USF Pediatrics is ranked #1 in the nation for NIH funding. USF Ob/Gyn is #10.

The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine colleges and several of its departments improved their rankings in the latest reports from the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research (BRIMR) annual tabulations of total funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

• The Department of Pediatrics ranked #1 in 2015, up from #2 last year.
• The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine ranked #48 among the 139 medical schools with NIH funding in 2015, up from #63 last year.
• The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology ranked #10 in 2015, with no ranking last year.
• The USF Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology ranked #37 in 2015, up from #49 last year.

In addition, the USF College of Nursing ranked #24 among 66 institutions with NIH funding in 2015, up from #43 last year.

Based on the BRIMR methodology, NIH funding to USF Health colleges totaled $87.5 million in 2015. There were increases in funding throughout the College of Medicine. Of particular note are the awards made to Jeffrey Krischer, PhD, Distinguished University Health Professor and his team. Dr. Krischer’s NIH-funded research in the BRIMR report totals more than $64 million, making him the #1 highest funded principal investigator in the world.

Dr. Krischer oversees the Data Coordinating Center of the USF’s Health Informatics Institute. The center coordinates, analyzes and maintains research data from several large clinical networks investigating the causes and outcomes of type 1 diabetes, including TEDDY, TrialNet, TRIGR and DPT-1, and of rare diseases.

“These enhanced rankings show solid progress for USF Health in the past two years and are a direct result of our increasingly laser-like focus on, and ongoing success in,  garnering NIH funding,” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “For our Morsani College of Medicine, this is our best performance on record. We have now increased from #88 in 2013 to #63 in 2014 to #48 among U.S. medical schools in 2015. However, we have much work to do to maintain these gains and advance further.  The opening of the new USF Health Heart Institute in a thriving amenity-rich waterfront location in downtown Tampa proximate to our nationally ranked cardiology and cardiac surgery programs at Tampa General Hospital should accelerate our success in obtaining additional NIH funding.”

“This ranking is a credit to our outstanding scientists, faculty and staff who, together, form an incredible team that is passionate about transforming healthcare through research,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, senior associate vice president for USF Health and dean of the USF College of Nursing. “I am so proud of each and every one of them who devote their energies, creativity, and experience to furthering the science of nursing and making the USF College of Nursing one of the premier institutions in the world.”

The BRIMR rankings provide an annual look at how institutions and science departments fared in attaining much-coveted federal funding from the NIH.

Only about a decade old – around the time the NIH stopped tallying and ranking schools and departments by their funding totals – the Blue Ridge rankings were started. Retired professor of biochemistry and molecular biology Robert Roskoski, Jr., began synthesizing the NIH data tables into an annual set of reports ranking colleges who typically garner NIH funding and the basic science and clinical departments typically found in colleges of medicine who get NIH funding.

Like other national rankings, the annual reports have quickly become a much-used data point for NIH funded programs across the country.

An interdisciplinary team led by Dr. Cecile Lengacher will study whether mindfulness-based stress reduction reduces chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment

Tampa, FL (July 14, 2015) –The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded more than $2.8 million to the  University of South Florida College of Nursing to study memory and concentration among breast cancer survivors using a meditation-based stress reduction intervention.

Cecile Lengacher, PhD, professor and pre-doctoral fellowship program director at the USF College of Nursing, will lead a team of researchers from USF Health and Moffitt Cancer Center to study the “Efficacy of MBSR treatment of cognitive impairment among breast cancer survivors.” Dr. Lengacher and her team will study 300 breast cancer survivors from Moffitt Cancer Center and the USF Health Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare.

Cecile Lengacher, PhD

During the five-year study, researchers will evaluate mindfulness-based stress reduction for breast cancer (MBSR (BC)) to determine if the intervention improves objective and subjective cognitive functioning among breast cancer survivors. This non-pharmacological stress reduction program involves group interaction and practice techniques, including sitting and walking meditation, yoga and body scan. Researchers will use a three-group randomized design to test the outcome and will deliver it in English and Spanish. Dr. Lengacher has used MBSR (BC) in a previous study, and preliminary data showed positive results.

Breast cancer survivors will participate in a six-week intervention and will be assessed at baseline, six weeks, 12 weeks and six months. The assessments will include clinical histories, demographics, objective neuropsychological and subjective cognitive tests, symptom measurements and blood samples.

