First published on May 8, 2020 in observance of the COPH’s 35^th anniversary celebration.

The Sunshine Education and Research Center (Sunshine ERC) located in the USF College of Public Health is one of 18 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) education and research centers across the nation that provides interdisciplinary training of occupational safety and health professionals.

The Sunshine ERC, which was founded in 1997, offers programs collaboratively with the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Arts and Sciences and focuses on evidence-based practice and research, continuing education and outreach.

“Over the years this continuing education program evolved into a vehicle to provide low cost opportunities for professional development,” said Dr. Thomas E. Bernard, USF College of Public Health professor and Sunshine ERC center director. “The scope of the center also increased with pilot project research training and more opportunities for interdisciplinary activities.”

According to Bernard, USF COPH’s Drs. Yehia Hammad, Stuart Brooks and Pete Rentos had a vision for starting a NIOSH-supported education and research center that would be the first new center in a decade.

“As funded, the Sunshine ERC was the umbrella for industrial hygiene, occupational medicine and occupational health nursing with a nascent continuing education program. We then added occupational safety and occupational health psychology (OHP)­­—the first ERC to have an OHP program,” he said.

Bernard and Dr. Candance Burns of the College of Nursing, assumed leadership of the Sunshine ERC in 2008.

According to Bernard, with growing support from NIOSH, the Sunshine ERC affiliated with the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), expanded interdisciplinary activities and enhanced outreach into underserved populations.

“This momentum carried us into the current funding cycle with the addition of UCF to support research training directed at the hospitality industry, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for a new vision of occupational safety, and programs with UPR in disaster resilience for workers. Further, we now have a supported online program in health, safety and environment,” Bernard said.

The Sunshine ERC focuses on providing training that reflects the needs of key industries in Florida and emerging issues of the nation.

“Students in the Sunshine ERC receive solid training in their chosen field,” Bernard said. “The real value-added is further experience in interdisciplinary activities to better prepare them for the practice of occupational health, safety and wellness.”

Trainees spend time with peers from across disciplines in public health, nursing, and medicine at USF, psychology at USF and UCF, hospitality at UCF, and aviation at Embry-Riddle, according to Bernard.

“Each trainee is enrolled in a degree program within their institution,” Bernard said. “It is the interdisciplinary experience that takes them beyond their specific discipline.”

For example, Bernard explained, trainees are expected to attend one ERC-wide session that provides information of interest to all.

“This varies a little and includes responsible conduct of research, general principles of occupational health, safety and wellness, and team building exercises,” he said.

Trainees are also encouraged to attend national symposiums and also contribute and participate in research projects sponsored by the ERC and its faculty.

Zach Brandes-Powell, a second year occupational exposure science student in the COPH, said the Sunshine ERC has expanded his experience level as a student. 

“The mentoring and encouragement of the professors and members of the ERC have helped to push me to do things I wouldn’t have thought I was capable of with my current level of experience,” he said.  “For example, through the ERC’s support, I was able to co-present on the benefit of internships for occupational safety and health students and professionals at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHCE). With their encouragement, I also started to offer to tutor students taking industrial hygiene related courses. These opportunities have helped me to develop skills that will be beneficial to me in life and throughout my career in occupational safety and industrial hygiene.”

Brandes-Powell said going to AIHCE 2019 has been a highlight for him.

“We were able to meet students from ERCs around the country and interact with alumni of the program. The impact that the ERC has on its students was evident as the current students instantly found common ground with the alumni when talking about our courses and projects,” he said.

Miriam Escobar, also a second-year occupational exposure science student in the COPH, said the Sunshine ERC has helped her expand her networking abilities with professionals from other disciplines.  

“Now, I am part of a diversified professional network with a common goal to improve the safety and health of others in various occupational industries,” she said.

She said the highlight of her experience so far has been the ability to participate in the Puerto Rico Resiliency focus group research.

“I was able to travel to Puerto Rico and hear first hand how the hospitality community was not only affected by hurricane Maria but also come together and prevail,” Escobar said.

Currently, the Sunshine ERC is supporting four COVID-19 research projects through its program development fund, according to Bernard, three at USF and one at UCF.

Bernard said that while the Sunshine ERC focuses on students within the ERC disciplines, they have started to also engage students and faculty interested in disaster management.

