Graduate programs at USF Health had promising gains in this year’s rankings from U.S. News & World Report (U.S. News), with some programs breaking into the top 50 of their rankings.

In the U.S. News 2024 Best Graduate Schools list released on April 25, USF Health’s physician assistant, nursing and public health programs ranked among the best in the country.

The rankings released April 25 did not include medical schools or law schools; those rankings were released by U.S. News May 11.

Among the notable advancements this year are the two graduate programs from the USF Health College of Nursing, each of which had major gains, and the Physician Assistant Program in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, which made the ranking list for the first time in its young history after receiving its inaugural full accreditation needed to qualify.

“Our nursing school is clearly garnering attention on the national stage as both its master’s and doctoral programs are making incredible gains in the rankings, and proving to be the best in Florida,” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “And the first-time ranking for our physician assistant program marks a significant milestone. While this USF Health program is still young, its inaugural ranking is among the top third of PA programs across the country. We anticipate further rankings gains as our program continues to develop.”

According to U.S. News, its methodology uses data from expert opinions and statistical indicators when measuring a program’s ranking, examining qualities students and faculty bring to the educational experience and graduates’ achievements linked to their degrees, such as job placement and research impact.

The posted results for USF Health this year include:

• #46 in Medical Schools for Primary Care: The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine improved significantly for U.S. medical schools for primary care, going from #56 last year to #46 this year, and breaking into the top 50 for the first time.
• #50 in Medical Schools for Research: The Morsani College of Medicine continues to rank well among U.S. medical schools for research, ranking at #50 this year.
• #65 in Health Doctoral Programs – Physician Assistant: The Morsani College of Medicine’s Physician Assistant program ranked for the first time, ranked at #65 this year, placing it in the top third of the more than 200 PA programs in the rankings.
• #31 in Nursing for Master’s: The USF Health College of Nursing jumped 11 spots, going from #42 last year to #31 this year, making it the top-ranked public nursing master’s program in Florida.
• #33 in Nursing for DNP: The College of Nursing also continues to improve in its DNP program ranking and skyrocketed into the top 50 for doctoral programs in the country with its 34-spot jump from #67 last year to #33 this year, making it the top-ranked public or private DNP program in Florida.
• #22 in Public Health: The USF Health College of Public Health remains the top-ranked public health program in Florida, with its rank at #22 this year.

U.S. News does not provide new rankings for all graduate programs each year, so the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy maintains its rank of #68, and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences maintains its rank of #49.

More on rankings for other USF graduate programs…

The USF Health College of Nursing has partnered with Port Tampa Bay to create the first-of-its-kind on-site nurse-managed clinical outreach to provide direct care for the thousands of seafarers whose global maritime routes bring them to Port Tampa Bay each year.

Photo courtesy of Port Tampa Bay.

The collaboration will establish a clinic to offer health and wellness services including spiritual and emotional support to the large number of international maritime workers aboard cargo ships — who are at sea for months at a time — while they are in port in Tampa.

“This exciting partnership expands the college’s mission by addressing the health and wellness needs of this critical workforce,” said USF Health College of Nursing Dean Usha Menon. “Not only will nurse practitioner students receive hands-on clinical training, but the Port will receive immediate access to care and expanded access to USF Health specialty providers.”

The partnership agreement allows the College of Nursing to move forward with establishing an on-site clinic in a building currently leased by the Seafarer’s Ministries. The college also plans to develop a global telehealth component that will allow practitioners to provide follow-up care to patients after they have returned to a cargo ship and are out at sea.

The Seafarers Center at Port Tampa Bay: USF Health’s College of Nursing is rehabbing part of the center to serve as a clinic for the maritime community.

“This agreement will establish the first clinic at a U.S. port that offers in-person and telehealth capabilities to improve the health and wellness of the large number of international seafarers who are arriving in Port Tampa Bay,” said Dr. Susan Perry, former Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at USF Health’s College of Nursing, who led the development of this concept.

The College of Nursing in partnership with USF Health, the Seafarer’s Center, and the Port Tampa Bay are focused on eventually expanding the site to provide a nurse-managed primary care clinic to serve the entire Port community.

“Port Tampa Bay is honored to partner with the USF College of Nursing to provide this much-needed service to the seafarers who travel through our port. These hardworking men and women often go more than a month before they can leave their ship and attend to their needs. The ability to receive high-quality medical care at our port will be potentially lifesaving,” explained Paul Anderson, Port Tampa Bay President and CEO.

Over the last three years, the College of Nursing has established a strong collaboration with Port Tampa Bay by helping to establish COVID-19 infection control mitigation standards at the Port, offering best practices in a Return to Work webinar for Port employees, collecting needed toiletries for seafarers, and hosting two on-site clinics to administer COVID-19 vaccinations for Port employees and their families.

“This ground-breaking partnership with the Port Tampa Bay will enhance care for a crucial, yet underserved part of our community,” said Dr. Charles Lockwood, senior vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “I want to commend Gina Rathbun, USF Health’s director of physician and community relations, as well as our terrific College of Nursing leadership team. Although USF Health’s SVP office was not ready three years ago to support Gina’s idea for a similar clinic at the port, her vision has since emerged into this outstanding cooperative agreement between Port Tampa Bay and USF Health’s College of Nursing. Undoubtedly, seafarers and mariners working and arriving in Tampa Bay will receive high-quality and accessible health services, while our nursing students will gain invaluable first-hand clinical experience.”

Gina Rathbun (center) with her daughter Emily Wingate and husband David Rathbun on a visit at Port Tampa Bay.

Port Tampa Bay adjacent to downtown Tampa. Photo courtesy of Port Tampa Bay.