“Breast cancer survivors who have undergone chemotherapy and radiation often experience a condition called chemo brain, which effects memory and concentration,” Dr. Lengacher said. “Our goal is to test MBSR (BC) in a randomized controlled trial to determine if the intervention is an effective treatment for memory and cognitive functioning. Positive results would increase quality of life for survivors and provide evidence for better, more effective and less costly treatment of this condition.”

According to American Cancer Society (ACS), there are currently about 14.5 million cancer survivors in the United States. More than 25 percent suffer from a “mental fog” or chemo brain. ACS shows that survivors may have cognitive impairment problems six months to 10 years after treatment.

Dr. Lengacher will conduct the study with a team of researchers from USF Health and Moffitt Cancer Center, including Kevin Kip, PhD, distinguished USF Health professor; Carmen Rodriguez, PhD, assistant professor at USF Nursing; Branko Miladinovic, PhD, assistant professor at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Richard Reich, PhD, associate professor at USF Sarasota-Manatee; Hongdao Meng, PhD, associate professor at the USF School of Aging Studies; and Heather Jim, PhD, and Jong Park, PhD, researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center.

“We’re excited to receive this significant grant from NIH to study breast cancer survivors,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing. “I’m proud to lead a college that’s transforming health care and transforming lives.”

The study is supported by NCI, part of National Institute of Health (NIH). NCI supports cancer research, training, health, and information dissemination. NCI is part of NIH’s 27 institutes and centers that support and conduct clinical and basic science research on health and illness. For more information about NIH and NCI visit http://www.cancer.gov/.

-USF Health-
USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

Media contact:
Vjollca “V” Hysenlika, College of Nursing Communications
(813) 974-2017, or vhysenli@health.usf.edu

Dr. Maureen Groer leads a group of USF Health researchers in a five-year study examining the connection between digestive tract microbes and health and development

Tampa, FL (June 18, 2015) –The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) has awarded more than $2.7 million to University of South Florida College of Nursing to study preterm infants’ gut microbiome and its effect on their growth and development.

Maureen Groer, PhD, Gordon Keller professor at USF College of Nursing, will lead a team of USF Health researchers to study “The preterm infant microbiome: Biological, behavioral and health outcomes at two and four years of age.” During this five-year research project, Dr. Groer and her team will study 100 low birth weight infants through age 4.

The microbiome is the DNA extracted from the population of bacteria and other microorganisms living in the human gut.

Maureen Groer, PhD, Gordon Keller professor at USF College of Nursing, is principal investigator of the study analyzing stool samples over time to test for any links between microbes in the digestive tract and preterm infants’ growth and health outcomes.

The USF study will help measure and evaluate the preterm babies’ development, health and growth over time to discover if there is a direct relationship to the gut microbiome. The researchers will analyze preterm babies’ stool samples, collected for a previous NIH-funded study on feeding and health outcomes led by Dr. Groer. That earlier study examined stool samples obtained over the infants’ six-week stays in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). For the new study, researchers will collect more samples from these same infants at ages 2 and 4.

“The gut microbiome is in most cases established at three years old – except in those who may have an abnormal gut microbiome,” Dr. Groer said. “Previous research shows that the gut microbiome has a direct relationship with brain neurochemistry, behavior, metabolism and the development of the immune system. So, there is a variety of behavior, allergic and autoimmune diseases including Crohn’s disease, autism, diarrhea and obesity that may be related to disruption of the gut microbiome.”

Dr. Groer will conduct the study with a leading team of USF Health researchers including Terri Ashmeade, MD, associate professor at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics and NICU director at Tampa General Hospital; Larry Dishaw, PhD, assistant professor at USF Pediatrics; Ming Ji, PhD, professor at USF Nursing; Kathleen Armstrong, PhD, professor at USF Pediatrics; and Elizabeth Miller, PhD, assistant professor at the USF Department of Anthropology.

The children’s microbiome samples will be measured at the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) by Jack Gilbert, PhD, associate professor and environmental microbiologist at the ANL Department of Ecology and Evolution. Maternal stool samples will be analyzed in the USF College of Nursing’s state-of the-art bio-behavioral laboratory.

The latest NIH study will be conducted by a multidisciplinary team of USF researchers from across nursing, medicine and anthropology.

According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, preterm births affect one out of nine infants born in the United States. Preterm births are the number one cause of death in infants and the leading cause of long-term neurological disabilities and developmental health problems in children.

