/ en Thu, 07 Aug 2025 03:52:46 -0500 Wed, 06 Aug 25 15:15:39 -0500 /role-hospitals-depression-care-without-delay-musc-experts-app-shows-promising-results <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="col-md-5"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-08/ths-musc-moodivate-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Telling the Hospital Story. MUSC expert’s app shows promising results in depression care" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>When a patient has depression, often the first medical professional to spot it is their primary care provider, thanks to routine screenings many offices offer. However, getting under the care of a behavioral health professional may involve a long wait — and the patient needs help now.</p><p>Jennifer Dahne, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, developed the free Moodivate app (available on both <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mental-health-coach-moodivate/id1518592206" target="_blank">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.moodivate" target="_blank">Android</a>) to address the immediate need for behavioral health care so patients can get help without a long wait time or even an insurance co-pay.</p><p>Moodivate is a self-directed app that relies on behavioral action therapy, which encourages patients to engage in activities that they enjoy or find meaningful. Users select measurable goals relating to health, relationships, education/career, daily responsibilities, recreation or a combination of these. After creating their goals, users can check off their completed actions and rate their daily mood. Every two weeks the app invites users to re-assess their depression.</p><p>“With behavioral activation, we help a patient to change what they're doing to change how they're feeling,” said Dahne. “Patients often think they can’t do something new or different until they feel better. An early goal of treatment is to change that perception and help patients to realize that their mood is influenced by what they do in their day-to-day lives.”</p><p>In the trial, patients using the Moodivate app were three times more likely to experience meaningful improvement and over twice as likely to achieve remission.</p><p>“The app is like a therapist in your pocket,” said Dahne. “It helps patients to develop this new skill set. When they’re feeling down, they can change what they are doing in their day-to-day lives, knowing from experience that these changes can help to improve their mood. The hope is that access to the app will help with long-term recovery.”</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://web.musc.edu/about/news-center/2025/04/14/mood-improving-app"><strong>LEARN MORE</strong></a></p></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/innovation">Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Wed, 06 Aug 2025 15:15:39 -0500 Wellness/Preventive Care /role-hospitals-integris-health-mobile-health-clinic-helps-bridge-access-care-oklahoma-communities <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/ths-integris-health-mobile-clinic-700x532.jpg" alt="Telling the Hospital Story: INTEGRIS Health Mobile health clinic helps bridge access to care in Oklahoma communities. Stock image of male health worker outdoors at a rural event, speaking with community members" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>INTEGRIS Health in Oklahoma has been working to meet people where they are with their Mobile Health Clinic, launched in March 2019. Having a focus on prevention and chronic disease management, this initiative is aimed at expanding access to health care for underserved communities in Oklahoma County. The clinic travels directly to at-risk neighborhoods, eliminating barriers such as lack of transportation, long wait times and appointment difficulties. Staffed by a dedicated team of nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers and health educators, the mobile unit offers comprehensive services including health screenings, case management, cooking demonstrations and wellness resources. By partnering with organizations like the Oklahoma Lions Service Foundation and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, the clinic integrates health care with food distribution and education, addressing both medical and social drivers of health.</p><p>The clinic’s impact has been measured through a robust evaluation framework that tracks biometric screenings, patient follow-ups, educational session participation and emergency room utilization rates. Community engagement is central to its success, with local churches, schools and civic organizations helping to identify needs and shape services. The program has demonstrated effectiveness in improving health behaviors and access to care, particularly in high-poverty zip codes. The INTEGRIS Mobile Health Clinic not only bridges health access gaps but also sets a replicable model for sustainable, community-centered health care delivery.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://integrishealth.org/about-integris/serving-our-community/outreach-programs/mobile-wellness-clinic">LEARN MORE</a></p><p> </p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/center/population-health">Improving Health and Wellness</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Thu, 31 Jul 2025 13:23:33 -0500 Wellness/Preventive Care /advancing-health-podcast/2025-07-30-what-matters-most-inside-froedterts-mission-transform-geriatric-care <p>What does it take to become a truly age-friendly hospital? In this conversation, Shelley Hart, R.N., clinical nurse specialist at Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital, explores the hospital's inspiring journey toward delivering exceptional care for older adults. Through innovative delirium prevention programs, goals of care conversations, and simple acts of human connection, Shelley shares how the team is creating a hospital experience centered on dignity and purpose.</p><hr><div></div><div class="raw-html-embed"><details class="transcript"> <summary> <h2 title="Click here to open/close the transcript."> <span>View Transcript</span><br> </h2> </summary> <p> 00:00:01:02 - 00:00:26:02<br> Tom Haederle<br> Welcome to Advancing Health. About a decade ago, Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital in Wisconsin decided to focus on improving care and services for its geriatric population of patients. In today's podcast, we learn more from a Froedtert clinical nurse specialist about how its age-friendly journey is advancing the quality of care for older adults. </p> <p> 00:00:26:04 - 00:00:43:01<br> Jen Braun<br> Hi everyone! I'm Jen Braun, director of workforce and organizational development at the ���������� Association, and my guest today is Shelly Hart, who's the clinical nurse specialist at Froedtert Menominee Falls Hospital. Thanks for joining me, Shelly. I was wondering if you could share a little bit about yourself and what you do at Froedtert. </p> <p> 00:00:43:04 - 00:00:59:23<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> As you said, I'm a clinical nurse specialist, and I've worked at Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital for many decades. I have geriatric background. And so I was very instrumental in when we started to develop our age-friendly status. </p> <p> 00:01:00:00 - 00:01:06:04<br> Jen Braun<br> So tell me a little bit more about how your organization began their age-friendly journey. </p> <p> 00:01:06:07 - 00:01:46:23<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> I will tell you a little story because it started many, many years ago - right around 2015, 2016 - when we decided we needed to develop an ACE unit. And at that point we thought we needed to do lots of different things to be much more attuned to our geriatric patient population. So, at that point, we started training using our niche protocols and our nursing assistants and RNs learned a lot about geriatric assessments, protocols, discharge planning, etc. and then we also put into place a lot of other protocols for the providers to use. </p> <p> 00:01:46:25 - 00:02:31:21<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> We are very fortunate because of our pharmacists and how we have lots of medication