Story by Elizabeth L. Brown, USF Health College of Nursing. Photos of Seafarer Center and Gina Rathbun by Allison Long, USF Health Communications and Marketing.

USF Health students, staff and faculty during a White Coats 4 Black Lives demonstration outside of the USF Health Morsani Center, in June 2020.

In December 2020, Susan Moore, MD, an Indiana physician, died of COVID-19 after alleging she experienced racial discrimination while undergoing treatment at a hospital operated by Indiana University Health System. “Moore’s story of her pain being dismissed reinforces what studies have repeatedly shown: Even taking wealth, education and insurance status into account, Black patients receive worse medical care and face worse outcomes,” a Washington Post article on Dr. Moore’s death said.

Just one month before Dr. Moore’s death, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) shared an article that touched on a 2016 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science which included a survey that revealed that 40% of first- and second-year medical students endorsed the belief that “Black people’s skin is thicker than white people’s.” The study also showed that the trainees who believed this myth were less likely to treat Black people’s pain appropriately.

This article brought to light the continued need for institutions to address racial bias in healthcare starting with health education. USF Health is doing its part by building curriculums that teach the next generation of health care providers about social determinants of health and how to provide value-based and patient-centered care, and recruiting and retaining the diverse educators to teach it.

“Your goal as the practitioner is to truly understand who the patient is and all of the different aspects of the patient which may have some impact on their medical care,” Deborah DeWaay, MD, FACP, associate dean of undergraduate medical education for USF Health Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM), said. “It helps the provider battle unconscious bias because when they individuate patients in their mind, they’re less likely to give biased care.”

In 2016, MCOM started focusing on incorporating course objectives that examine prejudice, assumptions and privilege, such as Safe Zone training and poverty simulation activities. In 2019, Shirley Smith, MA, director of student diversity and enrichment for MCOM, became the College’s integration director for cultural competency. Using the AAMC’s objectives for cultural competency, Smith spent hundreds of hours reviewing the entire MCOM curriculum, and will continue to do so on an annual basis, highlighting places where the objectives were not being met to the highest level. These findings were then presented to the curriculum committee who make the final decision about changes to curriculum and if approved, provide recommendations for moving forward. In addition, Smith provided feedback to faculty about where there may be bias within the didactics. “It’s been really refreshing to have faculty embrace this and leadership like Dr. Lockwood, support this,” Smith said. Students also have the ability to provide real-time feedback to Smith and her team via an anonymous survey. “What we’re really trying to do is not have any judgement attached to the feedback,” Dr. DeWaay said. “We’re trying to create a method for our faculty who are teaching, to deal with their unconscious bias in a safe environment.”

USF College of Public Health Dean Donna Petersen, participating in the 2019 poverty simulation along with other USF Health deans, faculty, staff and students. Pre-Covid Photo.

MCOM is also in the process of partnering with Wake Forest University in North Carolina to create curriculum that can be used at both universities in order to maximize resources and reach more people. This material will become a curricular thread integrated across all four years of medical school which USF MCOM calls Humanism in Action. Smith quoted Bryan Bognar, MD, MPH, vice dean of MCOM educational affairs, when she explained that the important part of this effort is to make sure that they’re “baking things in” and that the curriculum is “not an à la cart menu.” The curriculum teaches students the communication skills necessary to elicit the values of their patients and then integrate those values into the patient’s medical plan. “It’s physically impossible in four years to teach students every single nuance about all the ways a human being or population can be different,” Dr. DeWaay said. “It’s far more important to teach the attitude that they need, the skills to illicit the information from the patient and the skills to keep up on the literature, so that they have the tools that they need moving forward, to take care of any patient that’s in front of them.” According to Smith, the objective is to teach students not to assume anything about their patient, not to project their own values onto the patient and not to deviate from what is fact or what is in the evidence. Janet Roman, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program in the USF Health College of Nursing (CON), added that it’s not just about what question is asked, but about how it is asked. The way a question is worded can be loaded with an assumption and be offensive to the patient. “If you ask me, “Do I have access to healthy food?” now you’re assuming that I don’t,” Dr. Roman said. “If you ask me, “Where do I get my groceries?” then that gives you the answer.”

A taskforce is also being formed to include faculty and students who will help build and implement this new Humanism in Action curriculum and be a resource to faculty for recommendations or feedback on revamping lectures, small groups and activities. One component of change cultivated by the COVID-19 pandemic is the acceptance of virtual guest speakers and virtual learning by students and educators. This will allow for a more diverse representation of speakers to be a part of the courses as well as private, small group activities that can foster more vulnerable discussions. “These beliefs have to be socially unwoven through intentional, meaningful conversations and interactions with depth and the goal is to give students that opportunity,” Smith said. “I’m just planting seeds. I may never see the tree, but I must believe that the possibility is there.”

In January 2020, MCOM earned recognition from the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society for their dedication to diversity and understanding in various patient populations. The medical school was one of two medical schools in Florida to receive an Award for Excellence in Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in Medical Education and Patient Care. The award recognizes medical schools, and their associated AOA chapters, that demonstrate exemplary leadership, innovation, and engagement in fostering an inclusive culture that transforms the ideas of inclusion, diversity and equity into successful programs that support student, staff and faculty diversity in service to the community.

After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, students pleaded for a call to action for faster implementation of changes to the curriculum. “The morbidity and mortality that social determinants of health, systemic racism, and health care disparities have cost people living in this country, far surpasses the toll COVID will take, and yet we’re not tackling it with the same resources,” Dr. DeWaay said. “With COVID hitting, it shows us on a local, regional and national level, what we’re capable of doing when we’re really worried about something.” Fueled by the same passion as the students who have championed these efforts from the very beginning, Smith and Dr. DeWaay returned to the curriculum committee and presented a 15-point, call to action. The committee mandated the plan in June 2020.

