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UTA HEALTH BULLETIN
JULY 2021
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DEAN'S MESSAGE
Dear CONHI Community,
We are well into our summer semester and are gearing up for the full return to campus in the fall. Things are moving quickly on our end, as faculty and staff are excited to resume many in-person classes and activities.
We have some exciting things in the works for the upcoming semester and into 2022, so I hope that you will stay in touch.
All the best,
Dean Elizabeth Merwin, PhD, RN, FAAN
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PEDIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAMS RANKED #2 IN NATION
Our Pediatric Nurse Practitioner programs have been ranked the second best in the country according to RegisteredNursing.org.
The College offers Primary Care and Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner programs in both campus-based and accelerated online formats. UTA is also one of only about 20 Pediatric Nursing Certification Board recognized Dual Pediatric Primary and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner programs across the county.
“The pediatric programs in our College are incredibly strong, producing highly-qualified nurse practitioners who go on to provide exceptional care in their communities. The importance of this discipline is paramount as the country faces multiple health crises, and children our one of our most vulnerable populations,” said Dr. John Gonzalez, Clinical Assistant Professor and Chair, Department of Graduate Nursing. “Our faculty and staff exemplify excellence, and it is an honor for them to be acknowledged for the first-rate education they provide.”
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Nursing educator earns award for contribution to nephrology nursing
Associate Professor Dr. Mary Schira has been awarded the 2021 Outstanding Contribution to ANNA Award from the American Nephrology Nurses Association for her contribution to nephrology nursing. She is being honored for her efforts to educate and promote professional development related to kidney disease.
Dr. Schira was first introduced to the field of nephrology when she took her first job as a registered nurse in a hospital dialysis unit. She says that her love for physiology inspired her to learn more about chronic kidney disease.
“It’s a body system that affects every other body system,” says Schira. “Learning about it was so engaging and so challenging, that I just kept going.”
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RESEARCHER EXPLORES LINKS BETWEEN SEGREGATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
This summer Dr. Yeonwoo Kim, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology, is investigating how segregation may contribute to disparities in cardiovascular disease. Dr. Kim is examining the effects of neighborhood Black and poverty segregation on cases of cardiovascular disease across the United States. As well as in a separate study, she is exploring the effects of built and social environments, such as health care resources, food accessibility, socioeconomic status, crime prevention, and recreational facilities, available in counties on residents’ food and physical activity choices and their contribution to cardiovascular disease.
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UTA EXPERT: BAN OF MENTHOL, TOBACCO FLAVORING ‘URGENTLY NEEDED’
As cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, the nation’s health institutions continue to devise campaigns to discourage the deadly habit.
The Food and Drug Administration’s proposal to ban menthol in cigarettes and all flavors in cigars is the latest of these measures.
Ziyad Ben Taleb, assistant professor of kinesiology and a tobacco control expert at The University of Texas at Arlington, provided insight into how a flavor ban could reduce initiation of new smokers and the total number of adult users.
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ALUMNA JENNIFER SCHOENFELD, MSN, APRN, AGNP-C
Jennifer Schoenfeld is a University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation graduate twice-over, graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in May 2018 and mostly recently completing her Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner MSN degree at the end of 2020.
A Registered Nurse since 2008, with a background in psychiatric nursing, Schoenfeld originally wanted to become a nurse practitioner in psychiatry, but one course changed her path.
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The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) are pleased to announce the formation of the Texas Health Informatics Alliance (THIA) and plans for its first Texas Health Informatics Alliance Conference, to be held virtually on Sept. 9.
THIA is a collective that aims to build informatics ties across Texas through partnerships in the following areas: research, data, policy, education, standards, and workforce development.
THIA is inviting researchers, developers, health professionals, information management professionals, data and information scientists, students, and anyone interested in health informatics to join.
The THIA conference will provide an opportunity to share, collaborate, and showcase the amazing work in health informatics and will feature presentations and keynote speakers from across Texas. The theme will be “All In: Informatics Lessons from the Pandemic to Reimagine Health Care.”
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MULTI-INTERPROFESSIONAL CENTER FOR HEATH INFORMATICS HAS A NEW WEBSITE
The Multi-Interprofessional Center for Health Informatics (MICHI) has launched a new website!
MICHI is a University-wide research center established in 2020 and led by Dr. Marion Ball, Raj and Indra Nooyi Endowed Distinguished Chair in Bioengineering , Presidential Distinguished Professor in Graduate Nursing and Executive Director, and Dr. Gabriela Mustata Wilson, Professor in Kinesiology and Co-Director. The Center’s vision is to achieve 21st-century leadership in health informatics and intelligence by taking a multi-disciplinary and interprofessional approach to research and education.
Their website offers information on education and training, research, publications, their upcoming conference, and more. MICHI also partners with CONHI to develop the Telehealth and Health Informatics certificate that is now enrolling (see more details below).
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IN THE NEWS
Hospice Care Shortage: The College of Nursing and Health Innovation has talked with SilverStone Hospice in Dallas regarding recruiting nurses into the field of hospice care, Hospice News reported. Hospice, a small sector of nursing, has experienced severe staffing shortages due to the pandemic. In a recent survey, more than 35% of hospice leaders cite staffing as a primary concern.
New Alzheimer's Treatment: Kathryn Daniel, associate professor and associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, spoke to NBC 5 regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Aducanumab, the first new Alzheimer’s disease treatment in 18 years. Daniel advised that there are significant risks associated with the treatment and said the drug’s approval was premature.
COVID-19 Mental Health Impact: Godfred O. Boateng, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at The University of Texas at Arlington, conducted a study of the mental health outcomes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa, NewsRx COVID-19 Daily reported. Boateng’s research found an increase in the symptoms of boredom and anxiety and a decrease in psychological well-being among participants.
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