guidelines and other daily work that they do supporting age-friendly geriatric patient populations. And we also roped in our geriatricians and they were very supportive and did a lot of work, preparing us. So when we started looking at all of these protocols, everything that we're doing in terms of 4Ms, with mentation, with mobility, with medication and what matters, we had a lot of things already in place that we just had to pull together and look at how we were doing with that. </p> <p> 00:02:31:22 - 00:02:46:06<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> How could we do better, and how could we spread this to other areas in the hospital and make this really well received by everybody and make an impact? And so that led us to our age-friendly journey. </p> <p> 00:02:46:08 - 00:03:04:03<br> Jen Braun<br> That's amazing. So it sounds like you had a lot of the pieces in place for the 4Ms, which you mentioned were what matters medications, mentation and mobility. And you just had to kind of button them up a little bit. What were some of the interventions, though, that you, that you made to help provide that age-friendly care? </p> <p> 00:03:04:09 - 00:03:30:12<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> And that is really, you know, one of the really great pieces about using the 4Ms framework, because you can integrate that into lots of existing things you're already doing. So, for example, what matters in our organization as we really are leveraging our providers when they're talking about goals of care with patients. And they already had a smart phrase that was developed for that. </p> <p> 00:03:30:13 - 00:04:00:29<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> So we harnessed that. We also tightened up our medication review, all the daily work our pharmacists are doing. We're really grateful that they use our Beers list criteria and all of the work when they are calling about deprescribing or changing dosing of different medications. I do have to say we did tighten up, you know, our mobility screening, mobility activities, delirium screening and delirium activities. </p> <p> 00:04:00:29 - 00:04:27:05<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> And I if I could, I'd like to just explain a little bit more about our mentation and how we have a really robust delirium prevention group within our system and also within our community hospital of Menominee Falls. And, we've just developed some education around that, doing education posts every 1 to 2 weeks so everybody can look at that. </p> <p> 00:04:27:08 - 00:04:53:29<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> We also developed a delirium champion program. So now we have unit champions coming. And there's many stories I could share about the delirium champions and all the work they're doing. This is just within the last year or so. We're also just celebrated our delirium awareness day. We took a wellness cart around the hospital. We talked about delirium awareness, delirium prevention, extremely well received. </p> <p> 00:04:54:00 - 00:05:04:24<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> So that was with ED, ICU, our stepdown units and all of that surge. So those are all activities we've been doing that just keep spreading age-friendly. </p> <p> 00:05:04:26 - 00:05:25:27<br> Jen Braun<br> That's incredible. You've mentioned so many strategies that you've employed. And you know, health care is a team sport. And there are sounds like many, many, many teams involved, many stakeholders. So how did you get engagement and ownership with some of those key stakeholders or what strategies did you employ? </p> <p> 00:05:25:29 - 00:05:59:10<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> We are really lucky because our executives actually talked about: You know what? There's this age-friendly action community going on. You guys have a lot of experience with this. You're really subject matter experts, and I'm talking about myself and our director, Sheri Katzer. Would you guys like to lead this work and include our geriatricians and our subject matter expert pharmacists and all of our interdisciplinary therapists? </p> <p> 00:05:59:10 - 00:06:19:21<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> And we're like, sure, let's do it. So that was, you know, coming from executives as well as one of our vice presidents. What is their length of stay? How can we make it the best for them meeting their needs? Just employing all those and that's how we actually were propelled into doing the age-friendly submission. </p> <p> 00:06:19:25 - 00:06:34:11<br> Jen Braun<br> So it sounds like you had a lot of leadership support from the jump. Did you have any stakeholders who are a bit challenging to get, you know, over the curve there, or what did you specifically do to, do any outreach to them? </p> <p> 00:06:34:14 - 00:07:00:06<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> I do think as a group meeting understanding age-friendly, really, and doing a gap analysis. What do we have? What are we working towards? Helping people understand what is what matters mean? What is the medication piece mean? What does mentation piece mean? What does this actually mean in your work? In your daily work? How can we quantify that? </p> <p> 00:07:00:09 - 00:07:09:08<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> How can we make it work and improve it? And how can we spread it to the hospital? And at this point, we want to spread it into the system. And what's the next steps for that? </p> <p> 00:07:09:15 - 00:07:12:06<br> Jen Braun<br> And so, speaking of, what are the next steps for that? </p> <p> 00:07:12:08 - 00:07:38:13<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> And you know, it's great that we're here and there's people really looking forward to us bringing back all the information from today. We really want to talk about dashboards, metrics, quantifying data. We're looking at the CMS, age-friendly measure. How is that impacting things? What can we do to improve? Let's set us up for success. And of course, the patient. That, you know, that's the primary center of everything. </p> <p> 00:07:38:15 - 00:07:49:13<br> Jen Braun<br> So how is participating in an AHA age-friendly health systems action community contributed to your work or Froedtert'success? </p> <p> 00:07:49:15 - 00:08:18:25<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> Lots and lots of older adults come into the hospital, so we want to make it the best experience for them. We want to make it, what matters to them a lot. A lot of dignity involved in what's going on for the patient, what's going on for their family. And, really, that helps with success of the organization in terms of the patient satisfaction, family satisfaction, all the health care workers working best practice. </p> <p> 00:08:18:27 - 00:08:37:01<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> And it's every patient, every time. So it's really an exciting time. And I think everybody should take advantage of age-friendly because there's energy in it. So that's a big piece of it too, is you focus the energy on age-friendly and we're all working towards the same goal. </p> <p> 00:08:37:04 - 00:08:46:24<br> Jen Braun<br> You mentioned some of the impacts that you've seen from delivering age-friendly care. Are there any impacts that you want to specifically call out that you're really proud of? </p> <p> 00:08:46:26 - 00:09:12:02<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> Well, there's a lot of patient stories I could go into about how training of nurses, training of nursing assistants, providers, and how they centered care around what matters to the patient. From you know, couples that are in the hospital in different places at the same time and how we're getting them together for lunch and people making that happen. </p> <p> 00:09:12:04 - 00:09:33:25<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> Families, you know, thinking, you know, mom hasn't been doing so well over the course of the months. Can I talk about this? We need to really talk about this and someone listening and say, yeah, let's get together. We're going to have a family meeting about this, and they get the right players involved to make it best for the patient. </p> <p> 00:09:33:27 - 00:09:42:14<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> Those are just a couple, like, stories that happen all the time, and that is not possible unless you're all in sync. </p> <p> 00:09:42:17 - 00:09:57:03<br> Jen Braun<br> So, Shelly, I just want to thank you for sharing all the work that Froedtert has done, and you have done to implement the 4Ms at your system to ensure that older adults are receiving quality care. So I really want to thank you for sharing your story and your time here today. </p> <p> 00:09:57:06 - 00:10:03:04<br> Shelley Hart, R.N.