The Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky (CIK) is pleased to announce that nine State-University Partnerships (SUPs) have been selected by the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) to receive funding for Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022. The SUP offers a unique funding opportunity, leveraging university funds to receive a federal match, while supporting state government to make informed policy decisions around its Medicaid program.
Five of the current projects are supported by the infrastructure of CIK, and four projects are housed in the School of Medicine. All nine projects employ the skills and expertise of Commonwealth Scholars across the university.
CIK
1) Alcohol Use Disorder: Its Risk Factors, Comorbidity, and Long-term Care Cost
Co-PIs: Maiying Kong and Karunarathna Kulasekera
2) The Effect of Market Changes on KY Medicaid: Utilization and Cost Savings for Three Chronic Diseases
PI: Seyed Karimi
3) Systemic Complications of Oral Diseases among Medicaid Beneficiaries with Type 2 Diabetes in Kentucky
PI: Bert Little
4) Predictive Analytics for Type 2 diabetes with Social Determinants of Health in Medicaid Beneficiaries
PI: Bert Little
5) Identifying and Removing Barriers to Treatment of Hepatitis C infection in KY Medicaid
PI: Bert Little
School of Medicine
1) Disparities in Cancer Screening Using Cancer Registry Data
PI: Michael Egger (Bert LIttle involved)
2) Colorectal Cancer Surveillance Patterns After Initial Treatment in Young Adults with Medicaid
PI: Clayton Ellis
(Bert Little involved)
3) Gastroesophageal Reflux in the Era of Medical and Surgical Treatments: A Look at Cost Effectiveness and Practice Patterns in Kentucky Medicaid Patients
PI: Farid Kehdy
(Bert Little involved)
School of Medicine, CAHRDS Unit
1) Improving Care Quality for Children Receiving KY Medicaid
Interventions to decrease antibiotic use
2) Safeguarding the prescribing of psychotropic medication in youth
The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) awarded Scholar Demetra Antimisiaris, PharmD, CGP, FASCP, with the George F. Archambault Award, the organization’s highest honor, during its annual meeting in November. ASCP Archambault Award honorees are selected by past recipients and based on their significant contributions to consultant or senior care pharmacy. Congratulations, Dr. Antimisiaris!
Congratulations to CIK Executive Committee member, Shari Kretzschmer, chief nursing officer and vice president of UofL Health Patient Care, who was recognized by Business First as a Health Care Hero for 2020.
Dr. Cate Fosl, Commonwealth Scholar and director of the Anne Braden Institute, will present Black Freedom, White Allies, and Red Scare on Monday, February 10, 2020, 6:00-7:30pm, at the Portland Branch Public Library. The talk explores how controversy ensued when an African American family moved into a segregated, all-white neighborhood of Louisville, highlighting ongoing issues of racism, and how the culture of the "Red Scare" was used to reinforce white supremacy.
January 23, 2020
CIK welcomes new Commonwealth Scholars: Samuel Carson, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of General Surgery, Michael Egger, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Hiram C. Polk Jr., M.D. Department of Surgery, and Robert Martin, MD, PhD, Sam and Lolita Weakley Professor of Surgery and Director of the Division of Surgical Oncology.
Congratulations to Commonwealth Scholar and Entrepreneur-in-Residence Brad Shuck, EdD, who has invented a newly licensed software, the Employee Engagement Scale (EES)! As a researcher of organizational culture and applied behavioral economics, Dr. Shuck designed EES to help companies measure and monitor employee engagement, which notably impacts productivity. Louisville startup Unitonomy plans to make EES a central part of their business and is now working to get the software to market. Read more about Dr. Shuck’s work in UofL News.
Since graduating in May, CIK’s former GRA, Tasha Golden, PhD, has accepted a position as Senior Arts in Health Research Scientist at the International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM), in the Brain Science Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In this role, Dr. Golden has begun work with IAM and the Aspen Institute to launch The NeuroArts Blueprint: The Science of Arts, Health and Wellbeing, which is designed to identify and investigate "the measurable ways that art can change the brain and the body.” She was also a lead author on the Fall 2019 white paper released by the national Creating Healthy Communities initiative, and was invited to present her arts+health research at POLITICO’s European Health Care Summit in November.
January 10, 2020
New Scholar publication! Take a look at this new paper Cefdinir Use in KY Medicaid: A Priority for Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship. The study authors find increases in both Cefdinir prescriptions and spending, and they suggest that there is an opportunity to improve appropriate use. Drs. John Myers and Liza Creel, both Commonwealth Scholars, are authors on the paper. The study team also operates Kentucky Antibiotic Awareness (KAA)— a campaign to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use across the state of Kentucky.
