USF College of Public Health (COPH) alum Marie Denis-Luque, who was born and raised in Haiti, came to the U.S. with her family just before she turned 17, settling in Tallahassee, Fla., where she resides today.

“I learned English in high school and was the first in my family to even entertain the idea of going to a university,” she recalled. “It was because of a teacher in high school who wanted me to go to college. I didn’t know what college was, but she helped me to get into a university.”

Denis-Luque visited other campuses, but felt they weren’t her place. When she got to USF’s campus,  she fell in love with it. “USF felt like home.” she said. “I felt comfortable being in the company of other Haitian students.”

Initially inclined toward medical school, Denis-Luque soon discovered her true passion was public health. Her involvement in the Haitian Club Creole on USF’s campus and learning about public health from a fellow club member played a significant role in this shift.

Denis-Luque realized that public health was aligned with her aspirations and what she wanted to achieve in her life.

“I did not have a perfect GPA, but the COPH made room for me, and in return I was able to help others through the work I’ve ultimately been able to accomplish.”

Despite facing challenges, including the responsibility of caring for her sister and the need to work multiple jobs, Denis-Luque’s enthusiasm for public health never waned.

“When I found public health, it was exciting. I think some of my classmates thought I was a total nerd because every semester I was in awe of everything I learned. I took my first course, then I took another, then I applied to the college,” she said.

Denis-Luque credited her mentors and the welcoming nature of the college as invaluable in her educational and career path.

”When I see Dean Petersen, I still say, ‘Oh, that’s my dean.’ When I see Natalie Preston, director of the Office of Engagement and Constituent Relations, I say, ‘Those are my people.’ “

Denis-Luque’s journey wasn’t confined to the classroom. Her commitment to public health extended to her homeland, Haiti.

Her perspective on Haiti was transformed during a health education trip with USF. She was challenged by her mentor to view Haiti through the eyes of a public health official, prompting her to see her home country in a new light. She said this experience fundamentally changed the way she approached her work in Haiti, making her more attuned to public health hazards and necessary interventions.

“I viewed everything through that lens,” commented Denis-Luque. “As I got off the plane, I noticed several unworking planes on the runway, some rusted. Getting off the plane was borderline dangerous for those not strong enough. As we headed to our hotel from the airport, there was garbage on almost every street corner. Of course, watching the dangers of public transportation, people hanging from bus doors, and sitting on top of vehicles drove me crazy, too.”

Now Denis-Luque said she wants to be someone who helps challenge students’ thinking, just like her mentor challenged her to think through that lens.

Denis-Luque said it was during her visit to Haiti as a graduate student when she met a little girl with HIV that led her to become the founder of the nonprofit organization Caring for Haitian Orphans with AIDS .

“The little girl was living in the hospital courtyard with no one caring for or loving her,” she said.” I decided I could do something to express love for her. Though acting on this feeling to help this child was more significant than anything I had ever done, I had no idea what I was signing up for. Engaging in this work has been more fulfilling than anything I have ever done.”

She said the work of the organization has touched the lives of nearly 70 children, providing them with opportunities and support they might not have otherwise had.

“My nonprofit assumes the role of parents for these children,” Denis-Luque said. “We provide food and shelter, cover the cost of hospital care, recreation, and education, including vocational training. At this time, close to 50% of our staff were once our residents. Since unemployment is very high in Haiti (estimates ranging from 50-80%), locating employment for our young adults is unattainable. Once they get to a certain age, we make sure they receive the education needed to work for us for them to be able to sustain themselves. Then we hire the women to play the role of mothers to the children.”

“December will be 20 years since we started,” she said. “Many lives have been impacted. Children who would otherwise not be here. Women who are positive who work for us, whose life–God knows what it would be today–if it were not for being in the program.”

Denis-Luque graduated in 2005 from the COPH with a MSPH with a concentration in epidemiology and an MPH in community and family health.

Now Denis-Luque is working on her PhD from Florida State University Askew School of Public Administration and Policy. “I’m in the dissertation phase at the moment, and I am looking at how to improve non- governmental organizations that work in Haiti,” she said.