<br> You're very welcome. I am really happy to be here and to share stories. </p> <p> 00:10:03:07 - 00:10:11:18<br> Tom Haederle<br> Thanks for listening to Advancing Health. Please subscribe and rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. </p> </details></div> Wed, 30 Jul 2025 08:38:56 -0500 Wellness/Preventive Care /role-hospitals-canyon-vista-medical-center-launches-special-delivery-program-improve-maternal-health-and-save-lives <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/ths-canyon-vista-special-delivery-700x532.jpg" alt="Canyon Vista Medical Center launches special delivery program to improve maternal health and save lives" width="700" height="513"></p></div><p>For Canyon Vista Medical Center (CVMC) in Sierra Vista, Arizona, it’s all in the wrist. Its new Special Delivery Program equips postpartum patients with wristbands to wear for six weeks after childbirth, serving as a visual cue for both patients and health care providers to remain alert to potential complications.</p><p>Many life-threatening postpartum complications — such as hypertension, infections, and heart conditions — often arise days or even weeks after delivery. With over half of pregnancy-related deaths occurring between one week and one year postpartum, the Special Delivery Program aims to bridge this dangerous gap by ensuring that recent deliveries are recognized and addressed promptly in medical settings.</p><p>In addition to the wristbands, CVMC encourages community involvement by asking families, friends, and neighbors to check in on new mothers during the postpartum period. The wristbands act as a discreet but effective signal, prompting conversations and encouraging individuals to seek medical attention if they experience concerning symptoms.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.canyonvistamedicalcenter.com/news/cvmc-launches-special-delivery-program-to-improve-maternal-health-and-save-lives">LEARN MORE</a></p><p> </p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/center/population-health">Improving Health and Wellness</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:21:50 -0500 Wellness/Preventive Care /role-hospitals-texas-health-harris-methodist-hospital-stephenville-helps-rural-community-breathe-easier <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-07/ths-texashealth-pulmonary-700x532.jpg" alt="Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville. Stock photo of an older man blowing into a tube" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>At Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville, a new pulmonary rehabilitation program is transforming the way chronic respiratory diseases are treated in rural Erath County. Recognizing the urgent need for localized care, the hospital launched this initiative to help patients manage conditions like COPD, asthma and bronchitis — illnesses that are often more prevalent and underdiagnosed in rural areas.</p><p>“We wanted to offer the community a new program and prevent multiple hospital admissions from patients dealing with chronic breathing issues,” said Brandie Williams, M.D., medical director of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation program. “Our goal was to address the needs of Stephenville residents by meeting them where they live and helping them improve their breathing conditions and lifestyle.”</p><p>The 12-week program, housed within the hospital’s cardiac rehabilitation facility, offers more than just supervised exercise. “Pulmonary rehab will provide them with resourceful tools to manage their chronic conditions,” said Casey Accaputo, B.H.A., RRT, director of the Cardiopulmonary Program. “We offer the necessary nutritional guidance, effective breathing techniques and constant emotional support our patients need and deserve.”</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.texashealth.org/newsroom/News-Releases/2025/Texas-Health-Stephenville-Enhances-Respiratory-Care-in-Erath-County">LEARN MORE</a></p><p> </p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/center/population-health">Improving Health and Wellness</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:18:35 -0500 Wellness/Preventive Care /role-hospitals-age-against-machine-uw-medicine-tool-predicts-your-bodys-true-age <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-06/ths-uwashington-health-octo-tool-700x532.jpg" alt="UW Medicine. A group of older adults walks on an outdoor track" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>If you could predict your biological risk of death, would you want to know? Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle have developed a resource that does just that and more. Called the Health Octo Tool, this innovative health assessment method offers a more accurate and holistic view of how we age.</p><p>Unlike current methods that focus on individual diseases and overlook interactions among diseases and the impact of minor diseases, the tool uses eight metrics from routine exams and lab tests to better estimate biological age and predict risks of disability and death. What sets it apart is its emphasis on “health entropy,” a measure of accumulated molecular and cellular damage affecting organ function. Assessing organ systems, which age at different rates, provides a more nuanced understanding of overall biological aging.</p><p>“Collectively, these eight metrics — Body Clock, Body Age, system-specific clocks and rates, Speed- and Disability-based clocks — offer a way to view an individual’s aging process with information gathered from their medical history, physical exam and test results alone,” said Shabnam Salimi, M.D., a physician-scientist and acting instructor in the UW Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine and investigator at the UW Medicine Healthy Aging & Longevity Research Institute.</p><p>Researchers, drawing upon data from major aging studies, are now developing a digital app to help patients and their doctors determine the biological age of their bodies and organs, track the rates of aging, and evaluate the effects of lifestyle changes and treatments.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://newsroom.uw.edu/news-releases/new-health-assessment-tool-gauges-bodys-biological-age">LEARN MORE</a></p><p> </p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/center/population-health">Improving Health and Wellness</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Wed, 25 Jun 2025 09:38:31 -0500 Wellness/Preventive Care /advancing-health-podcast/2025-06-25-healing-healers-bmcs-bold-move-support-resident-mental-health <p>Medical training is intense, and the toll it takes on emotional well-being is often overlooked. In this conversation, Boston Medical Center’s (BMC) Jeff Schneider, M.D., the associate chief medical officer, designated institutional official, and chair of the Graduate Medical Education Committee at Boston Medical Center, and Simone Martell, director of the employee resilience program, discuss how BMC is flipping the script on resident wellness. By providing early access to behavioral health resources and destigmatizing mental health, future generations of medical caregivers at BMC are prioritizing their well-being so they can continue caring for communities in need.</p><hr><div></div><div class="raw-html-embed"><details class="transcript"> <summary> <h2 title="Click here to open/close the transcript."