The Kentucky General Assembly convened this week to begin a 60-day session. You can track the progress of bills, amendments, and resolutions by both date and headings on the 2020 Regular Session Record page
December 19, 2019
SAVE THE DATE! CIK’s spring research meeting will be the morning of April 15, 2020.
CIK is grateful for each of you and the work you do to advance population health and health equity. We are also grateful for the time off that working at a university affords us between semesters to enjoy holidays, spend time with family and friends, and recover from the busyness of academia. Best wishes for a fabulous break and holiday season, and we look forward to an excellent new year!
December 5, 2019
CIK welcomes new Commonwealth Scholars: Demetra Antimisiaris, PharmD, CGP, FASCP, of the Department of Health Management and System Sciences; Tyler Ellis, MD, MSCR, of the Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery; Ghiyoung Im, PhD, of Computer Information Systems in the College of Business; Seyed Karimi, PhD, who holds a joint appointment in the Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences and the Louisville Metro Department of Health and Wellness; Emily Noonan, PhD, research coordinator in Undergraduate Medical Education; and Rui Sundrup, PhD, of Computer Information Systems.
Congratulations to Commonwealth Scholar José Fernández, PhD, associate professor of economics, who has been elected president of the American Society of Hispanic Economists. Dr. Fernandez conducts research in crime, health, and labor economics. He will serve as president-elect of ASHE in the upcoming year, and his term as president will begin in 2021.
CIK released the 2018-19 annual report this week. Read it here.
Congratulations to Priya Chandan, MD, MPH on her recognition by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as a recipient of the organization’s 2019 Distinguished Public Service Award! A Commonwealth Scholar and Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dr. Chandan has dedicated her work to improve health care for people with intellectual disabilities.
Commonwealth Scholar and CIK Executive Committee member Deborah Winders Davis, PhD serves as co-PI on a five-year study, Contribution of Child Development, Biological Aging, and Beta-amyloid to Cognitive Function of the Louisville Twins at Midlife. In partnership with Dr. Christopher Beam at USC, Dr. Davis’ work brings $3M to UofL. We look forward to learning more about the team’s findings!
November 7, 2019
Commonwealth Scholar Marissa Yingling, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Kent School of Social Work recently published “Participation in Part C Early Intervention: One Key to an Earlier Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder?” in The Journal of Pediatrics. The study finds that participation in a publicly-funded early intervention program may improve early diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, which can facilitate earlier treatment and improved outcomes. Read the study here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022347619307978.
Congratulations to Nida Ali, PhD, MPH, former CIK postdoctoral associate, on her new position as a health scientist at the CDC! Dr. Ali works in the Division of Overdose Prevention providing evaluation and scientific expertise to funded jurisdictions, conducting applied research, and building scientific evidence to support state, community, and tribal efforts to address the complex and changing nature of the drug overdose epidemic. She is also a member of the newly formed drug overdose health equity workgroup.
CIK GRA and doctoral candidate in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences Gabe Jones, MPH, will present his dissertation for final defense on November 22, 2:30pm, in the School of Public Health and Information Sciences. His study, “’Pissing in the Wind’: Racially Discriminatory Economic Policies’ Impact on Today’s Banking Status, Use of Alternative Financial Services, and Health Outcomes,” highlights personal financial health as an important factor in population health.
October 17, 2019
CIK is excited to announce that Liza Creel, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, SPHIS Health Management and Systems Sciences, will serve as the Commonwealth Institute’s Co-Director. Dr. Creel brings her background and research in health policy to CIK’s leadership team, and she is ready with many ideas about how CIK can work with Commonwealth Scholars to impact policy and practice.
Welcome new Executive Committee members! CIK is grateful to J’Aime Jennings, PhD (Assistant Professor, SPHIS Health Management and Systems Science); Debbie Davis, PhD (Director, UofL CAHRDS Unit); Grace Simrall (Chief of Civic Innovation and Technology, Louisville Metro Government) and Will Metcalf, JD (Executive Director, UofL Research Development and Strategic Initiatives) for their willingness to dedicate their time, expertise, and leadership to our mission.
UofL launches new database to support parents of LGBTQ youth. Dr. Ryan Combs, the lead on the project that launched the Embrace The Journey website, pointed out that the website is aimed at parents of LGBTQ youth and offers advice on how to deal with mental health issues experienced by LGBTQ youth. The aim is to reduce the number of LGBTQ teenagers who end up suffering from life-threatening mental health issues.