Dr. Deborah DeWaay (center), associate dean of undergraduate medical education for USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, with medical students. Pre-Covid Photo.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is increasing evidence that Black, Indigenous and Latinx communities are suffering disproportionately from COVID-19. This is the kind of information that can spark a myth about minorities if the root of the cause is misunderstood. Black Americans are infected with COVID-19 at nearly three times the rate of white Americans and are twice as likely to die from the virus, according to a report from the National Urban League based on data from Johns Hopkins University. This is not because of any biological differences between the two groups, but instead, social determinants of health and systemic racism. This is evident in the report which shows that Blacks are more likely to have preexisting conditions that predispose them to COVID-19 infection, less likely to have health insurance, and more likely to work in jobs that do not accommodate remote work. “Your zip code may be the biggest determinate of your health outcome more than anything else,” Kevin Sneed, PharmD, dean of the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy (TCOP), said.

Understanding these social determinants of health is instrumental in dispelling myths and providing patient-centered care and is another key component of USF Health education. Social determinants of health are conditions in the places where people live, learn, work and play that affects a wide range of health and quality-of life-risks and outcomes. Factors can include a person’s education, financial literacy, discrimination, and access to healthy food and safe places to exercise. Students in the USF Health College of Nursing learn about disease processes such as heart failure, hypertension and diabetes, and at the same time, “we want to point out to students which populations are disproportionately affected and then give them that background on why, so that we can help close that health disparity gap,” Dr. Roman said.

According to Dr. Sneed, one of the most meaningful courses offered at the Taneja College of Pharmacy, one that has been a requirement for first-years ever since the inaugural class of 2011, is the introduction to public health course. The course was developed by the USF Health College of Public Health (COPH), continues to have input from their faculty, and mainly focuses on social determinants of health. “You spotlight that in a course and then when you give the demographics of what that means for these various communities, it really does help broaden the expanse of how people view communities of color and why we do things like Bridge Clinic and Tampa Bay Street Medicine,” Dr. Sneed said. “We’re going to have to push to a different level of comfort, maybe even discomfort for many people in order for it to really take hold.”

A pharmacist has a unique place in the community. “Not everybody has a physician or has health insurance, but anybody can go to CVS and say, “my child has a fever,” Tricia Penniecook, MD, MPH, vice dean for education and faculty affairs for COPH, said. The patient benefits if the pharmacist has a public health world view and can help make decisions that are best for the patient’s situation.

USF College of Pharmacy Dean Kevin Sneed, PharmD, and Tricia Penniecook, MD, MPH, vice dean for education, participating in a Voices in Leadership panel discussion during USF Health Multicultural Week in 2019. Pre-Covid photo.

While colleges of medicine, nursing and pharmacy focus on helping patients where they are downstream, sick that day, public health looks upstream and tries to address what has happened to bring them to that point. Instead of individual-based care, public health professionals look at the care of groups of people in the population and find and fill gaps in their access to health care or the conditions for people to be healthy. That’s why interprofessional education is a critical part of USF Health because both kinds of roles are important. “As part of the discipline of public health, you’re supposed to take care of those who are at a disadvantage,” Dr. Penniecook, said. “The structures and systems in this country have put certain populations immediately at a disadvantage just because of that’s who they are when they are born.”

An integral part of every accredited college of public health in the United States is making sure that students learn about health inequities that are based on disparities. At USF Health’s COPH, students not only have courses specifically on health inequities, but the topic is addressed in every public health course from the undergraduate to the graduate level. Having this thread at every level means that students learn what the basis of those health inequities are, what they look like and how to address them no matter where their career takes them. According to Dr. Penniecook, this means that if the student is going to be working in the community, they’ve learned about community education and teaching people about self-advocacy in the healthcare system; if the student is going to be working within the system, they’ve learned about how to measure and address health inequities; or if the student is going to have a leadership role, they’ve learned about being proactive in looking for ways to solve the health inequities such as policy development.

Prior to COVID-19, COPH started working on an academic master plan. Dr. Penniecook, described an academic master plan as a road map within the strategic initiatives of the institution, that tells you what you need to do academically to get to your goals. In response to the murder of George Floyd, Dr. Penniecook asked Donna Petersen, ScD, MHS, CPH, dean of the USF Health COPH, if they could integrate structural racism into the academic master plan. Just like MCOM’s Dr. Bognar was previously quoted as saying that these changes have to be “baked in” the curriculum, Dr. Penniecook wanted these efforts to combat structural racism to be more strategic and woven into everything they do and who they are, so that it’s more likely to stick. A variety of work groups will be formed to include faculty, staff and students to look at admissions, curriculum, teaching methods, educational spaces and recruitment, and then make recommendations to the college structure. While this master plan is a work in progress and was paused when COVID-19 first hit, Dr. Petersen has already impacted and set the tone for the two freshman courses she teaches as a part of the Master of Public Health program. She has always had a required summer reading list, but this past summer, the entire list was equipped with books on structural racism. In addition, different aspects of structural racism have been the topic of several of the College’s townhall meetings, some lead by students, as well as episodes of the Activist Lab’s Activist Lab on the Road podcast.

An interprofessional student team across the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Public Health, and the School of Physical Therapy, at the 2018 USF Health Research Day. Pre-Covid Photo.