Looking ahead, Denis-Luque envisions staying in academia and said she is hopeful to eventually return to the COPH. “That would be a dream come true. A professor. I want to put it out into the universe,” she said.

In the future, Denis-Luque aspires to work on grant-funded projects and to involve students in her work. She said she believes in challenging students to step out of their comfort zone and discover their passions.

Fast Five

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?
Working as a medical doctor in a small hospital in a little province in France where I’d be the only doctor in town and everybody would come to me.

Where would we find you on the weekend?
Probably at Costco.

What’s the last book that you read?

“Just Another Emperor? The Myth and Realities of Philanthrocapitalism,” by Michael Edwards.

What superpower would you like to have?
Invisibility.

What’s your all-time favorite movie?
“Dirty Dancing.” I love Patrick Swayze.

Story by: Liz Bannon, USF College of Public Health

The post Finding a home away from home in public health appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Rain Freeman, a USF College of Public Health (COPH) PhD student concentrating in epidemiology, recently presented research about the effects of red tide on preterm birth at the International Society of Exposure Science (ISES) conference held in Chicago in August.

She conducted the research, “Florida Red Tides and Preterm Birth,” along with COPH professors Drs. Catherine Bulka and Jason Salemi, as well as USF College of Arts and Sciences student Quynh Anh Nguyen.

Freeman, whose interests lie in perinatal and pediatric health and life course epidemiology, said this is the first study to look at red tide and pregnancy outcomes in humans.

And its results were surprising.

“We had hypothesized that red tides would be associated with a higher risk of preterm birth,” Freeman explained. “We based this hypothesis on the environmental health literature regarding air pollution, which has consistently found a greater risk of preterm birth due to exposure to various air pollutants. We also know from animal studies that the toxins produced by red tide can cross the placental barrier and are toxic to developing embryos. Our hypothesis, however, was not supported by the null results of our analysis.”

A null result is a result without the expected outcome. Freeman says there could be several reasons for this unexpected discovery. For example. It’s possible, she said, that exposures to red tide during pregnancy are rare enough or not substantial enough to cause harm.

“Null results occur often in studies,” Freeman commented, “and they’re still important to report. For a few reasons, we believe that this topic needs more study.”

One reason is because the study used aggregated rather than individual-level data. “That is,” she said, “we cannot conclude that the same individuals experiencing higher red tide exposure are the same individuals who delivered their infants preterm.”

Secondly, she noted, the researchers based their exposure assessment on where pregnant people live in relation to the coastline when they gave birth. They did not account for factors such as how much time they spent outdoors, whether they had moved prior to giving birth and exactly how much algae were airborne. “We believe there is an urgent need to create more sophisticated measures of human exposure to red tide,” she said.

Freeman said she is working on turning the research into a manuscript that can be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

 “I’m very intrigued by the topic of red tide and pregnancy and the distinct lack of information on exposure,” Freeman said. “Red tide is known to be harmful in terms of acute gastrointestinal and respiratory health in humans, yet it’s extremely unexplored in terms of long-term health impacts across many health outcomes. As this area of research becomes more solid, I hope the data will help clinicians and families better understand whether red tide exposure poses a risk to their health.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post COPH PhD student presents first-of-its-kind research on red tide exposure and pregnancy outcomes appeared first on College of Public Health News.

The USF College of Public Health is saying farewell to one of its esteemed faculty members, Dr. William Sappenfield, a USF Distinguished Professor and director of the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative (FPQC) and the Chiles Center, both housed within the college and dedicated to cutting-edge research and education promoting the health and well-being of women, children and families.

Sappenfield, a pediatrician and epidemiologist who focuses on maternal and child health, retires after serving the college for 12 years. “That’s the longest I’ve been anywhere in my career,” he noted.

Sappenfield says what he’ll miss most about his time at the COPH is the people—the students, faculty, staff and leaders. “I have had the chance to work with outstanding people,” he noted.

And they will undoubtedly miss him as well.

“It was both an honor and a privilege to work with Bill,” said Bobbi Rose, an alum of the college who also served as conference coordinator for USF Health. “He is, WITHOUT FAIL, supportive, super smart, available, ethical and caring—for his colleagues, staff, students and the community at large. We need more Bill Sappenfields in this world!”

