Since 2019, Dean Merwin has faithfully served as our dean, and without question, has led our college to new heights, ensuring academic excellence and maintaining accreditation standards. Whether it was courageously leading CONHI during the COVID-19 pandemic; overseeing the design and construction of our state-of-the-art Smart Hospital; testifying on Senate Bill 25 in an effort to address the nursing shortage; establishing UTA’s Center for Rural and Nursing; or anything else, Dean Merwin has remained committed to not only upholding UTA’s standards of excellence, but also ensuring those standards are continually raised. CONHI is forever thankful for all she has done to grow our college and positively impact CONHI’s reputation locally, nationally, and around the world. Her legacy of fostering a culture of innovation, compassion, and academic excellence has inspired countless students, faculty, and staff, and will continue to guide us going forward.
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Rural Health Day Declared
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The UTA Center for Rural Health and Nursing is pleased to announce that November 21st has been officially recognized as Rural Health Day in the state of Texas! We extend our deepest gratitude to the Texas Rural Health Association (TRHA) for their dedicated efforts in collaborating with state legislatures to establish this day. This recognition marks a significant milestone in highlighting the importance of rural health and the vital contributions of rural healthcare providers.
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Health Equity Summit 2024
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The Health Equity Summit, which was held at the Renaissance Hotel in Dallas this past November, was attended by Dr. Mari Tietze, Dr. Patti Parker, Dr. Aaron Langford, and Dr. Alan Klein. The purpose of the conference is to share information to manage health equity in the North Texas area, with a focus on professionals who are experts in the field of health care delivery for those who are underserved. More than 200 people attended the event, which featured 26 speakers and panelists sharing valuable information about care delivery approaches, policies, and legislation on the topic.
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Faces of Rural Texas:
Health & Community Photo Contest Winner
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Congratulations to Pamela Hunt and her team at El Campo Medical Foundation in El Campo, Texas for submitting the winning entry to THE FACES OF RURAL TEXAS: HEALTH & COMMUNITY PHOTO CONTEST. Pamela is the Executive Director at El Campo Medical Foundation and submitted the following photo captioned: Empowering Rural Health: Bringing Cutting-Edge 3D Mammography to our Remote Community for Early Detection and Lifesaving Care.
The photo and story are now featured on the Texas Rural Health Association (TRHA) and The Center for Rural Health and Nursing (CRHN) websites.
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Dr. Tiffany Kindratt has recently represented CONHI at multiple events in Minnesota and Washington, and has shared multiple presentations regarding her research. The presentations include:
Kindratt TB, Tnesh B.* Identification of cognitive health disparities with and without a MENA checkbox: A health equity approach for diverse older Americans. Poster Presentation at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, MN.
October 27, 2024
Kindratt TB, Amuta A. Alzheimer’s disease mortality among Middle Eastern and North African Americans. Oral Roundtable Presentation at the American Public Health Association Annual Scientific Meeting. Minneapolis, MN. October 28, 2024.
Kindratt TB, Tnesh B.* Health equity approach to examine cognitive difficulty with and without a MENA checkbox in the US. Poster Presentation at the Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting. Seattle, WA.
November 15, 2024.
Kindratt TB, Smith A.* State-based estimates of cognitive difficulty among Middle Eastern and North African Americans. Oral Presentation at the Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting. Seattle, WA. November 15, 2024.
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Rhonda Denise Winegar, a CONHI graduate nursing assistant professor, was invited by Austin KXAN reporter Dylan McKim to speak on the topic: "The recent Avian Flu outbreak, how backyard chickens can affect this outbreak, and how to protect your chickens and yourself." KXAN Report
Additionally, Dr. Winegar was invited to present on Clinical Pulse (owned by Wolters Kluwer), a mobile app for nurse practitioners for continuing education. You can listen to several of her 2024 presentations such as “Gait Dysfunction and Vertigo/Dizziness" on the app.
Pictured left: Dr. Rhonda Denise Winegar and KXAN reporter, Dylan McKim.
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CONHI Alumnus Named 2025 ACSM Finalist
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Congratulations to Christian Torres for being named as a finalist for the 2025 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Professional of the Year!
Torres attended the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Department of Kinesiology, from 2004-2006/2008-2011, obtaining a BS in Exercise Science and a MS in Exercise Physiology. "All of my professors were highly responsive and dedicated to helping me grasp the material, while also challenging me to continuously improve and reach my full potential," says Torres.
