In the video above, USF Health leaders and frontline workers look back on the successes, challenges and emotions they experienced while dealing with an incredibly challenging year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Their stories include developing testing supplies now used around the world, creating programs aimed at treating vulnerable populations and helping rapidly develop and roll out vaccines against the disease, which Dr. Charles Lockwood, MD, Dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine said “rivals the moon landing.”

USF Health College of Nursing vice dean Denise Maguire, PhD, administers a vaccine shot.

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 COVID-19 pandemic is having a lasting impact on the way we live, work and interact. Watch Dr. Bryan Bognar, vice dean of the Morsani College of Medicine Department of Medical Education, discuss USF Health’s medical education successes and challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is having a lasting impact on the way we live, work and interact. Watch Dr. Terri Ashmeade, chief quality officer at USF Health, discuss patient safety in the clinics.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is having a lasting impact on the way we live, work and interact at USF Health. Watch Jacqueleen Reyes Hull, Ed.D, assistant vice president for administration at USF Health, discuss how daily life has changed for faculty and staff.

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USF Health medical student Tampa Hutchens discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected medical education and what students and USF faculty have done to keep their medical training on track.

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USF Health Dean of the Taneja College of Pharmacy Dr. Kevin Sneed discusses the role pharmacists play in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Sneed stresses how pharmacists are helping find promising treatments, connecting with patients virtually to go over their medication regimens and further strengthening the healthcare sector’s approach to fighting the pandemic.

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USF Health Dean of Public Health, Dr. Donna Petersen, discusses the importance of public health especially during pandemics like COVID-19. Dean Petersen stresses the importance of following CDC guidelines — washing hands thoroughly, wearing a mask and maintaining social distance — to avoid contracting and spreading COVID-19. Dr. Petersen leads the COVID-19 Task Force and lays out plans to reopen USF to students, faculty and staff.

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Nurses protect the health and well-being of patients every day and play an integral role in our nation’s health care system. In the latest USF Health Brief, Dr. Usha Menon, interim dean of the USF Health College of Nursing, discusses the challenges and changes nurses and nurse training face during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Dr. Stephen Liggett, USF Health associate vice president for research, discusses how COVID-19 has changed how research is conducted and the types of conditions researchers work.

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Dr. Deborah DeWaay, USF Health associate dean of undergraduate medical education, discusses the current and long-term changes in medical education due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Dr. Mark Moseley, USF Health’s Chief Clinical Officer, discusses how physicians and other health care providers are using telehealth services and technology to remotely care for patients, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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In the first USF Health Briefs, Dr. Charles Lockwood, Dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, talks about how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our way of life and access to health care, the lessons the virus is teaching the medical community, and how long it may take before we can safely mingle in large groups again.

USF Health dean of Public Health, Dr. Donna Petersen, discusses the importance of public health especially during pandemics like COVID-19. Dean Petersen stresses the importance of following CDC guidelines — washing hands thoroughly, wearing a mask and maintaining social distance — to avoid contracting and spreading COVID-19. Dr. Petersen leads the COVID-19 Task Force, and lays out plans to reopen USF to students, faculty and staff.

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.

The national opioid epidemic, years in the making, will require more than the effort of government agencies to alleviate.

Deaths from drug overdose last year escalated to an all-time high of more than 63,000 nationwide – killing more Americans than car accidents. These deaths were largely driven by a five-fold increase in deaths involving illicit opioid drugs such as fentanyl and heroin, according to  data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in December 2017. Some of the steepest increases have been in Florida, where Gov. Rick Scott last year declared a public health emergency to draw on federal funding for statewide prevention, treatment and recovery services.

This national opioid epidemic has been years in the making and mitigating its effects will take the effort of more than government agencies. The University of South Florida’s academic medical center has joined medical schools across the country in evaluating and strengthening education and prevention measures needed to help derail the devastating toll taken by the opioid crisis.