Amy Phillips, doctoral student and alum of the college, echoes those sentiments.

“As a new master’s student in 2013, I remember meeting one-on-one with Dr. Sappenfield and he insisted I call him Bill—never Dr. Sappenfield (to this day, I still don’t know that I ever have, lol),” Phillips, currently a COPH doctoral student, recalled. “He also shared his journey to leadership with my Maternal and Child Health Leadership Scholar cohort. I am grateful for the opportunity to know and learn from him!”

Natalie Preston, director of the college’s Office of Engagement and Constituent Relations, also values the knowledge she gleaned from Sappenfield.

“I appreciate that Bill always made me feel like we were equals,” Preston said. “He was very approachable and personal. My son was quite sickly as a toddler and elementary school kid. I reached out to Bill on many occasions for his medical insight as a pediatrician. He always received me warmly and explained options in a manner that was easily understood by a non-medical professional. His demeanor is as warm and bright as his smile! Without question, I will miss him. Hopefully his best life is coming in retirement!”

Sappenfield said some of the highlights of his time at the college have been becoming a faculty member, impacting lives and careers via teaching and mentoring, leading, promoting and revitalizing the Chiles Center and fully developing the FPQC, a group that significantly impacts the health and health care of mothers and infants in Florida.

What’s next for Sappenfield as he heads off into retirement?

“Deciding what I want to do when I grow up,” he said. “That’s going to take me some time to figure out! The college has paid me to do what I so much enjoy doing.”

Here, a pictorial look back at Sappenfield’s 12 years with the college:

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post For over 40 years, Dr. William Sappenfield has served the public—now he heads into retirement appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Matthew Strohhacker had an early introduction to public health.

“When I was 16, “ Strohhacker said, “I was an intern at University Hospital in Cleveland working closely with their head of colorectal surgery.”

While midway through his undergraduate degree at the University of Cincinnati, Strohhacker reconnected with a mentor through his time at University Hospital who pointed him in the direction of public health.

“I was at a crossroads since the Affordable Care Act had just passed and I had some concerns about what that would mean if I pursued my original goal of becoming a medical doctor. I was given great advice that I pursue public health because the ACA would undoubtedly shift the focus of the American healthcare system from an individualistic approach to a population health approach. This advice has proven to be incredibly insightful over the years as population health has certainly grown leaps and bounds over the past decade.” 

During his final year of undergrad, Strohhacker worked on research projects in adolescent bariatric surgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.  

“The epidemiologist I was working with recommended the USF College of Public Health (COPH) program, so I flew to Tampa to check out the school and city. I fell in love with both and never looked back. I knew as soon as I stepped foot on campus that I wanted to get my degree at the COPH.” 

In 2014, Strohhacker earned his MPH with a concentration in epidemiology from the COPH and a graduate certificate in applied biostatistics. 

“I am honored to have been a part of the USF Health in The Villages study. It was a great challenge for me as I got to work on mixed methods research, which was a new approach for me at the time.”

USF Health, in partnership with The Villages, a 55 and older active adult retirement community, completed a formative health assessment to understand barriers and facilitators to successful, healthy aging to achieve longer, healthier and more productive lives.

“I learned so much from my mentors and my peers throughout that project and ultimately wrote my master’s thesis from the research I conducted as a part of that work.”

After graduating, Strohhacker held many roles, but it was his time at a health insurance company that he said was most eye-opening.

“My role was a senior clinical strategy specialist at Medical Mutual, a large payer in Cleveland, where I grew up,” he explained. “It was during this time I learned something life-changing that drastically changed my view of the health care system. In the traditional fee-for-service health care system in the U.S., the health insurer is incented to keep the population healthy and out of the hospital, while the hospital is incented to keep people chronically ill and seeking services since the hospital is getting paid off of volume. This felt so incredibly backward to me. Since that time, I knew that being a part of tangible change in the healthcare system was something I wanted to be a part of.”

In December of 2022, Strohhacker started his current role as vice president of systems of CareNu, located in Tampa.