The curriculum used to educate our future health care professionals is only one piece of the puzzle. The faculty who teach it are the other. “Student exposure to those from impoverished backgrounds may occur for the first time when they are in medical school,” Haywood Brown, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, associate dean of diversity for USF MCOM, and vice president for institutional equity for the University of South Florida System, said. “They don’t get that in the classroom because there is so few, diverse faculty teaching the curriculum.” According to a board diversity statement from the American Council on Education (ACE), diversity in university student bodies, faculties and staff, enriches the educational experience, promotes personal growth and a health society, strengthens communities and the workplace, and enhances America’s economic competitiveness. “If you do not have a diverse workforce, the patients don’t benefit as much because you’re learning from each other,” Dr. Brown said.

In November 2020, the USF Health College of Nursing appointed Usha Menon, PhD, RN, FAAN, as the new dean after serving as interim dean of the College since February of that year. According to Dr. Roman, under this new leadership, one of the College’s initiatives is to increase the diversity, equity and inclusion not only in the curriculum, but also in the student, faculty and staff populations. As a part of this initiative, Dr. Menon realigned her senior administrators which included creating a director of diversity role, now filled by Ivonne Hernandez, PhD, RN, IBCLC, assistant professor at the USF CON. “What we are developing now, before we even start recruiting, is a way to retain,” Dr. Roman said. “We are nurse scientists, and we treat our patients and our students by the evidence. We are doing the same thing with diversity, equity and inclusion, and what our data shows is that when we have persons of color, they don’t stay.” CON’s strategic goals include increasing the diversity of research faculty by 35% and of clinical faculty by 10%, by 2023. One retention method coming soon is a mentoring program.

According to Dr. Roman, CON is not making these changes just to check off a box for diversity on a list of requirements. “The College of Nursing is doing a 360,” Dr. Roman said. “We’re changing everything. We are doing the right thing for all people and it’ll be a complete culture change.” A healthy and safe culture and work environment will also help retain high quality, diverse faculty. “We have to reiterate that incivility is not tolerated, and micro and macro aggressions are not tolerated,” Dr. Roman said. “We also have to bring to the forefront what already exists in the University processes for what to do if you feel violated and not to suffer in silence.”

Even outside of the university classrooms, USF Health students are coming together to fight racial disparities in the healthcare system. In August 2020, MCOM became an official chapter of the national White Coats 4 Black Lives. Open to all USF Health students, the goal of the organization is to safeguard the lives and well-being of patients through the elimination of racism. To accomplish this goal, WC4BL and the USF Health chapter look to foster dialogue on racism as a public health concern, end racial discrimination in medical care, and prepare future physicians to be advocates for racial justice. “It’s everyone’s responsibility, but it’s only a priority to some,” Smith said. “For those who make it their priority, we want to give them tools to learn how to engage in these spaces that make it safe for them and make it safe for the other person to have these kinds of courageous conversations. Equipping the next generation of thought leaders so they can change the thoughts out there.”

Dr. Menon brings a wealth of nursing leadership experience and academic achievement to her new role. 

TAMPA, Fla. (Nov 24, 2020) – The University of South Florida has appointed Usha Menon, PhD, RN, FAAN, as new dean of the USF Health College of Nursing and senior associate vice president of USF Health.

Dr. Menon joined USF Health in September 2018 as Professor and Vice Dean of Research for the College, and has served as interim dean of the College since February of this year.

“Dr. Menon brings to this role a wealth of nursing leadership experience and academic achievement,” said Charles Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

“She will be a powerful advocate for interprofessional and evidence-based approaches to nursing across the state. I have great confidence in her leadership and continuing desire to advance USF Health’s pursuit of excellence in education, research and patient care.”

“Though Dr. Menon isn’t entirely new to us, she’s new enough to have fresh perspectives and ideas, and also new enough that we all learned things about her through this process that we didn’t know before,” said Donna J. Petersen, ScD, MHS, CPH, professor and dean of the USF Health College of Public Health, senior associate vice president of USF Health, and chair of the College of Nursing Dean Search Committee.

“Recruited to the College as the associate dean for research, we knew of her accomplishments as a scholar and her passion for nursing science. We were not as aware of her extensive experience in clinical practice, in teaching at all levels, in nursing faculty practice, and in global work. We were impressed by her enthusiasm and her vision for the future, completely undaunted by current events. Her energy was inspiring and beyond being a great choice for the permanent position of dean, her fellow deans of USF Health are delighted by her selection and look forward to co-conspiring in interprofessional, transdisciplinary, and cross-College efforts to “make life better” for all members of our community.”

Dr. Menon will lead more than 230 faculty and staff, 234 volunteer faculty and more than 2,000 nursing students in baccalaureate, master’s, PhD and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. USF College of Nursing tops Florida’s state universities in National Institutes of Health funding for research. The college is also nationally recognized as one of the top veteran-friendly nursing colleges in the nation. Dr. Menon will be the sixth dean of the USF Health College of Nursing since the college was first founded in 1973.

“I am honored to be named dean of the USF Health College of Nursing,” Dr. Menon said. “I am also humbled by the confidence and support of President Currall and Dr. Lockwood as we aim to make the USF Health College of Nursing a top 20 U.S. nursing school. I came to USF to follow my research dreams and I have fallen in love with this college and community. This is such a pivotal time to be a nurse and now more than ever we need to ensure that we are preparing nurses for the frontlines and beyond. We will go forward with an audacious plan to showcase our college’s aspirations and achievements, but I am most excited that our college community is firmly with me in this journey. I am so grateful to lead and work with a dedicated group of faculty, staff, students, alumni and USF community.”