“We’re excited to lead the way in this research,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing. “I’m proud to be part of a college that conducts research that makes life better for people locally, regionally and nationally.”

The study is supported by NINR, part of National Institute of Health (NIH). NINR helps promote and improve the health of individuals, families and communities. NINR is part of NIH’s 27 institutes and centers that support and conduct clinical and basic science research on health and illness. For more information about NIH and NINR visit www.ninr.nih.gov. 

-USF Health-
USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

Media Contact:
Vjollca “V” Hysenlika, College of Nursing Communications
(813) 974-2017, or vhysenli@health.usf.edu

New USF College of Nursing ranking reported in Military Times

Tampa, FL (May 15, 2015) – The University of South Florida College of Nursing has been named the number 1 veteran-friendly nursing school in the nation, Military Times reports in a supplement to its Best for Vets series of survey-based rankings. USF gets top billing by College Factual in a separate computer-based ranking of the top 10 veteran-friendly colleges for a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Published earlier this week in Military Times, the ranking is based on such factors as affordability, size of the college’s veteran population and commitment to veteran-related programs. The description notes that USF “offers a special nursing degree for veterans who have trained as medics” —  the federally-funded College of Nursing program known as V-CARE, led by Rita D’Aoust, PhD, associate dean of academic affairs and interprofessional initiatives.

L to R: Charlotte Symonds and Chad Koerlin, students in the USF Health Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Program with LaSonya D. Malbrough, DNP, CRNA, USF assistant professor of nursing. — Photo by Ashlea Bailey, USF College of Nursing, 2012.

To increase collaboration across several military-focused projects, the college implemented the Research and Education to Rehabilitate and Restore the Lives of Veterans (RESTORE LIVES) initiative. To encourage a military-friendly culture, the college designed Challenge coins to recognize college and community members for their military service. A military liaison was also appointed to enhance partnerships with organizations serving veterans and those on active duty.

“We’re extremely proud of the endless opportunities we’ve created for veterans, service members and their families in all areas including research, education and clinical practice,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing. “This recognition proves that we’re heading in the right direction.”

Through RESTORE LIVES, the College of Nursing created several programs to benefit the military population. These include V-CARE, a bachelor’s degree building upon military health care training and experience, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), a research initiative investigating a promising technique to treat military service members and veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including sub-studies related to women in combat. The college also holds an annual Joining Forces to Restore Lives national conference, which will be held this fall in Cumbria, United Kingdom.

To learn more about USF Nursing’s veterans initiatives watch video here. 

-USF Health-
USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

Tampa, FL (Nov. 10, 2014) – U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis will discuss efforts by the federal government and U.S. Congress to provide treatment services for veterans on Monday, Nov. 17, at a national conference hosted by University of South Florida College of Nursing. The 3^rd Annual JOINING FORCES TO RESTORE LIVES conference, which focuses on nursing education, practice and research in veterans’ health, will be held at the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) in downtown Tampa.

Rep. Bilirakis will also discuss his proposed Creating Options for Veterans’ Expedited Recovery (COVER) Act, legislation that would examine the Department of Veterans Affairs current therapy model and how it might incorporate complementary alternative therapies.

Following the talk by Rep. Bilirakis, the college will hold a special presentation on treatment approaches to alleviate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military service members and veterans, including Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). This therapy is a promising, brief treatment for PTSD currently being studied at the USF College of Nursing.

The presentation will be led by Colonel A. P. Finnegan, PhD, RN, FRCN, L/QARANC, professor of nursing and head of the academic department of military nursing at Royal Centre for Defense Medicine; Kevin Kip, PhD, FAHA, distinguished professor and executive director for research center at USF Nursing; and Diego Hernandez, PsyD, licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor at USF Nursing.

“The USF College of Nursing is thrilled to join forces with other nursing leaders and experts around the country to help meet the needs of veterans, service members and their families,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing.

This conference is part of USF Nursing’s commitment to support the Joining Forces campaign, a comprehensive national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to support and honor America’s service members and their families. Attendees will include global nursing executives, scientists, faculty, researchers, educators, advanced practice nurses and registered nurses interested in supporting veterans’ health education and research.

For more information on the event visit the USF College of Nursing website: Jfrlconference.health.usf.edu.