Boosting pain management education

In Florida, the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM) plays a leading role in providing faculty, residents and students with the tools to address the opioid crisis while caring for patients in acute and chronic pain. USF’s medical college is among nine across the state working together to educate the next generation of physicians in pain management best practices, including appropriate opioid prescribing.  MCOM Vice Dean for Education Bryan Bognar, MD, co-chairs the Council of Florida Medical School Deans’ Pain Management Working Group, along with Diane McKay, PsyD, director of behavioral health and assistant professor of psychology at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, which has a branch campus in Bradenton, FL.

The group, including members from the state’s six public and three private medical schools, coordinates with Florida’s Surgeon General, policymakers, the state’s allopathic and osteopathic medical associations, and others. Participants are developing a set of core competencies that can be readily integrated into existing curricula to better prepare Florida’s medical students and residents to manage different types of pain, to recognize the risks for addiction and mental health conditions affecting substance abuse, and to safely prescribe opioids when appropriate while keeping pace with changing practice guidelines for pain management.

MCOM Vice Dean for Education Bryan Bognar, MD, co-chairs the Council of Florida Medical School Deans’ Pain Management Working Group.

“All our medical schools are already addressing substance abuse and pain management to some extent,” Dr. Bognar said. “Our goal is to fill in any gaps that we find, and also assess that students achieve these competencies, whether through test modules or standardized patient simulations.”

The Florida group has built upon initiatives in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, states where medical schools have already gone through the exercise of creating core competencies to strengthen pain management education for undergraduate and graduate medical students, Dr. Bognar said.

“Pain management education is an incredibly important pillar in addressing the opioid epidemic,” Dr. Bognar said. “At USF Health, we are teaching future physicians and other health care professionals to be skilled in best practices, so it is incumbent upon us to be part of the solution to this pervasive public health problem.”

“The misuse and abuse of opioids is a serious public health problem because the numbers of individuals, families and communities affected are staggering and the costs are borne by society,” said Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF Health College of Public Health. “Solutions will require a team-based approach to bring various disciplines around the same table for discussion.”

Within a core course taken by all USF public health master’s degree students, Dr. Petersen teaches a new segment on the opioid epidemic that encompasses surveillance of narcotic-related risks and outcomes, effects of opioids on the brain, prescribing practices, roles of law enforcement and the medical community, and changing the conversation of addiction as weakness toward chronic illness.

Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health, says addressing opioid misuse and abuse will require a team approach.

With a focus on interprofessional collaboration among its colleges of medicine, nursing, public health and pharmacy and school of physical therapy, USF Health faculty members are also looking for ways to bring students together as teams to learn about the complexities of substance abuse and pain management within the context of the opioid epidemic. Led by Tricia Penniecook, MD, MPH, vice dean for education at the College of Public Health, an Interprofessional Education Workgroup on Opioids was recently formed at USF Health to develop and implement common teaching modules to address the issue comprehensively.

Taking the lead in opioid prescribing practices

The Morsani College of Medicine is one of the first medical schools in Florida to develop clinical practice guidelines for opioid prescribing, said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine.

The current opioid crisis emerged following substantial increases in per-capita frequency and dosages of prescription opioids, a trend begun in the late 1990s. Researchers hypothesize that this increase was due in part to palliative care experts seeking to address the burden of chronic pain without sufficient evidence of either the long-term effectiveness or risks of opioid dependence. The Joint Commission’s classification of pain as a “fifth vital sign” contributed to hospitals and physicians seeking to improve patient satisfaction scores through aggressive pain relief – sometimes without managing patient and family expectations of a pain-free experience.