“If students have an interest they should contact me or Ms. Kelly Freedman and we will see if there is an opportunity with current projects,” he said. “We would welcome and support expenses for some students outside the ERC to participate in interdisciplinary activities.”

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

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Fifteen teams of rising public health and community leaders from around the country have been selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Public Health Regenerative Leadership Synergy (PHEARLESS) initiative.

Supported by an investment of more than $8.5 million from The Kresge Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the de Beaumont Foundation, the PHEARLESS initiative integrates regenerative leadership education and experiential learning with innovative collaborative tools that will help public health and community leaders build the skills they need to co-create sustainable solutions that advance health equity and well-being for all.

As a holistic, strengths-based and adaptive approach to leadership, regenerative leadership focuses on creating positive change and restoring balance in complex living systems. By creating positive relationships and nurturing the interconnected elements within a system, regenerative leaders aim to generate outcomes that benefit everyone.

“PHEARLESS leaders know how to forge partnerships that result in community-led public health efforts on the ground,” said Monica Valdes Lupi, managing director of Kresge’s Health Program. “Authentic community engagement can improve the public’s health for generations to come.”

Each four-person team includes two rising public health leaders and two rising community leaders. Together, the cohort will form a network that will learn from one another and help create new models for community-led efforts to improve equitable health outcomes community-wide.

“Strong partnerships between government and community are necessary to achieve meaningful change and improve health outcomes. Through the PHEARLESS program, we look forward to facilitating and strengthening such partnerships in communities across the country, and I am excited to welcome our inaugural cohort,” said Brian C. Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation.

Through the 12-month PHEARLESS experience, comprising four learning modules and a culminating capstone activity, participants will develop the mindset and skills to transform systems, structures and policies, in partnership with community, toward a just and equitable future. Each four-person team will receive a $100,000 grant to support their activities.

The cohort includes teams from the following communities:

• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Buffalo, New York
• Colorado City, Arizona
• Columbia, South Carolina
• Hillsborough, Florida
• Jackson County, Missouri
• Lee County, Mississippi
• Long Beach, California
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Mobile, Alabama
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Saint Johnsbury, Vermont
• San Francisco, California
• Seattle, Washington

The University of South Florida (USF) College of Public Health (COPH) and Muma College of Business (MCOB) co-lead the design and implementation of the training and technical assistance. The COPH also partners with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the Big Cities Health Coalition, and the National Association of County and City Officials as an interdisciplinary support network.

“Today’s complex community health issues require learning and acting together. PHEARLESS leaders will not only develop themselves as leaders but also work respectfully in partnership to inclusively engage the public, build civic muscle and create the conditions in which all can thrive,” said Dr. Marissa Levine, director of the COPH’s Center for Leadership in Public Health Practice.

Questions? Contact COPH-CLPHP@usf.edu

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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

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In an effort to strengthen the U.S. public health system, three national philanthropic nonprofits have awarded the University of South Florida more than $8.5 million in grants to train the nation’s public health leaders in collaboration and leadership skills.

The grant is in response to a badly depleted, post-pandemic public health care workforce where workers are understaffed, overworked and in dire need of strong leadership.

That is where USF is stepping in.

“Our public health leaders and managers need to foster a community where there is open and honest, true collaboration amongst its members,” said Dr. Triparna de Vreede, an expert in collaboration science and organizational psychology at the USF Muma College of Business and one of the co-investigators of the project.

“Regenerative leadership emphasizes holistic, sustainable and long-term thinking where the leader is a facilitator and a voice of the community rather than the hero leading the charge. We need to build regenerative leaders in the public health space to utilize all the assets in the community,” de Vreede said, who serves as an associate director in the School of Information Systems and Management. 

Led by Dr. Marissa Levine, a USF College of Public Health (COPH) professor of public health practice and the principal investigator, the grant will establish the national program office for the Public Health Regenerative Leadership Synergy, dubbed PHEARLESS, within the COPH’s Center for Leadership in Public Health Practice.

Another co-investigator on the grant is Jennifer Marshall, an associate professor at the COPH.

Through this grant, USF leaders will lead a one-year training program and distribute $100,000 grants to help organizations participating in the program.

“We’re taking an approach called regenerative leadership—which is thinking about our communities as living systems and not machines — and figuring out how to better work together in complex contexts, like what we went through with COVID, and how to get a shared vision where people all have the opportunity to thrive,” Levine said.

