First published on July 13, 2015 in observance of the COPH’s 30^th anniversary celebration.

Founded in 1997 by a training grant supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Sunshine Education and Research Center at the USF College of Public Health stemmed from an industrial hygiene training program grant in the late 1980s.

“NIOSH has several charters,” explained Dr. Thomas Bernard, chair and professor in Environmental and Occupational Health and SERC (pronounced SIR-see) program director since 2008.  “One of them is to support and encourage the development of professionals in the field of occupational safety and health.  A mechanism for doing that is through training grants.”

After Bernard’s arrival in 1989, additional training program grants followed in occupational medicine and occupational health nursing.  Then the department began work on an occupational safety program.  Eight years later, the fledgling operation had grown enough to warrant centralization.

“In the mid-’90s,” Bernard said, “we decided that we would combine those training activities with a grant and ask for an education center.  The application required that it have training in at least three programs, and we had four: safety, industrial hygiene, medicine and nursing.  The application was accepted and funded under the leadership of Stuart M. Brooks and Yehia Hammad.”

Being headquartered at a university the size of USF naturally leads any interdisciplinary entity into an expansion cornucopia that Bernard is happy to enumerate, along with the USF colleges involved.

“Because they are multidiscipline programs, part of their value is the interdisciplinary training,” he said.  “We added, about seven years ago, occupational health psychology, so that’s now a funded program in Arts and Sciences.  We’ve expanded the safety program to include a degree out of engineering.  Obviously, we’re involved with the [Morsani] College of Medicine:  The clinical rotations and residency certificates come out of medicine, and then the academic training comes out of public health.

“With nursing,” he said, “we have three options.  One is a straight occupational health nursing degree, a second one is a dual degree in nursing and public health, and then we also have a third degree that’s strictly public health.”

Thomas Bernard, PhD

Another requirement under the grant from NIOSH, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a continuing education component,  which also has been added.  Additional expansion has stemmed from outreach activities, student recruitment and a pilot project in research training for doctoral students and junior faculty.

“We support these throughout the region,” Bernard qualified, “so they aren’t only for USF.  We have reached way beyond ourselves in terms of the arrangements that we have, but we engage the professional community more than the community at large.”

He added that the center is “very much engaged” in state and regional professional conferences, as well as in coordination with other ERCs in the state and the region.

“By and large, we have a very good national profile,” he said.  “There are just a couple of us that reach out globally, but those are more individual efforts.  The ERC is designed to serve primarily Florida, and in a larger sense, the Southeast region.  That’s our mission and our charter from NIOSH, not to go beyond that, but I think we have expertise in a number of areas that have national recognition.”

The highly technical nature of some of those areas probably help limit recognition to professional circles, but their significance would be difficult to deny. Respiratory protection from nanoparticles is one of them, but as Bernard pointed out, it’s not exactly a topic on most people’s minds.

“Few people are asking, ‘What happens when you breathe those in?’  Some of them have characteristics that are not unlike asbestos.  Others are easily transported across the air-blood barriers, so they move through the lungs into the blood and get transported elsewhere in the body.  So protecting individuals from nanoparticles is important,” he said.

And the list goes on.

“We have a major presence in the area of heat stress – how to evaluate heat stress, how to manage it, and especially, the effects of protective clothing.  We have fairly good recognition in Europe in the area of ergonomics,” he continued,  “and occupational health psychology clearly is one of our well-recognized programs.”

Workplace stress, safety climate and work-family balance are others, he said.

“And then,” he concluded with a nod that said he’d saved the best for last, “we turn out good students, and we’re recognized through the product of the quality of our students.”

SERC hosts a six-day Summer Institute for Occupational Health and Safety for students interested in exploring graduate studies.

Looking ahead is easy for Bernard, and he likes what he sees for his organization.

“I think that everything we do in public health, and everything we do within the SERC, is prevention – preventing people from being injured or having their health impaired,” he said.  “But I think our opportunity here at USF lies in translating research to practice and also expanding on the fact that a healthy workforce is healthy not only from controlling exposures to hazards in the workplace, but also from encouraging healthy activities outside the workplace.

“So, bringing these work and home lives together is an opportunity for us,” Bernard concluded, “and that’s where I see our future.”

Story by David Brothers, College of Public Health.

The post Sunshine Education and Research Center links multiple disciplines to improve the wellbeing of workers appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Originally from Orlando, Fla., USF College of Public Health (COPH) alumna Samantha Thacker moved to Tampa, Fla., to pursue her dual undergraduate degrees in public health and health sciences in 2012.

“I was interested in public health after I heard how it focuses on health prevention rather than fixing health problems after they have already occurred,” she said. “I loved the idea of helping the population as a whole preserve their health instead of helping treat individual health problems.”

