, skill gaps and limited support may hinder their ability to be change agents. The Primary Care Transformation Executive (PCTE) Fellowship at A.T.

Impact of COVID-19-related care disruptions on blood pressure management and control in community health centers.

Background: Uncontrolled hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. To ensure continuity of care, community health centers (CHCs) nationwide implemented virtual care (telehealth) during the pandemic. CHCs use the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 165v8 Controlling High Blood Pressure measure to report blood pressure (BP) control performance.

Patient and Staff Satisfaction and Experience While Transforming Health Center Systems.

Introduction: Patient satisfaction and experience are important measures of overall quality of care. In 2017, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) launched an initiative to facilitate changes across organizational systems within Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) with the goal of improving value-driven care.

Methods: NACHC worked with eight health centers, four in Georgia and four in Iowa, along with their state Primary Care Associations, to apply the Value Transformation Framework (VTF).

Using the Practical Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) to Identify and Address Provider-Perceived Barriers to Optimal Statin Prescribing and Use in Community Health Centers.

Statins are an important but underutilized therapy to prevent cardiovascular events, particularly in high-risk patients. To increase use of statin therapy in high-risk patients, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded a project led by the National Association of Community Health Centers to discover reasons for statin underuse in health centers and identify possible leverage points, particularly among vulnerable and underserved patients. The project further sought to develop training and educational materials to improve statin prescribing for and acceptance in eligible high-risk patients.

Applying the Value Transformation Framework in Federally Qualified Health Centers to Increase Clinical Measures Performance.

Introduction: The transition in health care from a volume-based to value-based model of care, combined with pressures brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, makes the need for efficiency and coordination of the health center system imperative. The Value Transformation Framework (VTF), developed with health centers in mind, provides an organizing framework to support transformation of infrastructure, care delivery, and people systems.

Methods: NACHC applied the VTF within a cohort of health centers across the country to drive systems change and improve performance on measures of clinical care.

The Value Transformation Framework: Applied to Diabetes Control in Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Introduction: Diabetes and pre-diabetes impact more than 114 million Americans. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) provide care to some of the most high-risk and underinsured individuals throughout the US, twenty-one percent of whom report being told they have diabetes, compared to 11% of the general adult population. It is widely agreed our health care system requires a transformation to effectively address diabetes and its complications.

Living with an MPN in Ireland: patients' and caregivers' perspectives.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are associated with a high disease burden, reduced quality of life and shortened survival. The aim of this questionnaire was to gain patients' and caregivers' perspectives on the impact of living with an MPN in the Republic of Ireland. An Irish adaptation of the 'Global MPN Landmark survey' was conducted.

The power of interdependence: Linking health systems, communities, and health professions educational programs to better meet the needs of patients and populations.

Promoting optimal health outcomes for diverse patients and populations requires the acknowledgement and strengthening of interdependent relationships between health professions education programs, health systems, and the communities they serve. Educational programs must recognize their role as integral components of a larger system. Educators must strive to break down silos and synergize efforts to foster a health care workforce positioned for collaborative, equitable, community-oriented practice.

Are Community Health Center Patients Interested in Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring (SMBP) - And Can They Do It?

Introduction: Self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP) helps diagnose and manage hypertension from outside the clinic, which has implications for patient empowerment and outcomes, continuity of care, and resilience in care communities catering to vulnerable populations.

Methods: We instituted a protocol for SMBP among hypertensive patients at 9 community health centers in 3 states and administered questionnaires to patients before and after the protocol was instituted to assess knowledge and engagement with disease management, beliefs and attitudes towards, and experience doing SMBP. Questionnaires included 16 items designed to evaluate patient perceptions and beliefs about SMBP.

Learning to Speak Up for Patient Safety: Interprofessional Scenarios for Training Future Healthcare Professionals.

Background: Preventable medical errors represent a leading cause of death in the United States. Effective undergraduate medical education (UME) strategies are needed to train medical students in error prevention, early identification of potential errors, and proactive communication. To address this need, a team of faculty from A.

Accelerating Use of Self-measured Blood Pressure Monitoring (SMBP) Through Clinical-Community Care Models.

Self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP), the regular measurement of blood pressure by a patient outside the clinical setting, plus additional support, is a proven, cost-effective but underutilized strategy to improve hypertension outcomes. To accelerate SMBP use, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded the National Association of Community Health Centers, the YMCA of the USA, and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials to develop cross-sector care models to offer SMBP to patients with hypertension. The project aimed to increase the use of SMBP through the coordinated action of health department leaders, community organizations and clinical providers.

Addressing the Social Determinants of Health in Undergraduate Medical Education Curricula: A Survey Report.

Purpose: Social determinants of health (SDH) are recognized as important factors that affect health and well-being. Medical schools are encouraged to incorporate the teaching of SDH. This study investigated the level of commitment to teaching SDH; learning objectives/goals regarding student knowledge, skills, and attitudes; location in the curriculum and teaching strategies; and perceived barriers to teaching SDH.

Expanding Medical Education for Local Health Promoters Among Remote Communities of the Peruvian Amazon: An Exploratory Study of an Innovative Program Model.

Purpose: Community health workers (CHWs) play integral roles in primary health care provision in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This is particularly true in underdeveloped areas where there are acute shortages of health workers. In this study, we evaluated the development and community utilization of a CHW training program in the Loreto province of Peru.

Who Are the Undiagnosed? Disparities in Hypertension Diagnoses in Vulnerable Populations.

This study builds upon a project that developed clinical criteria to identify undiagnosed hypertension patients "hiding in plain sight" (HIPS) by examining patient characteristics to understand whether there are disparities in hypertension diagnosis. We examined electronic health record demographic data for patients identified by the HIPS criteria and subgroups at 3 Missouri health centers. Identified patients who returned for a follow-up visit and were subsequently diagnosed with hypertension tended to be older, black/African American, uninsured, and classified as having obesity.