"The degrees I earned opened a wide range of career opportunities within exercise science, including sports medicine, physical rehabilitation, personal training, disease management, sports science, and health and physical education at all educational levels, from preschool through college. The knowledge and skills I gained at UTA have been integral to my daily work and continue to shape my professional growth. Over the past 20+ years, I've been able to apply and expand upon this foundation through diverse career opportunities, each contributing to my expertise," Torres adds. "Today, I am focused on further advancing health and fitness by providing innovative exercise and recovery equipment through e-commerce, helping individuals reach their full potential in new and impactful ways."
Good luck to Christian in the next stage of the ACSM process! Read more here.
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DNP Student Spotlight: Dr. Estrella Villarreal
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Dr. Estrella Villarreal graduated in August 2024 and completed her scholarly DNP Project titled "Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Depression in Primary Care." Dr. Cathy Brown served as Project Advisor. Dr. Villarreal has authored and updated over 21 policies and procedures, which have been widely adopted by Indian Health Service (IHS) organizations nationwide. Under her leadership, her and her teams have earned awards such as the Superior Customer Award and Best Director Award for Customer service. After receiving her doctorate, she became the first Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner to serve as a medical officer in the Department of Defense United States Military Entrance Processing Command. Within the third month of the new position, she was promoted to acting chief of medical officer, where she led a team that significantly improved the mental health assessment of incoming military personnel, implementing changes that led to a more comprehensive and effective assessment process.
"My work has underscored the importance of providing comprehensive healthcare services to all communities, regardless of location or background," says Villarreal. "This commitment to inclusivity has led to a 300% increase in client care, demonstrating the tangible impact of our efforts. Statewide and international organizations actively engage with the project, recognizing its value and downloading it."
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The Doctor of Nursing Practice Program of CONHI is expanding opportunities for Masters prepared nurses to apply for admission. In the Fall of 2025, nurses with an MBA, MHA, MSN in Education, and a Masters in Population Health will be added to the listing of current qualified applicants. Traditionally, DNP Programs have admitted nurses with a Master’s in Nursing Administration, Advanced Nursing Practice Nurses- NPs, CRNA's and those with a CNS Certification. Recently the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education revised requirements allowing greater flexibility in admissions for DNP Programs.
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A study by Jaquetta Reeves, an assistant professor in the Department of Graduate Nursing, found that students who engage with dating apps are more likely to be at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection. News Day Europe and The Star covered the story.
A Texas committee recently decided not to examine pregnancy-related deaths from 2022 to 2023. Researchers, including Kyrah Brown, director of UTA’s Maternal and Reproductive Health Equity Research Lab, are concerned this decision will miss post-COVID trends, reported the Fort Worth Report.
Rhonda Denise Winegar was interviewed on an MSN news broadcast titled: Health officials say bird flu risk is low for Texans, caution those who work closely with animals | Watch.
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Dierkes, A. M., Gigli, K. H., Dutchess, B. & Martsolf, G. R. (2024). Nursing Unions: A Scoping Review of Outcomes for Employees, Patients, and Administrators. Nursing Outlook, 72(6), 102292. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102292 Nursing unions: A scoping review of outcomes for employees, patients, and administrators - ScienceDirect
Oyegoke, S., Hughes, P. M., Gigli, K. H. (2024). Neighborhood-level Social Determinants of Health and Adolescent Mental Health. Academic Pediatrics, 24(8), 1246-1255. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2024.08.008 Neighborhood-Level Social Determinants of Health and Adolescent Mental Health - ScienceDirect
Exploring Relationships Between Dating App Use and Sexual Activity among Young Adult College Students, by Sylvia Shangani, Erick Jones, Jr., Kaeli Johnson, Stacey Griner, Jaquetta Reeves, published in Frontiers in Reproductive Health.
Cognitive Difficulty in Middle Eastern and North African Adults Living in the United States Compared With Other Racial and Ethnic Categories, Kindratt, T. B., & Smith, A. (2024). 2017-2021. American journal of public health, 114(11), 1265–1274.
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Student organizations holiday celebration and Student Success study session.
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Staff holiday celebration.
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Kinesiology Luncheon Awards and Bachelor Science in Public Health presentations.
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Commencement Events: CONHI Hooding top left; CONHI Pinning top right;
Bottom: UTA Fall 2024 graduation ceremony.
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