“In my current role, I oversee population health analytics, health care finance analytics and information systems,” Strohhacker said. “We are cutting through the traditional finance systems and creating an innovative model of care delivery focused on delivering the right care to the right patient at the right time in a way that is equitable and affordable.”

In doing so, Strohhacker has had a part in changing the way health care is delivered in our community.

“I get to use a combination of all my degrees [Strohhacker also has an MBA], but, admittedly, my COPH degree is the most valuable. I can genuinely say that I use my COPH degree every single day in my job.”

It was a fellow COPH graduate who attracted him to his current role.

 “I was truly impressed by Paola Delp, our president at CareNu. She is a pioneer in the health care space, particularly with innovative models of care. She has immense knowledge of the health care industry.”

And those aren’t the only Bulls at CareNu.

“Earlier this year I hired Tiantian Pang, who just received her PhD with a concentration in epidemiology from the COPH, to join my health analytics team—and she has been AMAZING! I knew the second I saw her resume that she was going to knock it out of the park, and she has.”

Strohhacker said that what he’s always loved about the COPH is its sense of family.

“When I would periodically travel back to Tampa, I would stop by the COPH to walk around and reminisce,” he said. “I observe students collaborating and professors interacting with students and I can tell that family feel is still strong. Throughout the years, I’ve kept in touch with some of my mentors and peers during my time at the COPH and it feels like I’m reconnecting with family when we have a chance to meet or chat again.”

Fast Five: 

What did you dream of becoming when you were young? 

The first thing I remember wanting to be was an architect, but I also played baseball at the time and decided my dream was to become the first baseball player to play a game in a stadium I designed.

Where would we find you on the weekend? 

My wife, Karena, and I are big foodies and love wine. You’d find us at a restaurant or wine bar around Tampa trying new and exciting food and sipping on a glass of wine (my research while on the USF Health in The Villages study showed that four drinks a week was protective for dementia). I’m also fully enjoying living in Florida again and taking advantage of the pool and beach, especially with my 3-year- old daughter, Elle, and 2-year-old son, Carter. 

What is the last book you read? 

The most recent was “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There,” by Marshall Goldsmith. Which lends itself well to some of my biggest beliefs in our healthcare system. If we keep approaching healthcare in the same way we always have, it can never reach its full potential. We have to think differently, challenge ourselves to be innovators, to take risks in order to be a part of the change we want to see. 

What superpower would you like to have? 

It would be so nice to be able to fly or teleport anywhere in the world instantly. 

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

I love most any comedy from the late ‘80s to late ‘90s. Movies like “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “Uncle Buck” and “Weekend at Bernie’s.”

Story by: Liz Bannon, USF College of Public Health

The post How one alum works to change health care delivery appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Dr. Gene Felber is a Bull three times over.

He received his bachelor’s from the university in 1991, his MSPH in epidemiology and biostatistics from USF’s College of Public Health (COPH) in 1993 and his PhD in epidemiology five years later.

“I was the first in my family—immediate or extended—to get a bachelor’s degree, let alone a master’s or doctorate,” said Felber, who grew up near Chicago but moved to Florida after high school. “A very good friend persuaded me to take master-level classes at the COPH while pursuing my bachelor’s. I did so and was immediately intrigued and engaged.”

Felber said what has most impressed him about his COPH education is the breadth and comprehensiveness of the courses he took.

“This is often reinforced when engaging colleagues who graduated from other highly reputable programs, such as Johns Hopkins and Harvard,” he said. “COPH graduates can rest assured that they will be fully prepared to enter the workplace and engage professionally and academically.”

Being newly married, working full time and pursuing a doctorate made life challenging, but Felber came through with flying colors.

He was inducted into the prestigious Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health and landed jobs at some of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies, including Takeda and Shire Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where he received an award for his work on a novel agent and approach measuring outcomes in patients with multiple myeloma. He has more than 15 years of experience as an epidemiologist, consultant and outcomes researcher and more than 17 years in the pharmaceutical field, working as a field medical scientist, outcome researcher, health economist and field leader.