Before joining USF Health, Dr. Menon she served as a tenured Professor and Associate Dean of Research and Global Innovation at the University of Arizona-Tucson, College of Nursing and co-PI of the NIH-funded All of Us Research Program designed to speed up health research and medical breakthroughs by creating a one million person detailed clinical database. She previously served as Vice Dean of the Ohio State College of Nursing.

She received her BSN from Lander University and her MS and PhD in Nursing Science from Indiana University.

Dr. Menon has been consistently funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and national foundations, garnering about $60 million in total research awards.  She has contributed 80 peer review publications and has over 150 presentations at national and international meetings.  She has served on multiple NIH study sections and national society committees. Her primary research interests have been in optimizing cancer screening regimens and reducing racial and ethnic disparities in cancer and other health outcomes.  Her interests in nursing education have focused on increasing diversity of thought, scholarship and innovative curricular elements.  Her global health interests include nursing workforce and curricular development in Ethiopia and India, as well as initiating cervical cancer “screen and treat” programs in sub-Saharan Africa and India.

Dr. Menon is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, a recipient of the NIH National Research Service Award, and an inductee of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. She has been honored as a Top 100 Alumni Legacy Leader by the Indiana University School of Nursing.

The familiar sea of colorful research posters decorated the USF Tampa campus Marshall Student Center ballroom on the morning of Feb. 21. USF Health Research Day 2020 marked 30 years of showcasing the best interdisciplinary scholarly research from students, faculty and staff across all health disciplines.

USF Health Research Day 2020 marked 30 years of showcasing the best interdisciplinary scholarly research from across all health disciplines.

More than 340 poster presentations out of over 400 submissions were on display representing the profound span of research conducted within the colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health and Pharmacy, as well as health-related collaborations with other USF colleges and several hospital affiliates. Research Day is the largest interdisciplinary research event at the University of South Florida, and both spotlights existing collaborations and encourages the formation of new ones.

Presentations ranged from pilot, preliminary, empirical and case studies to systemic reviews and reviews of literature or charts.

Yingwei Yang, doctoral student at the College of Public Health and one of the 12 Joseph Krzanowski Invited Oral Presenters, explains her poster presentation on the co-occurring impact of individual and community risk factors on youth’s perceived safety.

Stephen Liggett, MD, associate vice president for research at USF Health, welcomes attendees to Research Day 2020.

Stephen Liggett, MD, associate vice president for research at USF Health, described the poster presentation room as a “beehive” of activity and said, “the energy that you feel during Research Day is contagious. The enthusiasm that researchers have for their own work creates a special environment.”

The Roy H. Behnke keynote speaker was Allan Levey, MD, PhD, Betty Gage Holland Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology, Emory University, and Director, Emory Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Dr. Levey presented, “Racing to a Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease.” Dr. Levey was excited to participate in USF Health’s Research Day, saying that Emory University does not currently have an event like it.

Deanna Chan discusses her poster presentation with keynote speaker, Allan Levey, MD, PhD.

The Roy H. Behnke keynote speaker was Allan Levey, MD, PhD, who presented on his Alzheimer’s disease research.

Dr. Levey is a neurologist and neuroscientist internationally recognized for his work in neurodegenerative disease. He has more than 270 research publications. His work has contributed to understanding the brain systems and mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and in identifying molecular targets for new therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Levey thinks about his passion for Alzheimer’s research at every graduation he attends. “If we don’t do something quickly, 1 out of every 2 of those graduates is going to develop Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Levey said.

The goal in the USA National Plan is to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025. Dr. Levey urges interdisciplinary collaboration because he believes that what’s needed for Alzheimer’s research is “people from other fields to join and bring fresh ideas.”

Jasmine Carter and Miranda E. Essa, research assistants in the College of Nursing, set up their poster presentation on the adaption of a web-based intervention system specifically for firefighters and first responders.

Jasmine Carter and Miranda E. Essa, research assistants in the College of Nursing and recent USF graduates of psychology, were part of a team of seven whose research focused on tailored messages aimed towards firefighters for the web-based Tailored Intervention Messaging System (TIMS©). TIMS© is an existing intervention designed to increase cancer screening behavior, and the goal of Jasmine and Miranda’s study was to gather information specifically on firefighters to inform the adaption of this web-based intervention system. The chances of getting colorectal cancer, one of the most preventable of all cancers, is very high in a firefighter and first responder’s environment.

“Firefighters risk their lives for others, but it’s also important that they take care of themselves and get screened for colorectal cancer,” Carter said.

This presentation of research was a culmination of eight months of qualitative work into the risks and barriers for why firefighters and first responders often don’t receive annual colorectal screenings. Essa joined Carter at USF Health Research Day 2020 and was excited to see their research come together in a display.

“We are so excited and hyped to show off all this hard work we’ve been doing for the past eight months and to be able to explain it to people,” Essa said. “This is one of the few cancers you can genuinely prevent, so I think it’s really important information to get out there to everyone.”

Charles Lockwood, MD, MHCM, dean of the Morsani College of Medicine and senior vice president of USF Health, learns about Salma S. Abdelmaboud’s team’s research on sigma-1 receptors.

Salma S. Abdelmaboud, a research assistant in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, presented research on the protective effects of the sigma-1 receptor on lymphatic endothelial cells. The study aimed to test the role of sigma-1 in lymphatic endothelial barrier function and explore its influence in lymphatic endothelial bioenergetics. Collectively, the results suggest that sigma-1 might serve as a potential future therapeutic target for the lymphatic system.

“This was my first time presenting my poster,” Abdelmaboud said. “Dr. Lockwood was the first person I presented my poster to, and I’m so happy that the dean liked what I did.” Abdelmaboud is applying for her PhD and is excited about her interview next week.