> <span>View Transcript</span><br> </h2> </summary> <p> 00:00:01:02 - 00:00:23:19<br> Tom Haederle<br> Welcome to Advancing Health. Today's medical residents and fellows are tomorrow's doctors. In this podcast, we hear about Boston Medical Center's innovative program to provide mental and emotional support during the rigors of medical training, and to address the tendency of many medical trainees to deprioritize their own health. </p> <p> 00:00:23:21 - 00:00:53:21<br> Jordan Steiger<br> My name is Jordan Steiger, and I am the senior program manager for Clinical Affairs and Workforce at the AHA. I'm joined today by Simone Martell, who is the director of Boston Medical Center's Employee Resilience Program, and Dr. Jeff Schneider, the associate chief medical officer, designated institutional official and chair of the Graduate Medical Education Committee at Boston Medical Center, and the assistant dean for graduate medical education at BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. </p> <p> 00:00:53:23 - 00:01:16:04<br> Jordan Steiger<br> So just to set the stage a little bit, in 2022 and 2023, the AHA received some funding from the CDC to identify the leading interventions for preventing suicide in the health care workforce. And we got to know the Boston Medical Center team through this learning collaborative that we hosted that focused on implementing these practices at hospitals and health systems across the country. </p> <p> 00:01:16:06 - 00:01:20:04<br> Jordan Steiger<br> So, Simone and Jeff, thank you so much for being here with us today. </p> <p> 00:01:20:06 - 00:01:21:18<br> Simone Martell<br> Thank you for having us. </p> <p> 00:01:21:20 - 00:01:22:22<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> Thank you. </p> <p> 00:01:22:24 - 00:01:35:03<br> Jordan Steiger<br> So to get us started, I'd love for the audience to just learn a little bit more about your roles at BMC, and how the two of you work together to support workforce well-being. So Jeff, let's start with you. </p> <p> 00:01:35:05 - 00:01:53:09<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> Sure. Thank you very much for having us. And, happy to share what we have done and also what we've made to do moving forward. By training, I am an emergency medicine physician, and I still work clinically in our emergency department. And then the other part of my job is I oversee all of our residency and fellowship training programs across the organization. </p> <p> 00:01:53:09 - 00:02:15:02<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> So it's more than 750 residents and fellows across roughly about 70 training programs. And I really oversee those residency and fellowship programs from a bunch of different perspectives, everything from operations, to finance to accreditation. Obviously, working very closely with our program directors and our program administrators, and the educators and teachers that we have here at BMC. </p> <p> 00:02:15:04 - 00:02:16:20<br> Jordan Steiger<br> Great, Simone? </p> <p> 00:02:16:23 - 00:02:44:06<br> Simone Martell<br> So I joined BMC in June of 2023. My background is I'm an LICSW, licensed independent clinical social worker in Massachusetts. And, the program here is to provide mental and emotional support and resources to all of our workforce, clinical and non-clinical, in the realm of mental health, emotional well-being, stressors around the workplace, occupational stress injuries. </p> <p> 00:02:44:08 - 00:03:04:10<br> Simone Martell<br> And we have a couple of initiatives that target residents and medical trainees in particular. One of the first I was also introduced to was this initiative that had started the year before I joined, which are these wellness chats for incoming trainees at the beginning of the academic year. </p> <p> 00:03:04:13 - 00:03:28:28<br> Jordan Steiger<br> That's great. So I know that health care workers overall can experience barriers to receiving mental health services, can experience challenges around well-being and taking care of themselves. I think everybody listening to this podcast probably knows that. But we also know there's a lot of research that shows that residents have some kind of special challenges and adjustments that they need to make as they're starting residency. </p> <p> 00:03:29:01 - 00:03:33:29<br> Jordan Steiger<br> But could you tell the audience about some of those maybe special challenges that face residents? </p> <p> 00:03:34:01 - 00:03:55:21<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> The genesis of our program really actually goes back probably 6 or 7 years now, when we realized that our residents and fellows really deprioritized their own health on many occasions, given the choice between learning something clinical, or learning how to do something or gaining experience and taking care of their own health. Residents across the country tend to deprioritize throughout health. </p> <p> 00:03:55:24 - 00:04:13:08<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> So one of the things that we did very early on was trying to understand what are the barriers for our residents taking care of themselves? If they're not taking care of themselves, how can we expect them to take care of patients, to learn and to grow? So we had an idea that we would introduce primary care appointments during intern orientation. </p> <p> 00:04:13:08 - 00:04:37:11<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> Again, this is probably 6 or 7 years ago now. And we set up a process, a mechanism really carved out an afternoon that was protected for residents and fellows, where those that wanted to get primary care appointments could have them here at Boston Medical Center. Our goal again really, just a little bit around reducing stigma, reducing barriers and normalizing the conversation around taking care of your own health is very, very important. </p> <p> 00:04:37:14 - 00:04:56:23<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> I will admit that when we started this I had no idea if anyone was going to show up. We put a lot of time and effort, operations and planning into organizing this, but not really knowing frankly how well it would land. And we were pleased to see that even after year one, the majority of our residents and fellows were very interested in participating in this. </p> <p> 00:04:56:23 - 00:05:22:18<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> And we continued to grow the program a little bit, to learn, to iterate. And a few years later we said, well, if we're introducing primary care, maybe we should do the same thing with behavioral health or mental health to really, really try to accomplish three things. The first was we really wanted to normalize the conversation. It is totally normal for residents and fellows who need any behavioral health support, any behavioral health or mental health contexts. </p> <p> 00:05:22:20 - 00:05:42:28<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> How can we help them do that? To really normalize the conversation? It's as normal as in anything else that we do. And then really trying to reduce the stigma around it. Talking about it in the wide open, not behind closed doors or at hush voices. It was something we talked about very early on, when these new residents and fellows were coming and really tried to make the conversation part of what we do. </p> <p> 00:05:42:29 - 00:06:01:14<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> It's an expected part of what we do. And then really trying to figure out how we decrease the barriers, how do we make it as easy as possible for residents and fellows to take advantage of the wonderful resources we've had here? And Simone and her team have really taken an idea and grown it so that it's flourished. I'll let Simone talk a little bit more about some of the details of how she's actually executed. </p> <p> 00:06:01:15 - 00:06:32:27<br> Simone Martell<br> Yeah, yeah. Thank you. So I do also want to give credit to the team that preceded me as well, because I inherited this. And so the first year that the behavioral health component was launched was in 2022. So now we're going into our fourth year doing it. I think the whole framework, at least as how I view it in our approach, is like this philosophy of preventative care, which I think, you know, as trainees who are going to be, fully practicing doctors would preach to their patients. </p> <p> 00:06:32:27 - 00:07:06:14<br> Simone Martell<br> We want them to be able to and have it, or embody that themselves as well. The