The USF interdisciplinary team will co-lead the design and implementation of the training.

The PHEARLESS initiative is being funded by The Kresge Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the de Beaumont Foundation in an effort to strengthen the nation’s public health system.

Nearly half of U.S. state and local healthcare workers left their jobs between 2017 and 2021, exacerbating an existing workforce shortage, according to a data analysis of the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey, conducted by the de Beaumont Foundation and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

Here’s how the PHEARLESS program works:

• The one-year leadership development training is open to public health professionals from across the country. Its inaugural cohort kicks off in September. Organizers are soliciting applications now and have extended the application deadline to close at 3 p.m. July 14.
• PHEARLESS program leaders will dole out community grants to 15 selected teams. Each team consists of two public health professionals and two community leaders. Teams will participate in virtual and in-person sessions.
• Selected teams will receive a $100,000 grant to support their activities to improve the public’s health and $9,000 stipends for each of the two community leaders.

PHEARLESS is unique in that it gives public health department leaders an opportunity to reimagine their roles in creating healthy communities that are community-led and centered in equality, organizers said.

“We really need to think differently about how we approach leadership in public health and what are we going to do about assuring more equitable outcomes in health and communities,” Levine said.

The College of Public Health will also partner with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the Big Cities Health Coalition, and the National Association of County and City Officials as an interdisciplinary support network.

To learn more about the criteria and how to apply, visit the PHEARLESS initiative website. Applications are due July 14.

Story By Elizabeth L. Brown. Reposted from USF News.

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USF Health hosted its virtual 5K, “Run Family Violence Out of Tampa Bay,” from April 17-18. With 107 registrants, the effort raised more than $7,200 that will go to directly support the The USF College of Public Health (COPH) Harrell Center’s priorities.

The 5K was endorsed by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and news of the event was distributed through multiple social media channels. Participating leaders included former USF President Betty Castor, former Florida House representative Samuel P. Bell, III, COPH board members, faculty and community organization leaders such as Mindy Murphy from the Spring of Tampa Bay. The Harrell Center also thanked Lennar Homes and many of their other donors for contributing to the event’s success.

The Harrell Center serves as an intermediary between academia and practice to address family violence across the life span. To address this mission, the center connects the technical assistance needs of community organizations with USF students and faculty who have the skills to manage these needs.

However, one challenge the center faces is trying to meet the needs of the community through academic solutions, such as research, evaluation, training and advocacy, without an allocated budget.

“We rely on student volunteers and the faculty’s orientation toward community engagement,” Dr. Abraham Salinas-Miranda, assistant professor and director of the Harrell Center, said. “All the funds raised from the 5K are being utilized for community-based projects that don’t have a funding stream through USF. Our students can learn while working with projects that advance evidence-based practices. The community can address challenges that they have not been able to address.” 

Salinas-Miranda said that one of the things he liked most about the event was the sense of connection with family, friends and the community who were all supporting their cause.

“I think it’s really amazing that despite this being our first 5K and the COVID-19 pandemic causing the race to be virtual, we had over 100 participants. The community response to the event was really inspiring,” Salinas-Miranda said. “We would like to thank everyone who participated and donated! We will make sure to put every penny to good use to address family violence in our community.”

Click here to see more photos from the event.

Related media:
LifeLine video playlist on YouTube

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health

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USF College of Engineering Professor James Mihelcic was visiting Tamatave on the east coast of Madagascar to see the work some of his former graduate students were doing on water sanitation and hygiene. That’s where he stumbled upon local artisans building hand pumps used to access shallow groundwater.

“Right in front of us, one of these artisans melted down old lead car batteries over a charcoal fire,” he said. “He poured some molten lead into a small depression in the ground he’d made from a soda pop top. Then, bingo. He had a piece for the two check valves you find in a suction pump.”

Troubled Waters

Just watching the demonstration was enough to tell Mihelcic and his colleagues that lead in the drinking water probably exceeded the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended amounts, but they tested samples anyway. Some of them came back at 100 micrograms per liter, 10 times what the WHO says is acceptable.

Lead in drinking water is neither a new problem nor one unique to developing countries like Madagascar. Consider the public health crises surrounding drinking water in places such as Flint, Mich., Newark, N.J. and Jackson, Miss. Lead is a toxic chemical pervasive in the environment. How long and how significant one’s exposure determine the severity of the health problems it causes, but overall lead exposure can damage the brain, kidneys and nervous system and slow physical and intellectual development in children.

