CCHD and the School of Public Health Begin Search for New Research Director

The Texas A&M School of Public Health (SPH) is seeking an assistant or associate faculty member to join the Department of Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences and to serve as the Research Director of the Center for Community Health Development. As a faculty member, the individual will devote half of his or her time to the department with responsibilities that include teaching, research, service, and mentorship of students. In the role of Research Director for the Center, the individual will work in conjunction with the Center Executive Committee to provide strategic direction for the Center. Specifically, the Research Director will direct efforts to obtain external research funding that aligns with the Center’s research focus and supports the research interests of faculty, research staff, and students affiliated with the Center. Additionally, the Research Director will conduct and manage their own research through the Center while also engaging faculty, research staff, and students in research opportunities. The Research Director will provide support for all research conducted through the Center and oversee and mentor Center research staff and students in their research efforts.

As noted on the SPH faculty search website, the ideal candidate will have a history of funded community health research and national recognition as a scholar of behavioral and community health. The candidate should have a strong record of academic experience. A history of establishing and maintaining academic community partnerships to support academic-community based research is required as well as a commitment to faculty, staff and student development.

CCHD Faculty and Staff Abstracts Accepted for the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting

Each year, the American Public Health Association (APHA) hosts an annual meeting to serve as the home for public health professionals to convene, learn, network and engage with peers. This year, the meeting will be held on November 15-19 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Several CCHD faculty and staff have contributed poster and oral presentations to the APHA and will be presenting at the annual meeting this fall. All poster and oral presentations with their respective contributing authors are listed below:

Posters:
Grimes County Physical Activity and Community Engagement (PACE) Project: Increasing Access to Physical Activity in Rural Populations
Billie Castle , Whitney Garney, MPH , Monica Wendel, Dr.P.H., M.A. , Angela Alaniz, BA, Monique Ingram, MPH, Vicky Jackson, Lara Meece

Exergame Options for Physical Activity: Geocaching for Exercise and Activity Research
Whitney Garney, MPH , Monica Wendel, Dr.P.H., M.A. , Billie Castle, George Cunningham, PhD, Monique Ingram, MPH, Angela Alaniz, BA

MOST: A partnership approach for expanding mental health care
Angela Alaniz, BA , Whitney Garney, MPH , Billie Castle , Monica Wendel, DrPH, MA, Timothy Elliott, PhD, Carly McCord, PhD

Walking to School and the Social Environment
Hyung Jin Kim, PhD, Chanam Lee, PhD, MLA , Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH , and Deanna Hoelscher, PhD, RD, LD, CNS

Neighborhood safety factors associated with older adults’ health outcomes: A systematic literature review
Jaewoong Won, MS, Chanam Lee, PhD, MLA , Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH , and Samuel N. Forjuoh, DrPH, MD

Active Commuting to School: An Interplay of Child Self-efficacy, Social Influence, and Built Environment
Wenhua Lu, Elisa Lisako Jones-McKyer, Phd, MPH, Chanam Lee, PhD, MLA , Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH

Fall-related Hospitalization Incidence and Related Injuries among Older Adults in Texas
Samuel Towne, PhD, MPH, CPH, Matthew Lee Smith, PhD, MPH, CHES , Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH

Development and implementation of a culturally and linguistically-centered nutrition education program for promotora-researchers to foster community health education and outreach in Texas border colonias
Brenda Bustillos, MS, RD, LD and Joseph R. Sharkey, PhD MPH RD

Development of ICANFIT: A mobile device application to promote physical activity and access to health information among older cancer survivors
Yan Hong, PhD, Deborah Vollmer Dahlke, MPAff , Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH , Daniel Goldberg, PhD, Jessica Cargill, Debra Kellstedt, MPH, Jairus Pulczinski, Tracy Hammond, PhD, Edgar Hernandez

Rural Parenting Influences on Child Sedentary Behaviors
Myra Gabriel, MS, CHES, Corliss Oultey, PhD , E. Lisako McKyer, PhD, MPH

Roundtables:
To be or not to be: Flexible framework or standardized curriculum for training CHWs/promotores from diverse communities-Experiences from Texas
Julie Ann St. John, MA, MPH, DrPH, Beverly MacCarty, MA, and Katharine Nimmons, MSc, MPH