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

Media contact:
Vjollca “V” Hysenlika, College of Nursing Communications
(813)974-2017, or  vhysenli@health.usf.edu

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=5evxbZjaXYY

Tampa, FL (Sept. 25, 2014) – The University of South Florida College of Nursing has partnered with Hillsborough Community College (HCC) to offer a concurrent bachelor’s degree in nursing. This is a first-of-its-kind partnership between USF and HCC.

The partnership allows students to simultaneously enroll in HCC’s associate degree in nursing (ASN) and USF College of Nursing’s bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). Qualified students will be able to complete both an ASN and BSN in an accelerated manner from USF and HCC.

The concurrent degree takes effect immediately, with all courses taught online.

“We are absolutely thrilled about the partnership between USF College of Nursing and HCC,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, senior associate vice president of USF Health and Dean of the College of Nursing. “This is a collaboration that is vitally needed by the community, state and country to fill the gap of nurses with baccalaureate degrees.”

USF College of Nursing students in the bachelor’s degree program.

This ASN to BS degree will allow individuals who meet the qualifications to enroll at both institutions simultaneously. Students can begin taking courses at USF after they complete their first semester at HCC.

“Rather than competing or duplicating with HCC, we chose to collaborate and leverage each other’s resources to meet the needs of our community,” said Rita D’Aoust, PhD, ACNP, ANP-BC, CNE, FAANP, FNAP, associate professor and associate dean for academic affairs and interprofessional initiatives at the USF College of Nursing. “Through this collaboration, HCC students will have the opportunity to learn in a high-tech environment and take classes taught by world-class faculty at the USF College of Nursing.”

HCC serves more than 47,000 students on five different campuses. The community college offers more than 160 academic programs including a two-year nursing degree. HCC is the largest community college feeder to USF.

“Providing HCC nursing students with concurrent enrollment at USF is just one of the many examples of our efforts to expand educational opportunities for our students,” said Ken Atwater, PhD, president of Hillsborough Community College. “This collaboration between HCC and USF will provide expanded clinical opportunities for students, enabling them to gain valuable work experience and ensuring their placement into the USF bachelor’s degree program.”

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

-Hillsborough Community College-

Hillsborough Community College serves more than 46,000 students annually at five campuses and three centers throughout Hillsborough County. HCC is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Media Contact:
Vjollca “V” Hysenlika, College of Nursing Communications
(813)974-2017, or  vhysenli@health.usf.edu

Video produced by Vjollca Hysenlika and shot and edited by Jose Donneys, USF Nursing Communications.
Photo by Ashlea Bailey, USF College of Nursing

Tampa, FL (Aug. 13, 2014) – Distinguished University of South Florida Health Professor, Kevin Kip, PhD, FAHA, has been appointed to the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Committee to review the health effects in Vietnam War veterans of exposure to herbicides. Dr. Kip is an epidemiologist and biostatistics professor and the executive director of the research center at the USF College of Nursing.

Kevin Kip, PhD

Dr. Kip joins a prestigious group of epidemiologists, statisticians and physicians to review scientific and medical literature on veterans’ exposure to herbicides during their service in Vietnam. The group will help determine the short and long-term health consequences to the veterans of herbicides, chemicals used to destroy certain vegetation. Dr. Kip’s 18-month long appointment runs Aug. 1, 2014 through March 12, 2016. The committee meets four times over the course of the project.

“This appointment is an honor and a privilege,” Dr. Kip said. “It’s gratifying to be chosen and entrusted by a respected organization such as IOM to represent the public, our veterans and service members to review the evidence in a fair and unemotional way – and come to an appropriate judgment.”

IOM is a non-profit organization which helps provide unbiased and authoritative advice to the U.S. government and the private sector to make health related decisions. IOM was established in 1970 as part of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Dr. Kip’s appointment to this prestigious IOM committee comes as no surprise,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing. “He is a respected scientist and professor who is revolutionizing PTSD research among veterans and service members and is a key contributor to the college’s extensive veterans and military research and education initiatives. We are honored to have him.”

 Dr. Kip has extensive experience directing observational epidemiological studies and clinical trials principally in the areas of cardiovascular diseases and psychotherapy. His research expertise includes complementary and alternative medicine, gastroenterology, epidemiological methods, and veterans’ health. His research onAccelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), a brief treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for military service members and veterans, has attracted national and international headlines for its promising results.