Today, Felber is senior director and U.S. national lead for academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks and national oncology organizations, U.S. medical affairs at Gilead Sciences. His primary responsibility is identifying potential scientific research collaboration opportunities with partner sites, including participation in clinical trials and real-world research opportunities.  He says his proudest professional achievements have been building novel best-in-class medical and scientific functions in an industry that didn’t previously exist.

Alumni Fast Five

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

An astronaut.

Where would we find you on the weekend?

Under a car or on top of a mountain.

What is the last book you read?

“Outlive,” by Peter Attia.

What superpower would you like to have?

According to my spouse, the ability to read minds!

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

“Blade Runner” (the original, non-director’s cut).

To view the awards ceremony, click here.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post Gene Felber is honored with Outstanding Alumni Award appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Everyone was certain Dr. Michelle Crozier would grow up to be a veterinarian.

After all, Crozier, who grew up in Deland, Fla., and attended Stetson University, raised Belted Galloway cattle and even once won a cow in an essay contest.

But everyone was wrong.

“I was more interested in understanding how the human body worked,” Crozier stated.

As a biology major at Stetson, Crozier was taking pre-med courses and shadowing physicians. “But I didn’t feel much passion toward the field once I began learning about its realities,” she said. “During my junior year, I selected a book from the Health and Science shelf at Barnes & Noble called “Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC.” I was introduced to the exciting career of epidemiology, and I talked to my faculty advisor about how to become one just as soon as I learned how to say it. He helped me look into MPH programs, and the rest is history!”

Crozier enrolled at the USF College of Public Health (COPH) right after college and graduated with her MPH in epidemiology in 2009. In 2017, she received her PhD from the college.

“As a practical person, I love the emphasis on prevention in public health,” Crozier said. “I’m always looking to prevent bad things from happening and promote the good in life, and I’m a natural fit for a field with the same description.”

Crozier started out in public health as a communicable disease epidemiologist for the Volusia County Health Department—a job she started just a few months before the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic hit.

“I was the go-to person for the epidemiology response, and talk about baptism by fire,” Crozier said. “I learned more in the subsequent six months than I would have learned in five years on the job in non-pandemic times.”

Crozier took what she learned into the classroom. She’s held teaching positions at the University of Central Florida (UCF), USF (where she was the online epidemiology MPH coordinator from 2013-2017) and was most recently director of the Health Sciences Collegiate Academy at Lake-Sumter State College.

Today, Crozier is a lecturer at UCF in the School of Global Health Management and Informatics. She also serves as program director of the Health Care Informatics MS Program. 

“I spend my days handling admin stuff related to students and program accreditation, teaching, prepping classes, meeting with students and finding time to write a little on research projects. I like that it combines two of my childhood dream jobs, teaching and medicine, with a public health focus.  It’s also in my hometown where I can be close to my family,” Crozier said.

Crozier sees herself staying at UCF, building on the knowledge and skills she learned at the COPH.

“I’m diligently working on creating my niche at UCF so I am successfully promoted to associate lecturer in a few years,” she said. “I see myself retiring from here, but I wouldn’t mind doing it a little early so I can travel extensively, especially to cooler places during the hot Florida summers!”

Alumni Fast Five

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

I wanted to become a teacher, architect or medical doctor.

Where can we find you on the weekends?

Swimming at the beach or pool, seeing a traveling Broadway show or concert and/or eating a scrumptious meal.

What’s the last book you read?

“Florida Woman,” by Deb Rogers.

What superpower would you like to have?

Invisibility

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

It’s a toss-up between “The Sound of Music” and “The Silence of the Lambs.”

To view the awards ceremony, click here.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post Michelle Crozier receives Outstanding Alumni Award appeared first on College of Public Health News.

From analyzing data for a maternal child health home visiting program in Montana to doing education outreach and communications for the solid waste department in Sarasota County, USF College of Public Health students practiced their passion this summer at internships around the country. We asked them not only about what they did, but what they learned and what they loved. Here, their responses.

Victoria Salinas

Salinas is a COPH MPH student concentrating in epidemiology who spent the summer remotely working with the Montana Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, Healthy Montana Families.