Relationship between CHW characteristics and residents’ knowledge in a CHW-led cancer education intervention: Project outcomes and strategies
Katharine Nimmons, MSc, MPH , Julie Ann St. John, MA, MPH, DrPH, Chris Beaudoin, PhD, Paula Saldana, CHW, CHWI and Dinorah Martinez, CHW, CHWI

Oral Presentations:
CHWs on fire but not burnt out
Julie Ann St. John, MA, MPH, DrPH , Katharine Nimmons, MSc, MPH

Dissemination and implementation of EnhanceFitness in YMCA-affiliated sites: The early adopter experience
Basia Belza, PhD, RN, FAAN, Laura Farren, BS, Grace Kline, PhD, RN, Marlana Kohn, MPH, Chirstina Miyawaki, MSW, MA, Miruna Petrescu-Prahova, PhD , Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH , Maureen Pike, BSN, RN, MPH

Use of mini-grants to disseminate evidence-based interventions for cancer prevention and control
Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH , Debra Kellstedt, MPH, Michelle Carvalho, MPH, Daniela B. Friedman, MSc, PhD, James L. McCracken, MA, Maria E. Fernandez, PhD, Glenna Dawson, MPH, Michelle Kegler DrPH

Hands on strategies CHWs can use to prevent and reduce falls among older adults
Julie Ann St. John, MA, MPH, DrPH, Tiffany Shubert, PT, PHD , Marcia Gail Ory, PhD, MPH , Doris Howell, MPH , Cherie Rosemond, PT, PhD, GCS, Matthew Lee Smith, PhD, MPH, CHES, Chris Beaudoin, PhD, Stephanie Bomberger

Differences in proposed Safe Routes to School implementation by type of funding application
Alison Massie, MPH, Diane Dowdy, PhD, Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH , Tiffni Menendez, MPH, Deanna Hoelscher, PhD, RD, LD, CNS

Texas Grow, Eat, Grow (TGEG): A promising child obesity prevention effort
Omolola Adepoju, PhD, MPH , Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH , Judith Warren, PhD, Lijuanzi Li, Alexandra Evans, PhD

Texercise: A Multi-Component Lifestyle Enhancement Program for Older Texans
Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH , Matthew Lee Smith, PhD, MPH, CHES, Luohua Jiang, Doris Howell, MPH, Shuai Chen, MS, Alan Stevens, PhD

Community capacity dimensions influencing success of local initiatives: The importance of reflexivity
Monica L. Wendel, DrPH, Whitney Garney, MPH , Billie Castle , Angela Alaniz, BA, Monique Ingram, MPH, Kenneth McLeroy, PhD, James N. Burdine, DrPH

Using Community Health Workers to Increase Awareness about the Affordable Care Act in a Rural Community
Whitney Garney, MPH , Billie Castle, Katharine Nimmons, MSc, MPH, Alexandra Roach, BS, Angela Alaniz, BA, Monica Wendel, DrPH

Using Structural Equation Modeling to Explore Relationships between Access, Accessibility, and Health Status
Whitney Garney, MPH , Katharine Nimmons, MSc, MPH , Billie Castle, Kenneth R. McLeroy, PhD, Monica Wendel, DrPH, MA

Examining and predicting network relationships in a longitudinal study of a community health partnership
Scott Robinson, PhD, Heather Clark, MSPH , Kenneth R. McLeroy, PhD , James N. Burdine, DrPH

Active Commuting to School: An Interplay of Child Self-efficacy, Social Influence, and Built Environment
Wenhua Lu , Elisa Lisako Jones-McKyer, Ph.D., M.P.H. , Chanam Lee, PhD, MLA , Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH.

An Investigation of the Relationship Between School Take-home Assignments and Parents’ Screen Time rules for Children
Lenna Dawkins-Moultin, MS, Xuewei Chen, M.Ed., Andrea McDonald , Elisa Lisako Jones-McKyer, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Conferences, Presentations & Publications

bendenCCHD affiliated faculty member, Dr. Mark Benden, will be serving as the Keynote Speaker at the 2014 Occupational Ergonomics Symposium in Seattle, Washington on October 16th. The symposium is hosted by the Puget Sound Chapter of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and will feature ergonomics experts from all over the country. Dr. Benden’s keynote will discuss the positive and negative effects of recent advances in technology on health.