way that it's been structured right now through a couple of key learning points over the past couple of years is that we use different tools for signups. So in the welcome letter that gets sent out by, Dr. Schneider's office in April, welcoming folks, there is a portion of the letter that talks about the PCP visits and a portion of the letter that talks about signing up for these wellness resource chats. And they're 15 minute chat sessions. </p> <p> 00:07:06:20 - 00:07:32:06<br> Simone Martell<br> They're not therapy, but they are really focused on an opportunity to talk about any concerns somebody might have, letting them know about the resources that are available to them, helping them kind of highlight what are some anticipated stressors or things that they can do ahead of time again, from a preventative standpoint. So oftentimes we'll talk about what are some coping skills that got me through medical school. </p> <p> 00:07:32:08 - 00:07:56:09<br> Simone Martell<br> What are some things and ways we can augment that knowing that you're going to be in a new situation, a new territory now, maybe away from the support community that you'd established and been a part of and need to kind of configure here. So sometimes, you know, it might come up where somebody and I think, generationally there's a stigma which has been really lovely to see and kind of capitalizing on that. </p> <p> 00:07:56:09 - 00:08:22:05<br> Simone Martell<br> So some folks might come in and they've had, experiences with mental health supports before, but they might not realize, oh, that person doesn't have a license to practice in Massachusetts. So I need to be able to keep that going and find the resources locally and work within my insurance, because now my insurance plan is moving from what I had previously to BMC is now their employer and putting on the network that that's here. </p> <p> 00:08:22:07 - 00:08:47:15<br> Simone Martell<br> And so we want to set it up so that it can be something where again, coming from how do we anticipate what some of those barriers might be? What are those challenges going to potentially be? And a big piece is about access point because it might be early on, there's a lot of excitement. They're still riding the wave of having just graduated, you know, and starting out their new program. Which is a stressor in itself. </p> <p> 00:08:47:15 - 00:09:06:06<br> Simone Martell<br> You know, sometimes there are positive stressors and this is a positive stressor. But at the time when, you know, mental health challenges potentially do arise or distress does arise, we don't want it to be, oh, now I'm having to start from scratch at the time where I'm already struggling. We want the groundwork to already be laid for them. </p> <p> 00:09:06:06 - 00:09:10:24<br> Simone Martell<br> So that's really sort of the framework, by which we're trying to approach this. </p> <p> 00:09:10:26 - 00:09:35:24<br> Jordan Steiger<br> You both hit on so many important things that I feel like we could dig into forever on this podcast, but I think, you know, addressing that stigma piece, I think is so important. Bringing that to the front of the table, the front of the room, the second a resident starts at BMC and saying, this is okay, we expect that you're going to be stressed because residency is hard and you're learning and there's a lot of things going on for you. </p> <p> 00:09:35:26 - 00:09:56:19<br> Jordan Steiger<br> I think just getting out in front of it is so important. I think one thing you mentioned, Simone as well, is that, it's not therapy. You know and I wonder sometimes if people kind of shy away from these programs or thinking about mental health because it's they don't want to be providing those therapy services, but it really sounds like it's just more connecting people to those services. </p> <p> 00:09:56:21 - 00:10:22:00<br> Simone Martell<br> Yeah, it has a lot to do with the awareness and the access piece. So what we've done with the chats is that, in addition to myself, some of my colleagues who are, you know, doctors level will be able to join in and hold the discussions. Also, they won't have to have the pressure of going into to anything that's outside of their territory. </p> <p> 00:10:22:00 - 00:10:58:12<br> Simone Martell<br> We also don't want to give a false impression to the residents for this session, either. I'll say residents or fellows, because we do this for fellows as well. But it's more about here are the different resources that you are eligible for and have access to, and here's the route with which to do it. And here's at least, you know, through our internet source, our fliers, our point of contact, so that you have an easy way of - you don't have to remember all of this - but there's just, a streamlined way to think about how do I set up what I might need. </p> <p> 00:10:58:15 - 00:11:19:17<br> Simone Martell<br> And then again, for, you know, folks that maybe have had experiences before or are just saying, like, you know, coming into this, I know that this is something that was difficult for me in med school or something that I've found challenges with. So I want to kind of be thinking ahead. We can roughly just touch upon what are some coping strategies that have been helpful for you. </p> <p> 00:11:19:17 - 00:11:39:24<br> Simone Martell<br> Again, this being a new territory, a new framework, what do you think that you might need in anticipation and have you think through ahead of that without it being anything that would delve into the territory of therapy per se? That said, trainees are able to schedule confidential appointments with a licensed clinician in the resilience program at any point through their tenure. </p> <p> 00:11:39:27 - 00:11:47:18<br> Simone Martell<br> And we also help them navigate how to get connected to a therapist through their behavioral health benefits, if that's something they'd like to pursue. </p> <p> 00:11:47:21 - 00:12:10:09<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> I think another really important piece of this is getting the residents and fellows to normalize a conversation amongst themselves. So for every resident or fellow that Simone or her team meets with who goes through or has their eyes open to some of the resources that we have here, my hope, my deep hope is that even if you know, maybe it's not applicable to them today or tomorrow or the next day... </p> <p> 00:12:10:12 - 00:12:26:24<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> but if they see a colleague, if they see a friend, if they see someone, a resident or fellow who maybe they don't even know all that well and they just look at them and say, I'm worried about you. Are you okay? Like, that's always the right currence. It's always the right question to ask. It's never the wrong question to ask. </p> <p> 00:12:26:26 - 00:12:41:21<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> And then also so they can start arming themselves and say you know what, at the very beginning I went to this talk and I had this resilience chat, I learned a little bit about some of the resources we have at Boston Medical Center. I don't remember all the details, but I know that there's help out there. And I remember here's how you can help access it. </p> <p> 00:12:41:21 - 00:12:53:16<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> So again, the more we can start normalizing these conversations, I think for every resident fellow that Simone touches, the hope is that that spreads almost virally so that they can help themselves but also help their colleagues. </p> <p> 00:12:53:19 - 00:13:19:24<br> Jordan Steiger<br> Absolutely. I think the program and the work that you are doing at Boston Medical Center is setting such an incredible example for our membership, and we're so happy that we get to share your story with everybody today. Simone and Jeff, thank you so much for being here with us today. I think the work that you have shared and the work that you're doing and continue to do to support your teams is really setting such a strong, incredible example for our membership. </p> <p> 00:13:19:24 - 00:13:30:03<br> Jordan Steiger<br> And I'm just so happy that we get to share your story and hopefully others will get to learn from it and start to maybe, implement some of the things that you shared today. </p> <p> 00:13:30:06 - 00:13:31:00<br> Jeff Schneider, M.D.