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

The research suggests Accelerated Resolution Therapy may be an option for veterans who do not respond optimally to conventional therapies endorsed by the Department of Defense and VA

Tampa, FL (Dec. 2, 2013) –Accelerated Resolution Therapy, or ART, is a brief, safe, and effective treatment for combat-related symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans and U.S. service members, researchers at University of South Florida College of Nursing report in a new study. They found this newer treatment — a combination of evidence-based psychotherapies and use of eye movements — was shorter and more likely to be completed, than conventional therapies formally endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration.

The findings appear online today in advance of December’s print issue of Military Medicine, the international journal of AMSUS.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_bi0eW_WsU

Kevin Kip, PhD, FAHA, professor and executive director for the Research Center at the USF College of Nursing, led the team of scientists and clinicians who conducted the first randomized controlled trial of ART in a military population. The trial enrolled 57 service members and veterans, primarily from the Tampa Bay area.

“Based on this trial and an earlier study completed at the USF College of Nursing, we believe that accelerated resolution therapy may provide the quickest way to effectively and safely treat post-traumatic stress disorder,” Dr. Kip said. “Our goal is to obtain enough evidence and interest to warrant classifying ART as a potential first-line treatment for PTSD among both civilian and military personnel.”

“Dr. Kip’s work on this project has been phenomenal,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, senior associate vice president of USF Health, and dean of the College of Nursing. “ART has been a cornerstone of RESTORE LIVES at USF Nursing as we continue developing research and education to advance the health care received by veterans, service members and their families.”

ART works in two phases to alleviate psychological trauma symptoms and related disorders such as depression and anxiety.

The patient first visualizes in his or her mind a prior traumatic experience which typically elicits uncomfortable physiological sensations like tightness of the chest, increased heart rate and sweating.  Then, through talk therapy and a series of rapid left-to-right eye movements in which the patient follows the clinician’s hand back and forth, the sensations are minimized. In the second phase, and with similar clinician input, the patient “replaces” the distressing images they have seen with positive ones in a way that the original distressing images can no longer be accessed. ART is delivered in two to five one-hour sessions, requires no homework, and no written or verbal recall of the traumatic experience.

Diego F. Hernandez, PsyD (left), a licensed clinical psychologist, demonstrates Accelerated Resolution Therapy, as veteran Brian Anderson follows his hand movements.

“Through this therapy, we’re able to quiet down and separate physiological symptoms that come with re-envisioning a traumatic experience,” Dr. Kip said. “We can also alter or replace the traumatic images and add positive material to them. We are changing how images are remembered in the brain.”

It worked well for Brian Anderson, a former Green Beret, 10-year Army veteran and director of the Pasco County Veteran Services and Stand Down program.  He had tried an endorsed first-line PTSD treatment known as prolonged exposure therapy, which was very lengthy and worked for a while, but then symptoms like hyper-vigilance returned.

“ART changed my life,” Anderson said. “This brief therapy took the bad memories that constantly resurfaced and put them in the proper order or long-term storage; it was almost like I was thinking about a time in history. As a veteran, I would much rather go through a therapy that works, in only a few sessions, than sit through intensive and grueling sessions that last as long as 16 weeks.”

In this study, researchers compared ART to a non-therapeutic PTSD treatment called attention control (AC) regimen. Clinicians treated half of the 57 study participants (29) with ART, and the other half (28) received AC, which consisted of either physical fitness assessment and planning or career assessment and planning. After initial treatment, both groups received a three-month follow-up assessment.

“Before and after these interventions, we compared the response analyzing reductions in PTSD symptoms, depression and anxiety, and the results were very impressive,” Dr. Kip said. “In an average of less than four ART sessions, participants had very substantially reduced symptoms of PTSD, while those who received AC did not.”

After the AC regimen, all veterans had the opportunity to receive ART, and in the full study, 94 percent completed treatment. Favorable results persisted at three months.

Kevin Kip, PhD, executive director for the Research Center at the University of South Florida College of Nursing, led the team of scientists and clinicians who conducted the first randomized controlled trial of ART in a military population.

The USF College of Nursing recently began its fourth and largest ART study. Researchers will recruit 200 veterans and service members suffering from PTSD, including a high representation of those who were sexually abused or previously treated with other PTSD therapies. They will also study the cost-effectiveness of ART, and further examine how and why the therapy works.