After earning her undergraduate degrees, Thacker spent a year working as a FedEx courier, delivering packages. It was a job that helped her realize all of the occupational hazards associated with the industry and ultimately piqued her interest in safety within a corporate environment.

In 2017, she decided to attend USF again to earn her MPH in occupational exposure science.

“My time spent in my undergrad and grad programs at the COPH were some of my favorite times in school,” she said. “The programs were comprehensive and really pushed us to see how what we were learning can translate into life outside of school.”

She said the faculty at the COPH also inspired her.

“The entire college was focused on helping students be passionate and proactive. The faculty helped us see all the good that can come from working in this field,” she said.

Thacker currently works as a safety engineer in a large Nissan vehicle manufacturing plant in Tennessee. She oversees a portion of the plant, investigating injuries, identifying hazards and working with different teams to create a safer work environment.

“I was attracted to my current role because of the fast pace and diverse operations within vehicle manufacturing,” she said. “There are so many different aspects of safety to learn and a large population of people to help in my role. It’s really cool!”

One of the most important things Thacker said she learned during her time in the COPH was to look for evidence-based solutions to problems and create realistic solutions that can be effective in practice.

“Being able to recognize what you don’t know and being confident in your knowledge is another invaluable skill I learned from the COPH,” she said. “I am never afraid to say when I am not sure and need to check on something. It is much easier to get back to people with correct information than it is to walk back incorrect information.”

Thacker said she eventually wants to find herself back in Tampa to be closer to family when the right safety opportunity presents itself.

“For now, I am focusing on learning all I can about the different processes and safety aspects within manufacturing at this large a scale,” she said.

COPH Alumni Fast Five

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?

 A doctor

Where would we find you on the weekend?

 Ideally, at a beach

What is the last book you read?

“Stay Close,” by Harlan Coben

What superpower would you like to have?

Teleportation—never commuting anywhere again!

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

Harry Potter!  Any and all of them!

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health

The post Alumna drives home occupational safety appeared first on College of Public Health News.

Traditional mosquito abatement programs, which generally call for the spraying of insecticides across widespread areas via helicopters, can be expensive and imprecise. Manatee County, looking for a more effective and less-costly strategy to combat flood water or “nuisance” mosquitos, turned to experts at the USF College of Public Health (COPH) who’ve researched and used drone technology in combatting malaria-carrying mosquitos in parts of Africa and Asia.

“What you can do from the ground, walking around with a GPS, a drone can do in seconds,” said Dr. Ben Jacob, a COPH research assistant professor who specializes in spatial modeling, an analytical process that uses geographical information systems (GIS) to simulate real-world, real-time conditions. “Treating nuisance mosquitos and vectors can cost counties upward of $4 million. What we’re saying is why take so much taxpayer money and put it toward expensive helicopters when you can use a drone, which can be even more effective. Helicopters are wide, but you have a narrow frame with a drone, so it’s easily maneuverable in difficult locations. A drone can go under canopy cover, for example, and we can get optimal angles just a few feet from the ground. It allows us to do precision targeting. Many of the abatement districts understand the privilege they would have using a drone. It’s cost effective—it can be as little $500.”

So how does the drone know which locations to survey? The first step is to send the drone up over a known habitat, programming it to capture as much imagery as possible, including the wavelengths the area is emitting. Using that data, researchers create what’s called a “shape file” and overlay it onto a digital satellite to map out other areas similar to it. Ground troops may then go into the area to determine if, indeed, it is a mosquito habitat.   Jacob has been joined on his Manatee County mosquito-tracking mission by the COPH’s Dr. Robert Novak, a professor and vectorborne disease expert, doctoral candidate Nathanael Stanley and Sriram Chellappan, a USF associate professor of computer science and engineering.

Once habitats are detected, the use of insecticides can be directed to exactly where they’re needed. That’s important, says Jacob, as overuse of insecticides can cause resistance and application from high altitudes can be affected by wind and drift. “With a drone, we can get to within a foot of the habitat and apply insecticide exactly where the vector is,” he said. While Jacob and his colleagues are working with Manatee County mosquito-control professionals, there’s no reason why the same technology can’t be used throughout Florida, and even the world.

“It’s quick and accurate and it’s been a phenomenal success,” remarked Jacob. “We’ve been using it in other larval control programs for malaria and onchocerciasis [river blindness] in Rwanda and Uganda, and now Cameroon is interested in some of our work. When you add to technology, you get noticed. We’re showing them that we have another methodology more powerful and less expensive than using helicopters.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The post Using drone mapping to identify mosquito habitats in Manatee County (VIDEO) appeared first on College of Public Health News.

With an aging population, more of us help care for our parents — most of whom would prefer to live independently in their own homes.  New technology is helping adult children and other caregivers help seniors live safely and happily.