Pumping Iron

With the help of funding from a variety of sources, including Water Charities, Pure Earth, a USF Strategic Investment Pool Award and his own personal savings, Mihelcic and his team developed a training program for local manufacturers of hand pumps that would teach them how to replace lead components with locally manufactured iron ones.

The team consists of Assistant Professor Mahmooda Khaliq Pasha, PhD ’16, from USF’s College of Public Health, Professor Jeffrey Cunningham and Assistant Professor Katherine Alfredo from the College of Engineering, and some dedicated graduate students. They’re partnering with Ranontsika, a Malagasy non-governmental organization whose aim is to improve public health by promoting access to high-quality drinking water. Local health clinics are also involved in testing the blood levels of children in the community and educating their parents about the health problems associated with lead exposure.

“After our intervention of retrofitting hand pumps with iron valve components, lead water concentrations were reduced below the WHO drinking water guideline of 10 micrograms per liter in 98 percent of pumps,” said Mihelcic, who also directs USF’s Engineering for International Development program. “The percent of pump systems that had lead concentrations reduced below our analytical detection level increased from 9.6 percent to 64 percent. It’s quite a striking improvement for a very simple fix.”

Changing out the lead components to iron ones costs about $4 per pump, Mihelcic says — a worthy expense when you factor in what lead poisoning can cost a community.

“When you consider how a country’s economy suffers because of the loss of IQ of its children, the return on the investment is extremely high,” Mihelcic said. “Prior to the intervention, we estimated that 35 percent of exposed children had a blood lead level greater than the CDC action level [5 micrograms per deciliter or less] and after the intervention we estimated only 14 percent of exposed children possessed elevated blood lead levels.”

Selling Safety

Turns out engineering a non-leaded valve replacement was the easy part. Getting the local technicians to use it — and the community to demand it — proved harder.

That’s where Pasha’s expertise came in.

Pasha is an expert in social marketing, which is behavior change — founded on commercial marketing principles — that brings about social good. She’d been collaborating with Mihelcic and some current and former students on the project on an informal basis but got more involved when she applied for an internal College of Public Health grant inviting collaboration across strategic areas.

“As you can imagine, in a community with not a high level of understanding of lead and its health consequences, sudden change in the norm can create a sense of unease,” Pasha explained. “That’s especially true if it’s initiated by folks who aren’t necessarily representatives of your community.”

Pasha and her team decided to target their social marketing campaign to the technicians locals used to fix and maintain their water pumps.

They spoke to the technicians and translated their findings into a strategy and branded initiative, holding informational and technical sessions and providing in-the-field assistance. After their training, the technicians received certificates signed by the Ministry of Health and Water along with T-shirts and overalls with the project’s branding — all important signals to the community that the project was professional and the technicians trustworthy, Pasha said.

With technicians on board, Pasha and her team are now turning their attention to the community.

“We found that sometimes the technicians didn’t want to use lead, however, a customer would insist on it because of the look of the metal or the perception that it’s heavier and better for the pump,” Pasha said. “We have intervened midstream through our work with the technicians, and now we’ll focus our work downstream so that there’s a common understanding among the community. Our project is a model for translational science. Any work that the engineers do in the future is complemented by the expertise of behavioral scientists who work to better position the product, service or behavior.”

View more information about this international, interdisciplinary project.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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COVID-19 has taught us a lot of things. And one of the more important lessons has been the need for thorough, fast and effective disinfecting measures.

A team of researchers from the USF College of Public Health’s (COPH) Center for Environmental/Occupational Risk Analysis and Management set out to determine how effective commercially available chlorine dioxide (CD) gas products were in reducing COVID-19 viral loads on face masks and surfaces.  Their findings, “Virucidal Activity of Chlorine Dioxide Gas for Reduction of Coronavirus on Surfaces and PPE,” was published in February in the journal Occupational Diseases and Environmental Medicine.

To test the efficacy of CD, the researchers—including Drs. Marie Bourgeois, Jeffrey Driver and Raymond Harbison—placed a COVID-contaminated N95 face mask in a plastic bag with a CD sachet. They then tested how much virus was left after 13 hours, 14 days and 30 days. All three times, the CD reduced the viral load by 99.9 percent compared to a control. 