<br> Thank you. </p> <p> 00:13:31:02 - 00:13:33:03<br> Simone Martell<br> Thank you so much. </p> <p> 00:13:33:06 - 00:13:41:17<br> Tom Haederle<br> Thanks for listening to Advancing Health. Please subscribe and rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. </p> </details></div><p> </p> Wed, 25 Jun 2025 08:44:27 -0500 Wellness/Preventive Care /role-hospitals-evanston-regional-hospital-new-program-working-fill-gaps-wyomings-maternal-healthcare <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-5"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-06/ths-evanston-intermountain-virtual-maternal-health-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Evanston Regional Hospital. A pregnant woman sits at a kitchen table measuring her blood pressure and looking at a laptop" width="700" height="532"></div><p>The closure of labor and delivery services at Evanston Regional Hospital last December left a significant gap in prenatal care in southwestern Wyoming. Utah-based Intermountain Health has stepped in to fill the gap, ensuring that patients wouldn't be left without care. Through its recently launched Maternal Health Connections (MHC) program at Evanston Regional, expectant mothers now have regained access to comprehensive prenatal and postpartum care, including virtual monitoring of vital signs, mental health support, genetic counseling, and assistance for patients with substance use disorders. The program helps reduce the burden on patients who previously had to travel long distances for short appointments, often losing work hours and wages.</p><p>The program has already received about 25 referrals within a few weeks of operation. Nurse Courtney Bettinson said her patients have expressed gratitude that they don’t have to travel hours for essential care anymore. “This is my community, and it means a lot to me,” said Bettinson. “I will pour my professional heart and soul into this program.”</p><p>Bettinson and the team at MHC are dedicated to creating birth and postpartum plans for each patient, ensuring they are well-prepared for labor and delivery. The program aims to expand to other areas, such as Kemmerer, where labor services ended in 2022.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/health/2025-04-30/a-new-program-is-working-to-fill-gaps-in-wyomings-maternal-healthcare" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/promoting-healthy-communities">Building Healthy Communities</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Mon, 23 Jun 2025 13:24:07 -0500 Wellness/Preventive Care /role-hospitals-cary-medical-centers-stroke-prevention-program-promotes-healthy-lifestyle-habit <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-5"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-06/ths-cary-healthy-lifestyles-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Cary Medical Center. An older man stands in a kitchen preparing a healthy meal of salad" width="700" height="532"></div><p>Cary Medical Center, a 63-bed hospital in rural Caribou, Maine, created the Siruno Stroke Prevention Program to help community members develop and maintain healthy lifestyle habits. This program offers free blood pressure screenings and education on nutrition, diabetes prevention and smoking cessation; encourages regular physical activity; and leads other wellness programs aimed to reduce the risk of stroke.</p><p>As part of the Siruno Stroke Prevention Program, a team member leads a series of virtual classes called <a href="https://www.carymedicalcenter.org/eat-mediterranean/" target="_blank">Eat Mediterranean — A Healthy Choice</a>. These classes provide cooking demonstrations and share information and recipes about the Mediterranean diet, a healthy eating plan that research studies have linked to lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions.</p><p>The stroke prevention program also encourages community members to engage in physical activity for 150 minutes each week, as recommended by the American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health organizations. Each year, Cary Medical Center leads a variety of physical activities, one of which is the <a href="https://www.carymedicalcenter.org/100-miles-in-100-days-challenge/" target="_blank">100 Miles in 100 Days Fitness Challenge</a> that encourages people to incorporate a daily walk into their lifestyle. The hospital sends health tips and motivating messages to participants, who are entered into a drawing for gift cards if they report their miles and meet the challenge.</p><p>In addition, the program offers free blood pressure screenings to businesses and the general public and distributes blood pressure education packets.</p><p>The Siruno Stroke Prevention Program was established by the family of the late Cesar Siruno, M.D., a beloved general surgeon at Cary Medical Center who championed health prevention and promotion.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.carymedicalcenter.org/siruno-stroke-prevention/programs/" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/promoting-healthy-communities">Building Healthy Communities</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Tue, 17 Jun 2025 11:23:15 -0500 Wellness/Preventive Care /advancing-health-podcast/2025-06-16-preparing-fathers-parenthood-prenatal-program-supports-dads-moms-and-babies <p>Father-inclusive prenatal care is reshaping maternal and infant health outcomes. In this conversation, Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N. of Rush University Medical Center, and Paul Florsheim, Ph.D. of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, discuss the collaborative Preparing for Parenthood program, success stories on how to engage fathers early in the pregnancy journey, and what supporting dads means for stronger and healthier families.</p><hr><div></div><hr><div class="raw-html-embed"> <details class="transcript"> <summary> <h2 title="Click here to open/close the transcript."> <span>View Transcript</span><br>   </h2> </summary> <p> 00:00:01:02 - 00:00:23:24<br> Tom Haederle<br> Welcome to Advancing Health. Today's podcast celebrates Father's Day. Wrenetha Julion from Rush University Medical Center and Paul Florsheim from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Zilber School of Public Health joined the AHA’s Julia Resnick to share the impact of father inclusive prenatal health care. </p> <p> 00:00:23:26 - 00:00:44:01<br> Julia Resnick<br> Wrenetha, Paul, so happy to be here with you today to talk about this really important topic. And just so glad that we can release this podcast for Father's Day. So during pregnancy, there's always a lot of focus on the mom for understandable reasons. But we also know that fathers are experiencing a major life event in becoming a parent. </p> <p> 00:00:44:03 - 00:00:52:00<br> Julia Resnick<br> Can you talk a little bit about why a father inclusive approach is so important for both maternal and infant outcomes? Paul, why don't we start with you? </p> <p> 00:00:52:03 - 00:01:21:07<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> To some extent, it's similar to moms and that particularly for, of course, new fathers that very few young men or even not young men, you know, sort of know a whole lot about how to prepare for parenting, how to parent an infant in particular. Many of them are sort of both excited and intimidated by the idea of having an infant. </p> <p> 00:01:21:09 - 00:01:50:22<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> You know, the transition to parenting always involves a lot of relationship challenges. It's a pretty common phenomenon that new parents report their relationship as or aspects of their relationship of having been lost. And so the challenges of sort of managing the connection part, the romantic part of the relationship is something that many of our couples sort of want to talk about when we're working with them. </p> <p> 00:01:50:24 - 00:02:19:01<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> I would just add that part of that is that some of these couples and we approach our couples that we work with, as we don't know whether you're going to stay together or split apart, and we