HOME OUTFITTED WITH SENSORS

At 80, Mary Taylor believes there’s a new way to live independently, with dozens of sensors in the home.  They monitor and chart virtually all of her movements within the home.

The sensors can tell if she’s fallen in the bathroom, if her kitchen range is left on too long, even if she’s spending too much time in bed or on the couch.

Examples of sensors and devices used to help keep seniors safe at home.

“It seemed to me that this kind of monitoring is a healthy thing to do,” said Taylor, who lives alone in her home.

There are no cameras, but the sensors will automatically alert caregivers if something goes wrong.

BRINGING HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY TOGETHER

The system is called Always Near.  It’s being developed by USF researchers through a corporate partnership and a grant from a regional technology organization.

It was developed by public health professor Carla Vanderweerd and engineering professor Ali Yalcin.

Carla VandeWeerd, PhD

“It seemed like a perfect fit in terms of bringing health and technology together,” offered Vanderweerd.

It’s being tested at John Knox Village in Tampa, and final tests are scheduled this summer at The Villages in Lake County.

A WATCHFUL EYE

In addition to delivering alerts to caregivers via text or e-mail, the Always Near system allows the patient’s movements to be monitored by case workers. Developers envision a subscription-based service to consumers.

For the full story and video, visit My Fox Orlando.

Dr. Carla VandeWeerd is an assistant professor in the USF College of Public Health and associate director of The Harrell Center.

Related story:
USF professors lend interdisciplinary expertise to cutting-edge medical alert system

The post Technology helps care for independent seniors appeared first on College of Public Health News.

How do you go green?

Watch this cool video for an idea courtesy of USF College of Public Health graduate student Ryan Ortega and environmental engineering student Robert Bair.  They partnered on the 15-second video that earned first-place honors in a contest sponsored by Waste Management.

The post Ryan Ortega goes green in 15 [VIDEO] appeared first on College of Public Health News.

A pair of USF professors from seemingly disparate disciplines are helping to further develop and refine a new medical alert system with state-of-the-art potential.

Examples of sensors and devices used to help keep seniors safe at home.

“We were approached by a company that’s developing technology to monitor seniors at home,” said Dr. Carla VandeWeerd, assistant professor in the Department of Community and Family Health at the USF College of Public Health. “What’s a little bit different about the technology that they’re developing compared to what’s already on the market is that, instead of having a system that responds to a person pushing a button to indicate there’s a problem, multiple sensors will be in the house providing information about the person’s wellbeing around the clock.

Carla VandeWeerd, PhD

“Additionally,” she said, “the system includes comprehensive case management that uses information collected by the home sensors to improve care coordination between patients and health care providers.”

VandeWeerd’s co-principal investigator is Dr. Ali Yalcin, who will evaluate the wireless monitoring system. Yalcin is an associate professor in the USF College of Engineering, Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering.He co-authored the Design for Industrial Information Systems textbook, which won the 2007 IIE/Joint Publishers Book-of-the-Year Award.

Ali Yalcin, PhD

The project is jointly funded by a grant from the Florida High-Tech Corridor and corporate sponsor Always Near Inc. VandeWeerd noted its broad interdisciplinary nature as a natural by-product of its universal human appeal.

“We have students from the College of Public Health, the College of Engineering and the Department of Anthropology who are working with us on a health problem that almost all of us are going to have to face at some point,” she said, “because almost all of us have parents and grandparents or at some point will be older adults ourselves. And even though we don’t really like to think about that, figuring how we can age in place successfully will be very important for most of us.”

“Taking care of the older population – it touches everybody,” Yalcin concurred.

“Another one of the benefits of this type of project is the emphasis it places on student education and training,” VandeWeerd added, “which not only fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and student learning, but also helps to further develop the workforce for high-tech industries in the region.

“Ultimately,” Yalcin said, “technology like this offers the potential to positively influence health and wellness in powerful ways, and the better prepared we are to harness it, the better off many seniors may be.”

The sensors are set up to monitor the person’s activity and automatically send out alerts as necessary. For example, if a monitored person has gotten out of bed but not shown up in another part of the house, the sensors will send an alert that he or she may have fallen.

Some of the various sensors at work in the project’s living lab: bathroom sensors, door sensors (above), kitchen sensors (including motion sensor left of coffee maker), motion sensor in shower (below).

The included case management feature tailors the system to the individual’s health conditions and expectations. No alert is sent, for example, if a person expected to spend 12 hours a day in bed has been in bed for 10 hours, while one will be sent after 10 hours for a client expected to spend eight hours in bed.