In another test, the researchers set off two CD gas-releasing pods in a closed 1,300-plus square foot room where surfaces had been contaminated with the coronavirus. After one hour, there was a 99.91 percent reduction in the virus versus a non-treated control. After two hours, there was a 99.997 percent reduction.

“This work demonstrates that chlorine dioxide gas can be an effective disinfectant [allowing for] little to no exposure and rapid degradation of residuals,” Harbison said. “Relatively short fumigation of enclosed spaces, such as patient rooms, classrooms and inside ambulances and emergency vehicles, would allow for fast sterilization with less manual labor required of the cleaning staff. What’s more,” Harbison added, “chlorine dioxide is a gas and has the advantage of reaching places liquid disinfectants cannot, providing better efficacy for eliminating the virus.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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U.S. President Joseph Biden has opened a special Affordable Care Act enrollment period to run until May 15, and the USF College of Public Health’s (COPH) Florida Covering Kids & Families (FL-CKF) program is ready to assist.

FL-CKF manages the USF State Navigator Program and seven other organizations (collectively referred to as the “Covering Florida” consortium) that provide Navigator services across Florida.

Jodi Ray, director of FL-CKF, says this special open enrollment period (SEP) is open to everyone using the healthcare.gov platform specifically.

“This SEP is in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, which has left millions facing health problems, uncertainty and exceptional circumstances,” she said. “Consumers who enroll under this SEP will be able to select a plan with coverage that starts prospectively the first of the month after plan selection.”

She also says consumers will have 30 days after they submit their application to choose a plan.

“This SEP will not involve any new application questions or require consumers to provide any new information not otherwise needed to determine eligibility and enroll in coverage. Nor will they have to provide any information documenting a qualifying event, which is typically required for a special enrollment period,” Ray said.

Ray and her team of navigators are primarily booking virtual and phone appointments; however, they have adjusted their efforts accordingly to meet consumer needs.

“The reality is not everyone can be served that way,” she said. “We live in a state where there is still a digital divide. Lack of access to broadband and varying levels of both computer literacy and health insurance literacy can make reviewing, for example, 105 plans in Hillsborough County, very difficult. This is especially true when you add in language and cultural differences. Our job is to help everyone who needs help and do it in the way that is best for the individual.”

But, preventing the spread of COVID-19 while attending to those needs has also been on the forefront.

“As public health workers, we understand that we have to take the safety of both the consumer and staff seriously. While the COPH has really helped us with setting up our office safely, we are still trying to give as many consumers as possible those remote appointments,” she said.

Anyone who needs assistance in getting health coverage through the marketplace should call Covering Florida at 877-813-9115 or go on the website (coveringflorida.org) and book directly with a navigator closest to their zip code.

Ray said she anticipates longer enrollment periods in the future, given the change in administration in the White House. She also noted that past enrollment periods had gone down to as little as six weeks during the Trump administration. 

Last year, the project enrolled 2,788 consumers, and the two previous years before that 2,708 and 3,879 consumers.

“Of course, before 2017, the resources for enrollment and outreach were significantly higher, and so were our enrollment numbers,” Ray said. “Compared to just normal SEPs, we are running higher in call volume reflective of the open enrollment period for the same amount time.”

This, she says, is due in part to the pandemic.

“A lot of individuals who have mostly relied on employer coverage for access to health insurance are really having a tough time,” she said. “For example, gig workers and those in the performing arts are really needing help to navigate these programs they have never used. Since the number of individuals like this is growing at a pretty fast rate, this SEP will allow those who might have missed the last open enrollment period because they were unaware of the deadlines to apply and see if they can find an affordable plan, even if for the interim.”

She also noted that for those who already selected a plan during the last enrolment, changes can be made during this special enrollment period.

“This is a good chance to make sure that the plan they signed up for during the fall open enrollment period is still the best fit,” she said. “People might have a better idea of what their income and situations will be like for 2021. They may want to see if the plan they selected will meet their needs.”

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

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The Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative (FPQC), housed in the USF College of Public Health’s Chiles Center, has been on a mission of making sure Florida’s infants and mothers receive the highest quality health care and outcomes for the last decade.

Some improvements hospitals have made because of the FPQC’s efforts include responding more quickly and appropriately to obstetrical hemorrhage and acute hypertension, reducing unnecessary early term deliveries and cesarean deliveries to low risk women, and delivering more appropriate identification and care for mothers using opioids and their infants.