Healthy Montana Families is a state program that supports pregnant people and parents with young children who live in communities that face greater barriers to achieving positive maternal and child health outcomes.

Salinas said it was the lived experiences of her family that led her to home visiting, eventually becoming a certified home visitor in Central Texas before arriving at USF and securing the 10-week summer internship she found through the Graduate Student Epidemiology Program. 

“My mom became pregnant with me in high school and was kicked out of her house,” said Salinas, who’s already secured a post-graduation job as an early childhood epidemiologist with Montana’s Early Childhood and Family Support Division. “Home visiting allowed me to partner with families and provide that supportive role I wish my parents had when they were raising young children.”

Salinas collaborated with both the state’s MIECHV program and its maternal and child health epidemiology team to analyze program and surveillance data, such as health indicators and risk factors, and develop an interface to visualize the data. 

“The most interesting aspect of this project was balancing the quantitative, qualitative and spatial data to develop an interactive, informative and actionable dashboard for stakeholders,” Salinas said. “I’m very proud of this project, and I hope it will be a helpful tool for the upcoming legislative session in Montana. I really do love this work and I’m so excited to continue elevating maternal and child health through home visiting.”

Karaminder (Kimi) Nijjar

Nijjar is a senior majoring in public health. She worked—mostly virtually—for 10 weeks this summer with Aetna, a CVS Health company, on cross-enterprise strategic innovation. Nijjar said she found the internship by scouring LinkedIn daily until she saw a health care administration internship she found interesting.

Her main responsibility was improving member experience during care management enrollment calls.

“I shadowed several engagement specialists to understand member outreach and learn what makes a successful enrollment call,” said Nijjar, who hopes to work for Aetna/CVS Health after graduation while pursuing her MHA part time. “And the biggest issue I found was that our engagement specialists didn’t know specific details on the programs offered. To help, I created an infographic on various care management programs Aetna offered so that the enrollment specialists could easily find information while actively on a call. Essentially, I was working on member experience this summer!”

Nijjar says the biggest thing she learned this summer was perseverance. “You can do anything you put your mind to,” she said. “Finding out I was interning at a Fortune Four company, well, I was nervous to say the least. Once I found my support within the team and program and began to believe in myself, I felt like I belonged.”

Ashley Williams

Ashley Williams, a senior majoring in public health, spent 12 weeks this summer working as the education outreach communications intern for the solid waste department of Sarasota County.

Some of her duties included developing and designing educational materials about waste and recycling for kids age 5-12, maintaining records for Keep Sarasota County Beautiful, shadowing county professionals in other departments, attending subcommittee and board meetings as well as professional development days and creating a roadmap of recycling cart rollouts for future use.

“What I enjoyed most about my internship was experiencing a glimpse of the public sector and what goes on,” said Williams, who found the internship on the job board Indeed. “I was fascinated by the collaboration of all departments to ensure county success. The ability to shadow other departments allowed me to understand where I would best fit in the public sector. The solid waste department really welcomed me and was willing to teach and explain all procedures and processes to me.”

Natalia Vázquez Plaza

Vázquez Plaza, an MPH student with a dual concentration in epidemiology and maternal and child health spent eight weeks this summer working virtually as a Title V maternal and child health (MCH) intern with the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Vázquez Plaza worked within the department’s Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDS), Children with Chronic Health Conditions (CHC) Program.

The CHC Program is a state-wide, comprehensive program in Arkansas that strives to facilitate the development of family-centered, community-based, coordinated systems of care to support families of eligible children with special health care needs. Vázquez Plaza was partnered with a student from the University of Iowa. Together they worked on a variety of projects, including transitioning children to adult health services and conducting presentations and outreach to school counselors, school nurses and others with the aim of increasing the knowledge of educational professionals to make referrals to the CHC Program.

“The internship helped me develop MCH leadership through knowledge, skills and experiences,” Vázquez Plaza said. “I was able to help ensure the health and well-being of future mothers, children and families. Moreover, I had the opportunity to learn about present-day changes and technology advances in MCH, strengthen my professional network with other MCH leaders and further develop my understanding of MCH leadership in the workforce. The Title V MCH Internship Program allowed me to be one step closer to my future goals of making a difference in my community.”