Byron Cheon, second-year medical student and one of the 12 Joseph Krzanowski Invited Oral Presenters, explains his poster presentation, “Open Data: Novel Uses and Old Ethical Concerns New Again.”

Tampa General Hospital, the primary teaching hospital for USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, ResearchOne and the USF Federal Credit Union, were the sponsors for USF Health Research Day 2020.

After attendees and the 124 volunteer judges had the chance to buzz around all the poster presentations and interact with the participants, the 11th Annual Joseph Krzanowski Invited Oral Presenters took their research to the Oval Theatre stage. Out of the 12 presenters, Kristi Miley, doctoral student, College of Public Health, won the Outstanding Oral Presentation Award for her presentation titled “Evaluation of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV) Winter Activity in Florida.”

Kristi Miley (center), doctoral student, College of Public Health, won the Joseph Krzanowski, PhD Invited Oral Presentations Award. The USF Health Research Day TGH Presenting Sponsor Awards were presented by Sally H. Houston, MD (right), executive vice president and chief medical officer, and Matthew L. Anderson, MD, PhD (left), director of gynecologic oncology research.

The day-long celebration of research concluded with a ceremony announcing top award and certificate winners:

• The Best Poster in the Field of:
  • Cardiovascular Biology
    • Julia Fedorova
  • Immunology and Microbiology
    • Ojas Natarajan
  • Molecular and Cellular Biology
    • Dante Deascanis
  • Neuroscience
    • Yan Yan
  • Other Clinical Research
    • Andrew Sephien
  • Nursing
    • Dorothie Durosier Mertilus
  • Other Basic Research
    • Olivia Hardy

•  Medical Student Research:
  • Year 1, 2 (Basic Science)
    • Vineet Nadkarni
  • Year 1, 2 (Clinical / Translational Science)
    • John Cheng
  • Year 3, 4
    • Alexander Shahin
  • Case Study / Review Award
    • Zachary Makovich

• Student Basic Sciences:
  • Doctoral Student Research
    • Helena Hernandez-Cuervo
  • COPH Doctoral Student Research
    • Nisha Vijayakumar
  • Masters Student Research
    • Mitchell Farmer
  • COPH Masters Student Research
    • Jan Dahrendorff
  • Undergraduate Student Research
    • Alexander Llauget

• Student Clinical / Translational Sciences:
  • Doctoral Student Research
    • Alexandra Cochrane
  • COPH Doctoral Student Research
    • Kenneth Taylor
  • Masters Student Research
    • Amrita Unnikumaran
  • COPH Masters Student Research
    • Emma Hume
  • Undergraduate Student Research
    • Aizara Ermekbaeva

• Post-Doctoral Scholar Research Award
  • Jea-Young Lee

• The Community Research Award (COPH):
  • Doctoral Student Research
    • Marshara Fross
  • Masters Student Research
    • Davies Toluhi

• The USF Health Dean’s Interdisciplinary Research Award
  • Caitlin Wolfe

• The Outstanding Innovations in Medicine Award
  • Zeinab Motawe

• The Outstanding 4th Year Medical Student Poster Award (Presented by Watson Clinic)
  • Yumna Ahmad

• The Dr. Christopher P. Phelps Memorial Fund Annual Morsani College of Medicine Neuroscience Student Travel Award
  • Sara Cazzaro

• The USF Federal Credit Union Best Poster in the Field of Cancer Biology Award
  • Roukiah Khalil

• The Tampa General Hospital Travel Award for Clinical Fellows
  • David Gajzer

• The Tampa General Hospital Outstanding Medical Resident Research Award
  • Evelena Cousin-Peterson

• The Joseph Krzanowski, PhD Invited Oral Presentations Award
  • Kristi Miley

USF bulls pride from the Research Day 2020 award winners.

More highlights from Research Day 2020

-Photos by Freddie Coleman and video by Allison Long, USF Health Communications and Research

Video, photos and article by Allison Long

This summer, Jennifer Krawczyk, MS, APRN, helped USF Health break new ground.

Krawczyk in June 2019 became the first graduate of USF Health’s Advanced Practice Provider Neurological Fellowship, a year-long program aimed at giving advanced practice nurses and physician assistants further expertise in neurosurgery.

Jennifer Krawczyk, MS, APRN, AGACNP-BC, was all smiles near her mother and brother during a celebration of Krawczyk being the first graduate of the advanced practice provider neurosurgical fellowship.

The program, co-administered through USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair and the USF College of Nursing, is the first of its kind in the United States, which weighed on Krawczyk’s decision to apply in 2018.

“The opportunity to pioneer as the first neurosurgical fellow for advance practice providers in the nation was something I couldn’t pass up,” said Krawczyk, who earned her bachelor and master in science degrees from USF in 2014 and 2017, respectively.

She said she chose neurosurgery chiefly because the subject matter was daunting for her.

“Neurosurgery was an area I found challenging,” she said. “What better way to conquer that challenge and reservation about a specialty than to just dive right in?”

As a fellow, Krawczyk was able to experience facets of neurosurgery that advanced practice providers often miss because they typically are working on the floor. She said these experiences helped fine-tune her clinical expertise and provide more in-depth training.

“I think without the fellowship the knowledge and skills I have now would have taken me years to develop,” Krawczyk said.

Jennifer Krawczyk (left), photographed with Harry van Loveren, MD, professor and chairman of USF Health department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, during a celebration for Krawczyk for being the first graduate of the advanced practice provider neurosurgical fellowship.

It is that type of opportunity that persuaded officials with the USF Health’s Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair and the USF College of Nursing to volunteer to be the first specialty to offer this type of fellowship.