 

 

 

whitneyMs. Whitney Garney, CCHD’s Research & Evaluation Associate, recently presented at the Brazos Valley United Way Education Series. Her presentation summarized the history and implementation of the Health Resource Centers throughout the Brazos Valley as well as the services they provide. Ms. Garney highlighted the availability of mental health counseling now offered via telemedicine at Health Resource Centers in Centerville, Madisonville, Navasota and Brenham. These services are provided by the Center’s Telehealth Counseling Clinic led by Dr. Tim Elliott and Dr. Carly McCord.

Congratulations to Dr. Carly McCord!

carlyThe month of January has been a rewarding month for Dr. Carly McCord, Clinical Director of the Telehealth Counseling Clinic. Earlier this month, Carly passed her oral exam and received her licensure as a Licensed Psychologist. In regards to passing her exam, Carly exclaimed, “ I couldn’t be happier to see my training as a Counseling Psychologist come full circle and I believe completing this step will ultimately strengthen the TCC and its reputation in the community.” The oral examination was the final component of several requirements by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists to become a licensed psychologist. Congratulations, Dr. McCord!

In other good news, Carly’s dissertation entitled “Trajectories of Happiness 5 Years Following Medical Discharge for Traumatic Disability” has been published in the January 2015 volume of the Journal of Happiness Studies. You may access the abstract of her dissertation here. Additionally, a symposium proposal by Carly and two of her students, Alejandra Sequeira and Jeremy Saenz, was accepted by the American Psychological Association’s and will be presented at the 2015 annual conference in Toronto, Canada.

CCHD Staff Travel to South Texas

mcallencampusBefore the winter break, Ms. Angie Alaniz, CCHD Administrative Director, and Ms. Katy Nimmons, Director of CCHD’s National Community Health Worker Training Center, traveled to the School of Public Health (SPH) campus in McAllen. Katy spent the week with SPH and AgriLife faculty and staff who have partnered to implement the “Working on Wellness” (WOW) project in Hidalgo County. Angie joined Katy later in the week to meet with University of Texas Rio Grande Valley officials to discuss a potential joint project.

The WOW project will focus on improving access to healthy foods and developing safe, neighborhood options where Hidalgo County residents can be physically active. The project, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in October 2014, is led by Principal Investigators Dr. Marcia Ory from SPH and Dr. Carol Rice from AgriLife. The project aligns with CDC’s aim to reduce chronic diseases, promote healthier lifestyles, reduce health disparities, and control health care spending.

The WOW team met in McAllen to lay the foundation for project planning, implementation, and evaluation. Katy represented CCHD’s NCHWTC, which will be involved in the WOW project by providing community-based, culturally competent outreach and promotion related to physical activity and healthy food environments. Ms. Paula Saldana and Ms. Dinorah Martinez, current NCHWTC staff who are state certified Community Health Workers (CHW) and CHW Instructors, will contribute to the WOW project in addition to three new CHW members who are expected to join the NCHWTC team within the next month.

The NCHWTC team is excited to be a part of the new partnership between AgriLife and SPH which will address environmental strategies for obesity prevention. Katy notes that “this is a great opportunity to demonstrate both the effectiveness of the new partnership and to contribute to improved health outcomes for Hidalgo County residents.”

While in South Texas, Angie and Katy met with officials from the newly established University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) who had contacted the Center about conducting CHW certification training courses in Hidalgo and Cameron County. As a result of the meeting, the UTRGV has continued discussions with the NCHWTC about creating a CHW certification course with a special emphasis on behavioral health training. Katy emphasized that, “This partnership will build upon the training center’s history of collaboration with UT in South Texas. We have a long-standing relationship with UT-Brownsville. Most recently, they contracted with us to deliver a customized, in person CHW certification class to 13 UT Brownsville CHWs.”

Ms. Whitney Garney Attended the Southwest Educational Research Association Conference

whitneyLast week, CCHD Research & Evaluation Associate, Ms. Whitney Garney, attended the Southwest Educational Research Association (SERA) Conference in San Antonio, Texas. SERA is a regional educational research association dedicated to furthering the advancement of research in education. Over one hundred individuals participated in the three day annual SERA Conference which provides professionals with an opportunity to share research findings and ideas.