don't really have, you know, sort of a stake in that. That's for you to decide and we don't push it one way or the other, but we do want you to be able to work together as a co-parenting team, regardless of what happens to that relationship. </p> <p> 00:02:19:07 - 00:02:37:23<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> And so that's another reason that I think men it's important to include the fathers in the process so that they have those skills, the communication skills to navigate even a breakup in that relationship, that they're able to co-parent as well. </p> <p> 00:02:37:25 - 00:02:40:16<br> Julia Resnick<br> Absolutely. Wrenetha, anything you want to add? </p> <p> 00:02:40:18 - 00:03:19:27<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> Fathers have questions. Fathers want to be helpful. They want to be there and I think that they have a really important role in helping keep mothers safe during labor and delivery, and to really be a buffer for her for all that's going on around her. So that every question, everything doesn't come directly to the mother. And then I think there is a lot of information out there about how fathers presence and involvement is beneficial not only to themselves, but to the mothers and to the babies. </p> <p> 00:03:19:29 - 00:03:32:13<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> So there are multiple reasons why fathers need as much attention, really, as mothers do. Maybe not as much physical attention, but otherwise they need just as much attention as mothers do. </p> <p> 00:03:32:15 - 00:03:49:03<br> Julia Resnick<br> Absolutely. And I think that piece about, you know, being in this is a partnership. I want to dive into the work that you're doing with the preparing for Parenthood program, which is going on in the Chicago area through Rush University Medical Center where you work, Wrenetha. And I know that you partner with a lot of community stakeholders. </p> <p> 00:03:49:09 - 00:03:53:15<br> Julia Resnick<br> So can you tell us more about the community that your hospital serves? </p> <p> 00:03:53:17 - 00:04:23:24<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> Our hospital is positioned, I would say towards the center of the city. And so there are numerous neighborhoods that surround us. So there are Latino families. There are African-American families. There are other ethnic origins and other groups that surround us...so we really we speak to the importance of being sensitive and responsive to the communities that we serve. </p> <p> 00:04:23:26 - 00:04:42:27<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> So it's a really nice, I think, hodgepodge of communities. And so it really is good to be in this space and to serve a large group of people, all of whom may have some challenges. They may not. They may be fine. So it fits with our mission and vision for sure. </p> <p> 00:04:42:27 - 00:04:52:21<br> Julia Resnick<br> And knowing Chicago, like I do, you're really at the crossroads of so many different communities. Paul, I know you're based in Wisconsin, so can you talk a little bit about what your role is with the program? </p> <p> 00:04:52:24 - 00:05:17:19<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> So, Wrenetha and I are really co-directors of the program. We applied for the grant together. You know, you sort of have to choose a community to do this in. I'm back and forth to Chicago quite a bit. And so we ran this through Rush. You know, Chicago has both a lot to offer, but also, we felt like it was a good place to do a fatherhood program. </p> <p> 00:05:17:21 - 00:05:40:11<br> Julia Resnick<br> Wonderful. So we've been dancing around the idea of the program, and I really want to dive into what the Preparing for Parenthood program is. Renee knows this from when I talk to her. I learned about the program when I was riding the train in Chicago and saw an ad for it and said, I absolutely need to know more about the work that they're doing because this is so hugely important for families in Chicago and for other communities across the country. </p> <p> 00:05:40:14 - 00:05:44:14<br> Julia Resnick<br> So can you share more about what the program is and what you do? </p> <p> 00:05:44:16 - 00:06:10:01<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> So one of the key features of it is that I think we've already sort of talked about a little bit is, is that it is offered in collaboration with prenatal care. And we do that quite intentionally, partly as a preventative program. Like we want to sort of reach fathers as they're getting ready for parenthood, but it's also the case that it's a really nice vehicle for connecting with fathers. </p> <p> 00:06:10:02 - 00:06:33:00<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> It's kind of hard to find fathers if you don't go through the services that are being provided to mothers, and mothers we have found to be very invested in fathers getting some services. It's also the case that prenatal care providers have an importance in the lives of both mothers and fathers that sort of lends legitimacy to what we're doing. </p> <p> 00:06:33:00 - 00:07:01:05<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> And so that's really helpful in terms of engaging, particularly young men who may not be all that interested in engaging with sort of social service agencies, mental health institutions, that sort of thing. We feel as though through prenatal care, we're able to reach a broader part of the young male population. The program focuses on essentially three things. The co-parenting piece, </p> <p> 00:07:01:07 - 00:07:23:03<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> and we sort of talk about that in a different ways. But one of the ways that I like to sort of talk about it is communication skills development. A lot of couples readily acknowledge that communication is an issue for them, and so they kind of resonate with that right away. It's tailored like a prenatal care in a prenatal care setting. </p> <p> 00:07:23:07 - 00:07:48:15<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> We work with couples individually in the sense that it's couple by couple rather than groups of couples. And part of the reason we do that is that we like to customize the program to meet the particular needs and wants of those couples. And it's not always the same. So we tailor those communication skills to what the couple is asking for, what they're presenting to us. </p> <p> 00:07:48:18 - 00:08:13:22<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> We shift at some point to parenting skills. So, you know for new parents, we of course focus on you know, sort of some basic parenting skills for newborns. We have expanded to also including not just first time parents. And so we also focus on, you know, sort of how to parent with another new child, as well as toddler kinds of issues. </p> <p> 00:08:13:24 - 00:08:38:21<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> And then we have case management services - we call care coordination services. And that's a variety of things could be related to jobs, housing and legal entanglements, all the sort of things that some of our couples are challenged by. And we can't really get to the parenting stuff or the co-parenting stuff unless we also attend to all that other stuff. </p> <p> 00:08:38:22 - 00:08:47:19<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> You know, in some cases are the social determinants of health. So that's it in a nutshell. And Wrenetha can tell me if I forgot anything. </p> <p> 00:08:47:21 - 00:09:30:21<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> I'd like to add, which is really our funders require us to include something that's going to support fathers primarily, but we also support mothers in whether or not someone decides they want to continue their education. They want to pursue a new trade or new career. So our workforce development component connects fathers and mothers with a program that's here in the city of Chicago that helps with that. And starts off with preparing to get a job and completing your resume and job interviewing and workplace conflict, potentially. </p> <p> 00:09:30:21 - 00:09:56:21<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> So how