“It (the fellowship) had so many potential benefits, we didn’t think twice about participating,” said Harry van Loveren, MD, a USF Health professor and the neurosurgery department’s chairman. “We are extremely proud that (Krawczyk) was the first student to graduate from this program.”

The complex and varied treatments for conditions and diseases associated with neurosurgery also influenced officials to experiment with helping further develop advanced practice providers.

“We started with neurosurgery because it takes a while to become familiar with the nuances,” said Marcia Johansson, DNPO, ARNP, who is a USF Health assistant professor in the College of Nursing as well as director of the Advanced Practice fellowship.  These nuances, Johansson said, “make it very necessary to have some specialty training.”

Jennifer Krawczyk, MS, APR, with a neurosurgery patient at Tampa General Hospital in August 2019.

Based on Krawczyk’s success, the fellowship will continue. Currently, there are three advanced practice fellows participating in the program, including fellows in neurosurgery, oncology (in partnership with the Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute) and otolaryngology.

“They (the advanced care providers) are now ingrained in the systems, they have developed friendships, and they have improved their education,” Dr. Johansson said. “Fellowships are going to become the norm for advanced care providers.”

Advanced practice fellows are hired by USF Health during the year-long program and earn 80 percent of their normal salary as well as benefits.

Krawczyk’s success, ensures the fellowship will continue and future advanced practice provider will be receiving certificates from Marcia Johansson (left), DNP, APRN.

Video and article by Allison Long.

Photos by Freddie Coleman.

The arena erupted in cheers and applause as USF System President Judy Genshaft walked toward the stage for this year’s USF Health Commencement Ceremony – and one of her final commencement exercises.

The May 2 graduation ceremony was among her final as USF President and the students, friends and families at the Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus all showed their gratitude for her 19-year tenure.

The USF Health’s Morsani College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and College of Public Health were represented at the 2019 Spring Commencement held in the Yuengling Center.

“These ceremonies are especially significant for me as this is my last time presiding over commencement as USF President,” Genshaft said, as she welcomed everyone to the ceremony. “Over my 19 years as president I’ve had the honor and the privilege of graduating over 210,000 USF students.”

The 2019 USF Health Commencement featured students graduating with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees representing USF Health’s Morsani College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and College of Public Health. The Morsani College of Medicine will also hold an MD commencement ceremony on May 10.

Dr. Charles J. Lockwood spoke to the graduates and their families at the 2019 Spring Commencement.

In addition to acknowledging the significance of Genshaft’s contributions to USF, the evening ceremony also offered two other milestones: the graduation of the charter class of the Physician Assistant program in the Morsani College of Medicine, and the graduation of the charter class of the Genetics Counseling program in the College of Public Health.

Zachary Ulshafer, Physician Assistant Program graduate, gave the student welcome at the 2019 Spring Commencement.

Kyle Holsted, a 2019 physician assistant graduate, understood the importance of being in the charter class. “It’s nice to set the foundation for USF Health and for the P.A. (physician assistant) program,” he said.

Audrey Heimler received an honorary doctorate in public health for her pioneering work in genetic counseling, and David Eddy, MD, received the President’s Fellow Medallion. Dr. Eddy is a professor for the USF Institute for Advanced Discovery and Innovation.

Also, the College of Public Health featured several award-winning students:

• King O’Neal Scholars: Ved Patel, Kaelan Skinner and Jessica Zelitt
• Golden Bull awardee: Whitney Fung.

USF System President Judy Genshaft and Merritt Martin, USF Alumni Association chair, presented College of Public Health graduate Ved Patel with a King O’Neal Scholar award.

And the College of Nursing also featured several award-winning students:

• King O’Neal Scholars: Loretta Bayer, Laura Rouco and Carly Stagg
• Outstanding Graduate: Roberto Velasco

College of Nursing graduate Loretta Bayer received a King O’Neal Scholar award from Genshaft and Martin.

The USF Health commencement ceremony was one of several Spring commencement exercises across the USF System. With approximately 7,500 degrees expected to be conferred, the 2019 class represents the largest in USF System history. The class features graduates from 50 states, 109 nations and 57 students with a cumulative 4.0 GPA.

Charles Lockwood, MD, MHCM participated in a poverty simulation on Monday, April 1, 2019, at the American Legion Seminole Post #111 in Tampa. Some of the objectives of the simulation was to engage USF Health faculty experience struggles faced by low-income families.

Donna Petersen, ScD, MHS, CPH (facing camera, right) participated in a poverty simulation on Monday, April 1, 2019, at the American Legion Seminole Post #111 in Tampa. Some of the objectives of the simulation was to engage USF Health faculty experience struggles faced by low-income families.

Haru Okuda, MD, USF Health CAMLS executive director and USF Health executive director for interprofessional education and practice, took a photo during a poverty simulation on Monday, April 1, 2019, at the American Legion Seminole Post #111 in Tampa. Some of the objectives of the simulation were to engage USF Health faculty experience struggles faced by low-income families.

Multimedia story by Allison Long.

Several USF Health graduate programs advanced in the recently released U.S. News & World Report rankings, a continuation of steady improvements for USF Health in national rankings across the past five years.

In the U.S. News & World Report 2020 Best Graduate Schools list released last month, the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and College of Nursing both moved up in rank, and the College of Public Health maintained its national spot as the top master’s program in Florida. These important accolades highlight advances USF Health has experienced on the national stage, especially over the past five years.

“Our continued push to offer the best education across health professions has earned us continuous improvement in national rankings for a few years now, offering perhaps the strongest validation of our work,” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “We owe our outstanding faculty and teams of dedicated staff our compliments and gratitude for their efforts – from admissions to graduation and job placement – and for the positive ways they have impacted the journeys of each of our students.”