And, their list of quality improvement initiatives across the state goes on.

“Collaboration is key,” said Dr. William Sappenfield, USF COPH professor and director of the FPQC and Chiles Center. “FPQC only works through collaborations with others. I think of the FPQC as a car. Our leaders, hospitals and partners decide where we are going, how we get there and who is going with us. We just facilitate the journey.”

Sappenfield co-founded the FPQC alongside Dr. John Curran, an influential pediatrician, retired professor of pediatrics, and former associate vice president of USF Health and senior executive associate for the faculty and academic affairs at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Because of its collaborative partnerships with health professionals, policymakers, hospitals, advocates, individuals and organizations, the FPQC has continued to expand its reach of advancing the health and well-being of Florida’s mothers and infants since its inception ten years ago, according to Sappenfield.

“We have more partners, more volunteer leaders, more funding, more initiatives, more participating hospitals and more results,” he said.  “We have grown from six hospitals in our first pilot initiative to now supporting three quality improvement initiatives with 80 participating hospitals that serve 86 percent of mothers and babies in the state.”

The FPQC and their partners have been working on numerous data-driven, population-based, quality improvement projects focused on some of the most critical perinatal health issues in Florida.

Led by a steering committee and a leadership team, the FPQC engages its stakeholders to identify the priority perinatal quality improvement issues and to determine which initiatives are appropriate, feasible, engaging, measurable and supportable. Much of the FPQC’s work is possible through continuous funding and support from the Florida Department of Health.

“It is all about results; measurable improvements in health care and outcomes,” Sappenfield said.

The FPQC also holds an annual conference each year that draws hundreds of attendees from across the state from a variety of disciplines. The two-day educational program is intended to expand the knowledge and skill base for perinatal health-care practitioners and identify future quality improvement opportunities and collaborations.  

Dr. Maya Balakrishnan, associate professor of Pediatrics at USF Health, joined USF’s Division of Neonatology in 2010, just as the FPQC was forming, and eventually became FPQC’s director of quality in 2013 before advancing to associate director for clinical and quality management in 2016.

She guides teams in the use of quality improvement methodology and has worked with Tampa General Hospital to facilitate workshops across Florida.

“FPQC has blossomed under the leadership of Dr. Sappenfield, whose work here embodies our vision of partnering to improve health care quality of mothers and babies in Florida,” she said. “He took the framework and foundation that Dr. Curran built and collaborated with community leaders, state agencies, and other state perinatal quality collaboratives. He has increased our capacity and capability to make positive changes to the health care that we provide by supporting use of evidence based, data-driven practices and quality improvement methodology.”

She said collaboration of community partners, state agency stakeholders and other perinatal quality collaboratives is a major asset of the FPQC.

“By working together as a state perinatal quality collaborative, we are making a population-level impact,” Balakrishnan said. “Our focus on teamwork both internally and with our partners around the state serve our mission. Our efforts have positioned us to have Florida [rank] number one in states addressing health outcomes for mothers and babies.”

She said the FPQC has stayed true to its mission of improving the lives of mothers and infants in Florida by helping hospitals and health care providers to focus on quality and patient safety.

“Being part of FPQC has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my professional career,” she said. “As we implement maternal and infant health initiatives, the FPQC has successfully collaborated with community partners and state agencies. This has broadened our reach throughout Florida and brought us innumerable opportunities to further our mission.”

Dr. Judette Louis, chair of the USF Morsani College of Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology and USF COPH associate professor, has been involved with the FPQC since 2013 and has served as a clinical lead for the hypertension in pregnancy initiative, as well as the obstetric hemorrhage initiative. She’s also currently participating in the maternal opioid recovery effort initiative.

“In the beginning our efforts centered around convincing members of the communities of the importance of this concept,” she said. “Not only are they now convinced, they seek us out for leadership and guidance. We have grown in influence when it comes to perinatal safety and quality.”

She said the collaboration of the FPQC with statewide partnerships has resulted in more comprehensive and effective initiatives.

“We bring one aspect of the situation to the table. However, we know that health care is a lot more complex. Our partners provide that knowledge of how to navigate patient, provider and systems challenges. They bring solutions to the table,” she said. “I am proud of the fact that they continue to grow in influence and impact change. Even when it gets hard, the FPQC pivots and continues to work hard to achieve their goal of healthy moms and babies.”