PTSD is a prevalent, disabling disorder that can emerge following a life-threatening event or traumatic experience. Those experiences create chronic symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, sleep disturbances, mood swings, and loss of interest in life. According to PTSD Foundation of America, one in three troops returning from combat suffers PTSD symptoms, although less than 40 percent seek help. The organization also reports that at least five active duty military members attempt suicide every day.

“Accelerated resolution therapy is giving hope to many veterans who felt like they had no hope,” said Lt. Col. (Ret.) Lawrence A. Braue, EdD, director of the USF Office of Veterans Services. “I look forward to the day when this treatment is widely available across the country. USF College of Nursing faculty and staff genuinely care about our veterans, and that means the world to any veteran.”

For more information about ART or current studies visit USF College of Nursing’s RESTORE LIVES.

Article citation:
“Randomized Controlled Trial of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) for Symptoms of Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),” by Kip, Kevin E.; Rosenzweig, Laney; Hernandez, Diego F.; Shuman, Amy; Sullivan, Kelly L.; Long, Christopher J.; Taylor, James; McGhee, Stephen; Girling, Sue Ann; Wittenberg, Trudy; Sahebzamani, Frances M.; Lengacher, Cecile A.; Kadel, Rajendra; and Diamond, David M; Military Medicine, Vol. 178, No. 12, December 2013, pp. 1298-1309(12)

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 43rd  in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

-RESTORE LIVES at USF NURSING-

Through ‘RESTORE LIVES AT USF: Education and Research to Rehabilitate and Restore the Lives of Veterans, Service Members and their Families’, USF College of Nursing faculty develop life enhancing treatments through nursing research, and educate nurses with the knowledge and skills specific to the needs of the military, veterans and their families. The ART study is an example of type of innovative research that the USF College of Nursing is developing to improve the health of our honored service members and veterans.

Video and photos by Andy Faza, USF College of Nursing Communications 

Media Contact:
Vjollca “V” Hysenlika, College of Nursing Communications
(813)974-2017 or vhysenli@health.usf.edu

This is the College’s second annual B.E.A.R.S. campaign —  the cuddly teddy bears are a hit at Tampa Bay hospitals

Tampa, FL (Dec. 3, 2013) –This holiday season, the University of South Florida College of Nursing are delivering 800 cuddly brown teddy bears to children in Tampa Bay area hospitals to help brighten their stays.

For the second consecutive year, more than 75 students, faculty, alumni, and staff are personally bringing the teddy bears wearing USF Nursing uniforms to pediatric patients as part of the USF College of Nursing Bulls Encouraging and Assisting through Research and Scholarship (B.E.A.R.S.) program. The college started B.E.A.R.S. to encourage alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends to support the college while sharing a little joy with Tampa Bay area children.

USF nursing students deliver one of their signature teddy bears to a pediatric patient at Tampa General Hospital.

Volunteers are delivering the teddy bears to children at the following hospitals:

• Mease Countryside Hospital – Friday, Nov. 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital – Monday, Dec. 2, 2 to 4 p.m.
• Tampa General Hospital – Tuesday, Dec. 3, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Florida Hospital Tampa – Wednesday, Dec. 4, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Morton Plant Hospital – Thursday, Dec. 5, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Sarasota Memorial Hospital – Friday, Dec. 6, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“The B.E.A.R.S. initiative demonstrates USF College of Nursing as a positive force in Tampa Bay in partnership with our hospital and corporate partners, allowing us to fund new research and scholarship,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing.

Students distributed 100 donated teddy bears to children at Tampa General Hospital on Dec. 3 as part of the USF College of Nursing’s second annual B.E.A.R.S. program.

Students fan out to deliver the boxed bears to patient rooms.

Last year, the College of Nursing delivered over 300 bears to children at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Florida Hospital Tampa, Tampa General Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. As a result, the College received the 2013 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence Bronze Award for making a long-lasting impact in the community and helping transform health care and quality of life in the Tampa Bay region.The teddy bears were generously donated both years by college supporter Christopher J. Davis, president of LAD Enterprises, Inc. This collaboration ensures 100 percent of B.E.A.R.S program funds support USF College of Nursing strategic priorities in research and scholarship. To date, sponsorship of the bears by the college’s community of donors has raised more than $11,000.

“The B.E.A.R.S. program’s success is a direct result of the outpouring of charitable support from College of Nursing’s alumni and friends as well as the teamwork and generous time committed by faculty, staff, and students,” said Don Snyder, assistant director of Alumni Relations at USF College of Nursing.