With the help of Ms. Jennifer Farmer, a Ph.D. candidate in the Texas A&M Health & Kinesiology Department, Whitney provided a training on factor analysis. The purpose of the training was to review traditional factorial methods, and then introduce attendees to an alternative two-mode factor analysis technique called the Q-technique. The workshop also highlighted other analytical methods and provided real research examples of data collection, analysis and interpretation.

Whitney and Jennifer will also be offering this training to graduate students later this month at the School of Public Health. If you are interested in taking the free training, please email Whitney Garnery.

Ms. Shayna Spurlin Nominated for the Clinical Champions Workgroup

shaynaheadshotMs. Shayna Spurlin is the Program Director for the Region 17 Regional Healthcare Partnership (RHP), a nine-county partnership created under the State of Texas 1115 Medicaid Waiver. RHP 17 consists of Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Montgomery, Robertson, Walker and Washington counties, all of which have partnered with CCHD in past on community assessment and research activities. Given CCHD’s close ties with RHP 17 communities, it was logical that the RHP 17 staff would be housed within CCHD to share resources and knowledge about the region.

Although RHP 17 is technically supported through the College of Medicine, CCHD celebrates the accomplishments of our office colleagues as well. RHP 17 Regional Director, Ms. Shayna Spurlin was recently appointed to a statewide 1115 Medicaid advisory committee referred to as the Clinical Champions Workgroup. This workgroup was established assist the state with 1115 Medicaid Waiver renewal activities.

“It is a great honor to be nominated to participate in the workgroup,” says Shayna. Shayna’s expertise in waiver operations and her experience guiding RHP 17 projects, make her a perfect addition to the group. The workgroup will hold monthly meetings through June and provide their feedback to HHSC in time to submit the renewal proposal in September 2015.

For more information about RHP 17 and the 1115 Medicaid waiver, click here.

New Positions Open at CCHD

Research Assistant:
The Center for Community Health Development recently partnered with the American Heart Association to evaluate the activities related to one of five national Implementation and Dissemination for Chronic Disease Prevention grants funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CCHD is currently looking for a Research Assistant to work closely with the CCHD research team, Dr. Ken McLeroy and Ms. Whitney Garney. Responsibilities include managing data from project sites, maintaining a database of project information and providing technical assistance to project sites on reporting processes.

Community Outreach Workers:
The School of Public Health, the AgriLife Extension Service and CCHD’s National Community Health Worker Training Center have begun to lay the foundation for project planning, implementation and evaluation of the “Working on Wellness” project in Hidalgo County. For this project, the NCHWTC will hire two bilingual Community Outreach Workers to assist in conducting community assessments, engage in community outreach and education, and promote project activities related to healthy food choices and physical activity. Both positions will be located in Hidalgo County. For more information on the Community Outreach Worker positions, please visit the job postings here and here.

Ms. Whitney Garney Defends Dissertation Next Week

We are proud to announce that CCHD Research and Evaluation Associate, Ms. Whitney Garney, will be defending her dissertation entitled “Participation in Exergames from an Ecological Perspective” on March 3rd. The concept of her defense stems from her research project, Geocaching for Exercise and Activity Research (GEAR), on which she served as Co-Principal Investigator. Her defense will be held in Room 110 of the School of Public Health Classroom Building.

whitneydefense

Telehealth Counseling Clinic Now Offering Meditation Classes

Practicing meditation can provide many mental and physical health benefits that include reducing anxiety, stress, and depression as well as alleviating pain and helping with pain management. Beginning on March 25th, the Telehealth Counseling Clinic will be offering a free 8-week Meditation Group on Wednesdays at 8:15 a.m. at the Health For All Clinic in Bryan. This group is open to interested individuals including current clients, Texas A&M University undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty as well as community members. Each session will last one hour with Mr. Jeremy Saenz and Ms. Ally Sequeira, counselors at the Telehealth Counseling Clinic, providing guided meditation. For more information, please contact Jeremy or Ally at (979) 436-0700.

meditationflyer