do you handle things when you're at work and something comes up? And so all of those pieces fit into the workforce development component, which I think is what in particular excited me about this opportunity, because there's an awareness that families need more than communication and co-parenting and knowing how to raise children. A lot of families need a job, </p> <p> 00:09:56:21 - 00:10:21:18<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> want a job, want to do something differently. And then one final thing I think that, when Paul mentioned the parenting, we have specific content that was developed for fathers in that piece because most things are targeted towards mothers. And so how to soothe the baby? What happens when why is your baby crying all the time? Or you know, how can you hold them to make them more comfortable? </p> <p> 00:10:21:18 - 00:10:33:22<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> And the safety piece is about putting them down to sleep on their back and all those kinds of things. So that's also something I think is important in what we are providing to families. </p> <p> 00:10:33:25 - 00:10:58:26<br> Julia Resnick<br> Absolutely. And there are so many parts of this program that are exciting, and I love that you bring them in as a couple. So it's not just fathers together and mothers together, but really focusing on like the couple as a co-parenting unit. It's just really great. And that that whole person approach, recognizing that it's not just about parenting skills, but like feeling economically secure and stable in your community and as parents. </p> <p> 00:10:58:28 - 00:11:06:27<br> Julia Resnick<br> So I'm just curious, like you know, if a couple decides to join this program, like, can you walk me through what your experience would look like? </p> <p> 00:11:06:29 - 00:11:38:20<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> So as we talked about the couples experience and why we work couple by couple. We start with what we call the parent prep check, and we interview the mother and the father to try to get a sense of where they are as a couple, where their relationship is, their hopes and dreams in terms of thinking about what they want as parents and how they want to experience and live through parenthood. </p> <p> 00:11:38:22 - 00:12:02:09<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> Which is why that couples approach is so important, because in a group setting, you can imagine you've got, say, five groups. You may have five different areas to focus on at the same time. But us starting with that couple is that we can really hone in on what the couple wants and what the couple needs and what they identify as their strengths and opportunities. </p> <p> 00:12:02:12 - 00:12:14:18<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> So that's the really, I think, fun part about this is because we want to address the couple's needs and starting where they are. I miss something, Paul? </p> <p> 00:12:14:21 - 00:12:41:24<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> No, I think that's it. I mean, that's sort of how we have designed the intake process to be very engaging and to make that point...well, we make a couple points. One is that we want to really tailor this to your needs. The other is that we're very deliberate in saying, you know, we are about the co-parenting relationship, and we don't want to sort of assume that this is a relationship that both of you necessarily want to be in or that you don't. </p> <p> 00:12:41:24 - 00:13:07:27<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> You know, we want to take the pressure off of that, as well, so that they feel comfortable sort of moving forward with us. The other thing that I would say is, is that, you know, it can be a little intimidating to come in and talk to...like for me, we don't assume that everybody who's delivering the father inclusive prenatal care services is a mental health professional. </p> <p> 00:13:07:27 - 00:13:32:08<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> I happen to be a mental health professional. Some of the couples do come in with some pretty significant issues. And so we do want to make sure that they feel comfortable talking about those in a way that feels safe. So we really emphasize we're not about digging into your deep, you know, sort of histories. And we really are oriented towards figuring out how do you guys move forward together. </p> <p> 00:13:32:14 - 00:13:46:08<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> And I often say I act as kind of a coach and a referee, so that if it starts to get too stressful in here, you know, I'm going to say, hold on, let's take a timeout. </p> <p> 00:13:46:10 - 00:13:57:14<br> Julia Resnick<br> That's great. So after five years of running this program, how are you measuring the impact and what are you seeing that you think is particularly meaningful? </p> <p> 00:13:57:17 - 00:14:21:27<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> So I'm going to leave the metrics to Paul and talk a little bit about the quality, like we call the qualitative component. And I'll give an example of a father that we interviewed at the second interview, second time point. He spoke about how much he was learning about and from his daughter and how much he enjoyed that relationship that they had developed. </p> <p> 00:14:21:27 - 00:14:53:06<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> And there were times when he gave her space to explore and to, quote unquote, fail if you will. You know, and it's like, pick yourself up, okay, we're going to keep on moving. And just the joy in listening to this father's interview, that was one of the best interviews that I've heard in this program, is hearing how he felt about himself, how he felt about his daughter, and how they were growing and learning together. </p> <p> 00:14:53:08 - 00:14:57:23<br> Julia Resnick<br> That's so special. Paul, do you have the hard quantitative metrics? </p> <p> 00:14:57:26 - 00:15:28:25<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> Yeah, I mean, we do quite a bit of measuring, particularly at the follow ups. And we do focus on things like the quality of the co-parenting relationship. Anything from, you know, preventing intimate partner violence to just being, you know, sort of warm and supportive of each other. We also focus on the parenting relationship and sort of how they're feeling about themselves as parents, but also how they are actually parenting, you know, or at least based on their own self-report. </p> <p> 00:15:28:25 - 00:15:53:18<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> Previous sort of versions of the of the program, we did videotaped parent child interaction to code the quality of those relationships. So our goal really is to either improve the quality of the co-parenting relationship if they are having a lot of challenges or prevent the development of problems so that down the road they're able to manage that relationship regardless. </p> <p> 00:15:53:21 - 00:16:26:01<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> And in a way, I mean, it's always it's hard as someone who works with these couples to not be a little bit invested in their relationship, staying together as a romantic relationship. But honestly, you know, when I think about it, you know, sort of more broadly than that, it is very gratifying as a provider to see them find ways to parent apart if they're able to do that successfully. </p> <p> 00:16:26:03 - 00:16:39:11<br> Julia Resnick<br> Wrenetha, Paul, thank you so much for sharing the work that you do and your expertise. But more than that, thank you for the work that you're doing for families in Chicago. It's just such incredibly important and powerful work. </p> <p> 00:16:39:13 - 00:16:42:03<br> Paul Florsheim, Ph.D.<br> Well, thanks for the opportunity to talk about our work. </p> <p> 00:16:42:05 - 00:16:44:23<br> Wrenetha Julion, Ph.D., R.N.<br> Absolutely. Thank you for having us. </p> <p> 00:16:44:25 - 00:16:53:07<br> Tom Haederle<br> Thanks for listening to Advancing Health. Please subscribe and rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. </p> </details> </div> Mon, 16 Jun 2025 10:27:23 -0500 Wellness/Preventive Care