The USF Health programs are among 17 USF graduate programs that ranked among the top 100 nationwide in the latest U.S. News 2020 Best Graduate Schools rankings.

Advances in both the recent rankings of graduate programs and their performance five years ago touch several USF Health programs.

College of Nursing

Master’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs broke into the top 50 this year.

• #41 Master’s in Nursing
  • Up from #55 last year.
• #41 Doctor in Nursing
  • Up from #66 last year.
  • An improvement of 25 spots.
  • Top DNP program in Florida.
• Over five years:
  • Doctor in Nursing – went from unranked among top 100 listed in 2015 to #41 in 2020.
  • Master’s in Nursing – went from #64 in 2015 to #41 in 2020.

College of Public Health

• #16 Master’s in Public Health
  • Maintained this spot from last year.
  • Top program in Florida.
• Over five years:
  • Master’s in Public Health – went from #21 to #16

Morsani College of Medicine

• #52 Medical School for Research
  • Moved up three spots from last year.
• Over five years:
  • Medical School for Research – went from #78 to #52

For the first time, the exercise brings together students from all USF Health colleges.

Living in the moment is a way of life that countless people strive to achieve, but for those living in poverty, the concept takes on a much more somber meaning. If someone is struggling to make ends meet, their daily life is so stressful that they’re probably not thinking about or planning for the long term.

Every day, health care professionals come face-to-face with patients in poverty and in order to teach students empathy and an understanding of these barriers, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Office of Student Diversity and Enrichment hosts poverty simulations. This training is in its sixth year, but this year is the first with an interprofessional mix of athletic training, medical, nursing, public health, pharmacy, physician assistant, and physical therapy students, as well as residents, and fellows. At the end of 10 sessions provided in the 2018-19 academic year, about 840 people will have participated.

The local American Legion Post donated its community hall to accommodate the large groups of students and volunteers.

Based on a simulation activity from Central Missouri Community Action, participants have the opportunity to experience life in the shoes of a fixed, limited-income family.

Shirley B. Smith, MA, Director of the Office of Student Diversity and Enrichment for MCOM, begins the activity by instructing the group to take it seriously because, “these are real people who have lived this experience.”

The students were assigned to fill various family roles, with identities ranging from seniors living alone to single-parents and blended families. Each family struggles with barriers such as unemployment, disabilities, and transportation. Over the course of a simulated four weeks, the families’ priorities are shelter, electricity, food, and keeping the family together.

The assigned identities range from single seniors living alone to single parents and blended families. Some are recently unemployed or struggling with disabilities.

A variety of resources are offered to the families by volunteers stationed around the community center room.  The volunteers simulate the roles of bankers, grocery store clerks, hospital staff, social service workers, and a pawn broker. Over the course of the activity, participants may run out of time or money, or even just forget to pay rent or buy groceries. One family was visited by law enforcement after she forgot to pick up her child from day care. Another family pawned their furniture for extra money. At least three families were evicted.

“This experience gives insight to health care workers, because sometimes we don’t know what is going on in a patient’s life and how it’s affecting their treatment or compliance,” said Brolivia Harvey, an adjunct faculty member in the College of Nursing.

Volunteers staff the resource tables that represent businesses such as banks, groceries, social service agencies, pawn brokers, and quick cash operators.

Participants without private transportation have to budget for public transportation passes needed to get to each resource station.

Just like in real life, when the rent is not paid, families are evicted.

At the end of the interprofessional education simulation, the participants sit down for a debrief. More than half of the students raised their hands when asked if they felt stressed or anxious during the experience. One student shared that she felt a “sense of insecurity” the entire experience and how you don’t realize the mental health strain it’s having on you or your children.

“I think the poverty simulation made everyone more aware of the struggles that people go through. We saw how much had to be accomplished in one day and that someone living in poverty may have to choose to pay rent instead of buy their medication,” said Rumour Piepenbrink, a first-year public health student.

“It was an eye-opening and humbling experience. I felt an array of emotions from frustration to gratitude for what I have,” said Ashley Reed, a fourth-year nursing student.

First-year public health student Rumour Piepenbrink visits the payday advance quick cash station.

Fourth-year nursing student Ashley Reed speaks with the volunteers at the simulated hospital.

During debrief, the group discussed how they can apply the lessons they learned from the poverty simulation to their health care careers:

• Don’t judge your patients.
• You have to consider the situation your patient is coming from to best help them.
• Be aware of local resources to refer a patient in need.
• Besides providing a resource to help a patient right now, empower them for the future.
• Teach patients the importance of long-term health.
• Physician burnout can happen when you do not deal with not being able to help everyone.

“Don’t ever get to the point where you’re numb to the poverty or problems of the people in the community,” said Priscilla Perez, a case manager for Positive Spin, a community-based social service agency that assists children and families to live healthy, and long-time poverty simulation community partner. “Helping a patient is more than just taking care of the reason for their visit,” she added.

Students are not the only ones participating in the poverty simulation. A session in April will include USF Health leadership and faculty.

“At USF Health, we are committed to preparing health professionals who recognize the importance of interprofessional team-based care, not only in the clinical setting but also in working together to address the social determinants of health in the communities we serve. Engaging our faculty in this intensive training will help us be better teachers and encourage us to recognize and emphasize the important role that every member of the team plays, including our patients and our community partners,” said Donna Petersen, ScD, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Public Health.

USF Health students, residents, and fellows debrief after the poverty simulation.

-Multimedia story by Torie Doll.