Charles Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, has written editorials on opioid abuse and how obstetrician-gynecologists can help prevent it for February and March 2018 issues of Contemporary OB/GYN.  Dr. Lockwood is editor-in-chief of the publication.  | Photo by Sandra C. Roa

While doctors now prescribe opioids less often, the overall rates remain high and vary substantially across the country, a recent CDC surveillance report indicates. In 2016 prescribers wrote 66.5 prescriptions for every 100 people, down from 72.4 in 2006; however the prescribing rate remains three times as high as in 1999 and the average days of drug supply for each opioid prescription continues to trend upward.  The explosion of opioid prescribing in this decade has contributed not only to rising emergency department and hospital admissions and overdose deaths — but also to far-reaching psychosocial ills. A USF-led study published in the January 2018 issue of Health Affairs found an association between the rate of opioid prescriptions in Florida and the alarming number of children placed into foster care.

“Physicians can play a critical role in curbing the epidemic by returning to our traditionally stringent criteria for opioid prescriptions, using a multimodality, non-opioid approaches to chronic pain management and by better understanding opioid pharmacology,” said Dr. Lockwood, who, as editor-in-chief of Contemporary OB/GYN, has written editorials on opioid abuse and how Ob-Gyns can prevent it for the publication’s February and March 2018 issues.

The USF Health proposed guidelines clearly lay out for all practitioners who “prescribe, administer or dispense” controlled substances — including opioid medications such as OxyContin, morphine and fentanyl, to name a few — evidence-based standards for safely treating pain. Among other provisions, they specify recommended prescribing limits and exceptions, strongly encourage practitioners to complete approved continuing education training on pain management and addiction, and recommend that conservative and non-drug alternatives be considered to control non-cancer pain.

Mark Moseley, MD, chief medical officer for USF Health Care, says the new guidelines are intended to reinforce prescribing and practicing in a safe and thoughtful way.

The executive board of USF Health Care, the university’s multispecialty faculty practice group, is expected to approve the guidelines in February.  Mark Moseley, MD, chief medical officer for USF Health Care, and Kevin Sneed, PharmD, dean of the USF Health College of Pharmacy, led development of the guidelines with input from faculty leaders in neurology, psychiatry, pharmacy, nursing, physical therapy and legal counsel.

Creating a culture of patient safety

“Our intent is to reinforce evidence based prescribing and practicing in a safe and thoughtful way, given that these (opioid) drugs can be highly addictive in some,” Dr. Moseley said.

“At USF Health we are creating a culture of safety and putting the patient first, and these guidelines are important in setting that expectation,” Dr. Sneed said. “Ultimately, we have to be mindful about not creating an unintended problem while trying to treat a (pain-related) problem. Opioids are not a long-term solution for managing chronic pain.”

When prescribed prudently opioids are useful in helping physicians relieve pain, especially extreme pain or the chronic pain suffered by cancer patients at the end of life.  But research on the long-term effectiveness of these agents for chronic pain relief has been inconclusive or suggests ineffectiveness, and some studies indicate misuse and abuse of the prescription painkillers has led to a rise in addiction and overdose deaths from heroin.

Kevin Sneed, PharmD, dean of the USF College of Pharmacy, says opioids are not a long-term solution for managing chronic pain.

“Opioids as a class of medications are an important tool in our full armamentarium of pharmacological agents,” said Dr. Moseley, an emergency physician. “If you come into the emergency room with a broken bone, I need to have that as an option to give some immediate relief… but for a patient with back pain there may be more appropriate and effective options than prescribing three months of highly potent opiate medication.”

Both Dr. Moseley and Dr. Sneed agree that non-medication alternatives like exercise, physical therapy and biobehavioral treatments should be considered and discussed when evaluating an individual’s condition.

“Patients want their physicians to have an open discussion with them about how to best manage their pain,” Dr. Moseley said. “Most are pretty agnostic of the modality used if you can help alleviate the pain.”

CRNA advanced pain management fellowship among nation’s first

A USF Health College of Nursing postgraduate program for practicing certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) was granted accreditation in August by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.