Vázquez Plaza, who has hopes of pursuing a PhD degree concentrating in epidemiology, said what she liked most about the internship was its collaborative nature.

“The team aspect of the internship allowed me to engage and contribute to agency preceptors and to learn new knowledge and skills from my partner and other co-interns,” said Vázquez Plaza, who hopes to continue to a doctorate degree. “It was a unique experience that I will remember for the rest of my professional public health career.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post What I did on my summer vacation: Highlights from student summer internships appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Economic hardship and lower socioeconomic status are known barriers to HIV testing and retention in care. But what if you could incentivize people to seek testing and remain in treatment?

It’s a question Dr. Miguel Reina Ortiz, a USF College of Public Health (COPH) associate professor, and Neielle Saint-Cyr, a COPH MPH student and graduate research assistant working with Reina, have set out to answer using a scoping review of the literature on the use of behavioral and traditional economic interventions to improve HIV-related care. 

They were joined in the research by others from the COPH, including Drs. Henian Chen, Alida Gertz, Dinorah Martinez Tyson and Stephanie Marhefka-Day (now with the College of Nursing).

Their review was recently presented at the American College of Academic International Medicine’s annual conference held in June. Saint-Cyr, who’s concentrating in epidemiology and global communicable disease, was awarded Best Original Research Presentation for her poster presentation highlighting the research.

“Looking at the effects of behavioral and traditional economics on people living with HIV is important because it will help identify another form of effective intervention to either prevent HIV infections or improve the behaviors of those living with HIV,” Saint-Cyr said.

Some of the incentives Saint-Cyr and her colleagues looked at were:

• Conditional cash transfers, in which participants were given money if an action—like completing HIV testing or treatment—was completed.
• Unconditional cash transfers (money was given regardless if an action was completed)
• Microfinance loans (small loans given if an action was completed)
• Gamification (participants were able to download online or iPhone video games as a reward for completing an action).

The majority of the studies Saint-Cyr and her group looked at showed positive results—meaning the incentives showed an uptake in HIV care. Incentives, she said, caused people to be more consistent with HIV testing, taking their medication if diagnosed with HIV and meeting with their health care providers. 

“I believe incentives work because they help motivate people and may help provide access to care for some individuals,” Saint-Cyr noted. “For people who are unable to travel to providers to receive care, incentives (which can sometimes be cash, gift cards and bus passes) may help them pay for travel expenses. Incentives may also help those who are unable to purchase food.”

Saint-Cyr said next steps are to continue exploring the effectiveness of using financial incentives to promote HIV testing and care, particularly among Latinos living with HIV in the South. 

“There is a research gap in Latino and Hispanic communities due to a lack of focus on minority health,” she said. “Minority health tends to not be prioritized. Additionally, there is research lacking on low-income populations in high-income countries because of a lack of health equity, and minorities tend to be part of these low-income communities. Our findings will help fill in gaps and ultimately contribute to the growing body of evidence that will support effective programs for diagnosing HIV, treating it and achieving viral suppression.” 

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post How incentive-based interventions can promote HIV testing and care appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Chinwendu Ilonzo, a USF College of Public Health MPH student, has recently begun a 6-month evaluation fellowship with the nonprofit food safety organization Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE). 

The PFSE partners with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), other federal agencies and private entities to develop and disseminate science-based, consumer-directed messages promoting safe food handling practices. The group is the mastermind behind the Fight BAC! (fight bacteria) campaign.

Ilonzo said it was her introductory public health classes that first got her interested in food safety, an interest that eventually led to her applying for the fellowship.

“Nutrition is an area of growing interest [for me], especially after I learned more about the adult and childhood obesity epidemic in my courses,” Ilonzo said. “Food safety plays a large role in the ability to eat healthy foods. It forces you to look at social determinants of health and what resources may be available to a person—for example, properly working refrigerators, close supermarkets, available quality produce, etc.”