The donated teddy bears are charitable gifts that contribute to the USF Unstoppable, a comprehensive fundraising effort by the University of South Florida to celebrate the energy, vision and future of one of the country’s most exciting and engaged universities.

College of Nursing Dean Dianne Morrison-Beedy, far left, showed her support for USF and the college’s B.E.A.R.S. initiative during a delivery to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital earlier this year.

For information on how to participate in the B.E.A.R.S. program, visit www.usfnursingbears.com.

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

USF receives largest of nine federal grants for veterans’ baccalaureate nursing programs

Tampa, FL (Sept. 25, 2013) – Military medics hone their medical skills in combat, supporting humanitarian operations and serving in hospitals and clinics across the world.  Now, bolstered by a $1.25-million federal grant, the University of South Florida will offer veterans and service members the opportunity to earn a bachelor of science degree in nursing through a program that builds upon their military healthcare training and experience.

The USF College of Nursing was one of nine institutions across the country awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, to create a Veterans’ Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Program. USF’s fully funded, four-year grant was the largest of the nine.

L to R: USF College of Nursing’s John Clochesy, PhD, professor of nursing; Alicia Rossiter, MSN, ARNP, military liaison, and project director Rita D’Aoust, PhD, associate dean of academic affairs and interprofessional initiatives, are members of the grant project team building the Veterans’ Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing program.

USF created the baccalaureate program, which the College of Nursing has named the Creating Access to Registered Nurse Education for Veterans, or V-CARE. The program will facilitate a more efficient pathway from veteran, to student, to career nursing professional, awarding a certain amount of credit for previous military training and service.

The College expects to begin with 12 to 24 students in Fall 2014, and plans to enroll 120 veterans and service members, including reservists, over four years.

“The V-CARE program will creatively address several critical national challenges — a significant shortage of registered nurses, the underemployment of veterans, and increased patient demand for access to care,” said project director Rita F. D’Aoust, PhD, ANP-BC, CNE, FAANP, FNAP, associate dean for academic affairs and director for interprofessional initiatives at the USF College of Nursing.

These challenges are particularly pressing in Florida, a state projected to have the largest shortage of RNs (almost 130,000 jobs) in the Eastern United States by 2030, according to the U.S. Registered Nurse Workforce Report Card and Shortage Forecast.

“We want to tap the expertise of a growing supply of medically-trained veterans to help address the nation’s nursing workforce needs while expanding Americans access to high-quality care,” Dr. D’Aoust said. “USF’s V-CARE model will help fill important gaps for highly skilled registered professional nurses in Florida and our nation by capitalizing on the valuable skills and experiences that veterans can bring to our healthcare delivery system.”

Rita D’Aoust, PhD, says the tailored educational program will capitalize on the valuable skills and experiences that veterans can bring to the healthcare delivery system.

“The USF College of Nursing has a long history of supporting our nation’s service members, veterans and their families with innovative educational programs and partnerships tailored to meet the complex needs of this population,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing. “This new program will build upon the strengths of our existing links with the USF Office of Veterans’ Affairs, our clinical collaborations with leading healthcare and VA agencies, our partnerships with key personnel at military bases, and our strategic focus on military and veterans’ health.”

V-CARE supplements the College of Nursing’s ongoing strategic priority known as RESTORE LIVES, which focuses on evidence-based research and education programs to train a nursing workforce that can help veterans and service members overcome psychological stress and other combat-related health problems.

The College of Nursing and USF Health are integral to the University of South Florida’s commitment to successfully reintegrate those leaving active military duty into civilian life.

USF ranks fourth among the country’s most veteran-friendly four-year colleges by Military Times magazine, and was recently named by GI Jobs magazine in the top 15 percent of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide as a Military Friendly School.

“USF is clearly one of the best colleges in the nation for students who are veterans or serving in the military,” said Larry Braue, EdD, director of veterans services at USF. “The College of Nursing is building an educational ladder that will contribute to the success of  USF’s student veterans’ by providing those rich in life experiences and military medical service with the opportunity to pursue their dream of becoming a nurse.”

For more information on V-CARE, please contact Alicia Gill Rossiter, MSN, ARNP, military liaison for the USF College of Nursing, at arossite@health.usf.edu.

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

Media contact:
Ashlea Bailey,  USF College of Nursing Communications
(813)396-9642, or ahudak@health.usf.edu