A local man believes the system saved his elderly father’s life in October. Ron Bartley received an alert about his father, Ray, who is 80 and has suffered from idiopathic neuropathy for 35 years. Walking is a challenge for the elder Bartley, who has little sensation below his knees.

Ron Bartley already had been visiting his father more often in the preceding weeks, because the system had told him of a dramatic increase in the time he was spending in bed, from 13-14 hours to more than 20 hours a day. One day, while checking his father’s activity, Bartley noticed that it had taken him an unusually long time to make it back to bed from the kitchen.

“I also noticed,” Bartley wrote, “that the display of the bed sensor was different in that it was an intermittent signal with several gaps of no signal, which indicated to me that either he wasn’t in bed all the way or was moving around much more than normal.”

That prompted a call and the subsequent discovery that Ray Bartley had fallen in his kitchen and had crawled back to bed, which explained the long interval. Unable to get back into bed, he instead was hanging onto the side of the bed, which caused the intermittent signal from the bed sensors.

Ron Bartley called for an ambulance that rushed his father to a hospital, where tests revealed severe dehydration and other conditions that suggested he may not have survived more than another few hours without medical help.

The system is slated for a larger community-based trial this spring in The Villages, Florida’s largest planned senior community, after more extensive testing in the research group’s living lab near the USF Tampa campus. Preliminary limited test runs have proven successful and beneficial, and in the Bartley case, possibly lifesaving.

“We have a living lab set up in and donated by the John Knox Village for the project,” VandeWeerd said, “so we actually have put all the sensors into an apartment to make sure that they work the way they should and that the alerts are working the way they should before we put them in more homes for community-based testing. We anticipate putting them in the homes of 60 older adults in the spring.”

Yalcin compared the system’s technology with a home equipped to turn lights and heating or cooling on and off automatically by anticipating its owner’s needs and preferences.

“It’s the difference between having to tell the environment what you want vs. the environment learning and knowing what you want,” he said.

“It’s supposed to learn your patterns of behavior and be able to pick up when there are changes that should be brought to someone’s attention,” VandeWeerd said, “and alerts are designed to be automatic instead of relying on users to notify supports that they are experiencing a challenge. For people who have, for example, dementia, being able to remember to push a button to let someone know that they have a problem can be difficult.

“The great thing about this kind of technology,” she continued, “is that it’s designed to send alerts for certain conditions. So if you’ve had a fall and there’s no movement – you were recently in a chair but now there’s no movement in the house – it will send an alert right away.

“If you’re getting up more to go to the bathroom, that might be an indication of a bladder infection. It notices those things right away and notifies caregivers and case managers, so instead of ending up in a hospital with a kidney infection, you can be treated as an outpatient for a simple bladder infection.”

While “He may have fallen and can’t get up” sounds expensive compared with “I’ve fallen and can’t get up,” VandeWeerd said cost projections are reasonable. She also emphasized the potential health care savings, reiterating her example of early home treatment vs. hospitalization.

Yalcin said that the cost also is affected, interestingly enough, by privacy issues.

“To circumvent that,” he said, “this whole system is using basic, inexpensive sensors that have been around since automation in factories – contact sensors, proximity sensors, motion sensors.

Caregivers can easily observe a patient’s daily activities.

An overview of the in-home monitoring system.

“So from that perspective, the hardware part isn’t prohibitively expensive, but a lot of the sensors that could be used to capture these data you’re carrying with yourself now – your cell phone,” he said. “It would be next to nothing if people would just let us use their cell phones so that we can monitor everything, but most people aren’t comfortable with that. The real value in the cost of the service is the intelligence software, the brains of it.”

“It has a user interface that’s available online,” VandeWeerd added, “so if you live in Idaho and your mom lives in Florida, and you’re wondering how your mom’s doing – if she’s showering, if she’s getting out, if her therapist is really coming to the house three days a week to work with her – you can easily look at the system and actually see the activities that have occurred. It’s not invading her privacy the way that video cameras might or that RFID, that constantly tracks where she is at every second, might. Older adults have clearly expressed that they’re comfortable with it.”

VandeWeerd and Yalcin both expressed enthusiasm for the project for its potential for humanity, as well as its place in the university’s and their respective colleges’ missions.

“With the looming aging and health care crisis on the horizon, this type of technology may be crucial in finding solutions that cut costs and improve health and well-being for seniors,” Yalcin said.

“In terms of how we do research that fundamentally has the power to really change people’s lives, and to do it in a way that’s quickly translational and that’s highly applied and interdisciplinary, this is a really good example,” VandeWeerd said, “and it’s a fabulous learning opportunity for our students.”

Story by David Brothers, College of Public Health. Photos courtesy of Dr. Carla VandeWeerd.

The post USF professors lend interdisciplinary expertise to cutting-edge medical alert system appeared first on College of Public Health News.