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

The post Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative celebrates 10 years of advancing the health of mothers and infants (VIDEO) appeared first on College of Public Health News.

The USF College of Public Health’s (COPH) Florida Family AIDS Network (FAN) has been awarded HRSA funding to provide additional COVID-19 testing and resources to women, infants, children and youth living with HIV and their families.

The funding, provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), is awarded for a one-year period and aims to prevent, prepare for and respond to COVID-19.

Efforts will include testing people living with HIV for suspected exposure and infection, coordinating serology for antibody response, providing education and prevention among pregnant HIV-infected women, and collaborating with the Florida Department of Health and local hospitals to assure adequate follow-up for those in need of additional services including housing during quarantine.

Under the direction of Dr. Jay Wolfson, a USF distinguished service professor of public health, medicine and pharmacy, and Dr. Carina Rodriguez, USF Morsani College of Medicine division chief for Pediatric Infectious Diseases, the supplemental funding will help expand upon the services offered to existing patients of the USF Pediatric and Adolescent HIV Program served at the Children’s Medical Services, Ybor Youth Clinic and USF ID Clinic in Pinellas and help to better meet the needs of people living with HIV and their families.  

The FAN is part of the COPH’s Florida Health Information Center (FHIC) led by Wolfson as principle investigator (PI) and Rodriguez as co-PI. The FHIC’s mission is to conduct public health and health-related research for dissemination throughout Florida, including those in the health care services, legislative bodies, academics, and public health practitioners. Rodriguez leads the clinical staff and team of community-based case managers, physicians, nurses and educators, which according to Wolfson, helps to make the FAN a respected and successful venture.

“For more than 25 years, the Florida Family AIDS Network (FAN) has been recognized as a national model for community-based, culturally competent care and services. This new COVID-HIV grant is an important public health initiative because our program’s population is immunosuppressed – and is among the highest risk of contracting COVID 19,” Wolfson said. “This timely grant affords us the opportunity to substantively enhance the educational and clinical services intended to protect those very individuals in our community from becoming COVID infected, ill, and passing the disease on to family and community. This is a classic public health prevention model that builds upon a highly successful program.”

Marylin Merida, FAN program administrator, said they started to make important changes early in April 2020 when the funding was awarded.

“I’ve been doing HRSA-funded projects for over 25 years and this is the first-of-its-kind to get it in the hands of the communities at work,” Merida said. “We started with offering telehealth services, among other services that are essential for this population and are taking a look at the specific needs that have been identified and those that are evolving as related to HIV and COVID-19.”

Rodriguez will be responsible for launching and implementing COVID-19 based changes.

“This grant will help us learn the impact of COVID-19 in the pediatric and adolescent HIV population and allows us to offer COVID-19 preventive education, and vaccines that otherwise may not be covered,” Rodriguez said.

Some of the other changes that have already been made, according to Rodriguez, include using telehealth to allow social workers and case managers to meet with the youth.

They are also hosting educational prevention webinars for patients on topics including safe sex during COVID-19 and mental health. They have also conducted Facebook Live videos on COVID-19 in both English and Spanish and plan to continue through the remainder of the grant period.

“One of our social workers has also created a relief tool, asking patients how they have been impacted; how many have lost jobs and identifying those in need,” she said. “We are also working with Tampa General Hospital, who has a strong platform for testing and commercial labs for antibody testing, to test patients for antibodies.”

She said she and her partners have been very actively reaching out to pharmacies securing adequate provision of antiretroviral HIV and have welcome the changes in place by the Ryan White Program, providing flexibility to streamline paperwork during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patients are also going to be provided some assistance to include PPE, which Rodriguez says will include masks and hand sanitizers.

“It’s a pleasant surprise to receive this funding and will be very helpful for testing and clinical services,” she said. “And, it will help to aid some of our patients who may have lost their jobs and are in need.”

According to Merida, the testing for COVID-19 is also available to family members who are in the same household with their patients.

“If one of our patients ends up becoming COVID-19 positive, we can arrange for testing or test other family members, provide hygiene kits, and we can provide some limited support to affected family members who may not be HIV positive.”

Wolfson said he sees this funding making a big impact for the HIV-positive community they serve.

“We expect it will impact the community by raising the level of awareness, understanding, prevention, testing, and monitoring mitigating the rate of COVID infection within the HIV population,” he said.

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

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