As an evaluation fellow, Ilonzo is tasked with executing need-based assessments, conducting program evaluations and reporting on metrics that ultimately advance the Partnership’s mission in preventing foodborne illnesses. She develops survey and focus group questions, decides on incentives for participants and then analyzes and disseminates results. With data in hand, she creates an official report and action plan for the Partnership in supporting food safety educators.

“Since I am the only evaluation fellow, it’s been interesting being the main person to develop the deliverables, Ilonzo commented. “Of course, I have guidance from my supervisors and get input from the team, but they do rely on me to use my knowledge and skills to propel them forward, which is exciting but a different kind of responsibility. The PFSE is also a completely virtual organization, which I also find interesting. There’s a physical address for mail, but the Partnership itself runs completely virtually, and it’s been that way even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, the most important thing I’ve been learning is to build relationships with the team and ask questions!”

Ilonzo, who’s concentrating in both epidemiology and maternal and child health, said food safety should be a concern of everyone, not only public health officials.

“Food safety education is not just for educators, public health professionals, chefs, or nutritionists/dieticians,” she said. “It’s for anyone who buys, eats, or cooks food. It is important to be proactive in preventing foodborne illnesses, and I believe [we all] would benefit from being involved.”

Story by Donna Campisano for USF College of Public Health

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A University of South Florida (USF) epidemiology associate professor discovered associations between COVID-19 mortality rates and socioeconomic position, gender, ethnicity and race that reveal an urgent need to implement population-based infection control efforts, especially for those in low socioeconomic positions (SEP).

In collaboration with a team of epidemiologists from the COVKID Project, USF College of Public Health Associate Professor Jason Salemi launched a national investigation into COVID-19 deaths in 2020 with data released by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.  

The study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, analyzed nearly 70,000 adults, ages 25 to 64, who died from COVID-19. The team found 68% of COVID-19 deaths the first year of the pandemic were low SEP adults employed in labor, service and retail jobs that require on-site attendance and prolonged close contact with others. 

“The degree to which it takes a toll on communities is very unevenly distributed and we wanted to call attention to that issue,” Salemi said. 

The National Center for Health Statistics uses one’s level of education as a measure of socioeconomic status because it is considered to be a more stable indicator of SEP over time. In tandem, the team categorized each person’s SEP by their level of education – low SEP adults had no education beyond high school, intermediate SEP had at least one year of college attendance and high SEP adults had at minimum a bachelor’s degree. 

The findings reveal a person’s level of education is strongly associated with occupation segregation – with the majority of low SEP adults employed in working-class jobs across all gender, race and ethnicity groups in the United States. 

Historically, data shows the working class experiences disproportionate exposure risks and increased burden of disease. 

COVID-19 proved no different. Salemi and the team confirmed hazardous conditions of work, like working in close proximity with others, were primary drivers of disparities in COVID-19 mortality rates. 

Elevated infection risks are amplified across multiple social environmental scales for working-class adults, especially when compared to high SEP workers who are more likely to have fewer exposure risks, options to work remotely, paid sick leave and better access to quality health care. 

“If we were to immediately heed the calls to return to ‘normal’ and stop worrying about community spread of the virus, there are certain subsets and members of our community that are going to suffer way more so than other members – and these people have already borne the disproportioned brunt of this pandemic,” Salemi said. 

Since 2020, about 78% of people in the United States have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but the number of COVID-19 cases is trending upward once again. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are asking people to practice prevention strategies based on their county COVID-19 Community Levels to protect high risk populations. 

Salemi’s study shows the mortality rate of low SEP adults is five times higher when compared to high SEP adults, and the mortality rate of intermediate SEP adults is two times higher. White women make up the largest population group considered high SEP. In contrast, nearly 60% of Hispanic men are in a low SEP. When compared, the mortality rate of low SEP Hispanic men is 27 times higher than high SEP white women. 

As a result, Salemi says the most urgent implication of this study points to immediate actions needed to protect the working class from infection by strengthening federal and state labor laws, empowering the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, adopting safety and health hazard policies and allowing unions to organize for greater protections for worker safety.

Salemi hopes to expand on this study with mortality data from 2021 and beyond but knows the message will remain the same: “Return to normal” does not mean the same thing for everyone. 

Story reposted from USF Newsroom

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