The distinction makes the nursing school’s Simulation-Based Academic Fellowship in Advanced Pain Management one of four such specialty fellowship programs for nurse anesthetists in the United States and the only one in Florida, said John Maye, PhD, CRNA, the fellowship program’s coordinator. The program, combining online courses with an intensive simulation clinical experience at the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS), will graduate its first class of 25 fellows this spring, including some from rural areas of America hit hard by the opioid epidemic.

John Maye, PhD, right, coordinator of the USF College of Nursing’s Simulation-Based Academic Fellowship in Advanced Pain Management, with Erik Rauch, DNP, center, and Alan Todd, DNP — all members of the college’s nurse anesthesia faculty. In this simulation exercise they are evaluating vertebral column anatomy. | Photo by Ryan Noone

CRNAs work with physicians to provide anesthesia and related care to patients before, during and after diagnostic, surgical or obstetric procedures. They can order and administer controlled substances based on state law and/or facility-specific protocols.

New research reported last year in JAMA Surgery cited an under-recognized complication of perioperative care among certain patients who never used opioids before surgery – whether they undergo minor or major procedures, some prescribed these painkillers for postsurgical relief may face a risk for developing opioid addiction.

Health care practitioners traditionally receive minimal exposure to the science of pain medicine, yet education is a “huge part” of preventing or reducing pain without inadvertently promoting opioid dependence, Dr. Maye said. “Our fellowship program focuses on educating CRNAs to understand the transmission of pain within the central and peripheral nervous systems and how specific drugs other than opioids can be used to help control that pain perioperatively.”

Dr. Rich, a transformative nurse leader and innovator, brings a wealth of knowledge to USF in interprofessional education and practice  

TAMPA, Fla. (May 18, 2017) – The University of South Florida appointed Victoria Rich, PhD, as the new dean of the USF College of Nursing and senior associate vice president of USF Health. Dr. Rich has served as associate professor and interim associate dean of academic programs at USF’s nursing college. She begins her role new role as dean on June 15.

Dr. Rich, who joined the USF College of Nursing in 2015, brings more than 35 years of leadership experience in education, clinical practice, patient safety and cultural diversity.

“We are pleased to name Dr. Rich to lead USF College of Nursing as we continue to advance health care through cutting-edge research, education and practice,” said USF System President Judy Genshaft. “Dr. Rich is an experienced nursing leader with decades of experience in education and practice. Through her leadership, the USF College of Nursing will continue to achieve significant milestones, including earning top national rankings, elevating strong nursing research, and attracting the best and brightest faculty and students.”

Victoria Rich, PhD

“Dr. Rich is an outstanding leader who understands the value of our tripartite mission of education, research and clinical care,” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “She brings to this key position extraordinary leadership from her extensive background coupled with energy, enthusiasm and passion. Dr. Rich will be a powerful advocate for nursing at USF, in Florida and nationally. Her keen insight for interprofessional education and team-based practice will help further transform the future of health and patient care. I am delighted to have such an important addition to USF Health’s leadership team to achieve excellence in all we do.”

“As one of Dr. Rich’s references said, ‘She is the nursing dean of the future’ and I couldn’t agree more,” said Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health, and senior associate vice president of USF Health, who has served as interim dean of the USF College of Nursing since June 2015. “The USF College of Nursing is already outstanding, but it’s also poised to leap into the future with its own brand of clinically-relevant research, professional practice, and new levels of engagement with academic, clinical and community partners. Dr. Rich brings an entrepreneurial spirit, a stellar reputation as a leader and a keen business sense that will serve the college well.”

Dr. Rich 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. Rich will be the fifth dean of the USF College of Nursing since the college was first founded in 1973.

“I’m proud to be named to lead a nationally-recognized college known for its top-quality faculty, dedicated staff and highly prepared students,” Dr. Rich said. “I’m excited to work together with leaders from all USF Health colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health, and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences to embrace the challenges and opportunities of academia and health care. I deeply believe that education and practice need to be a hand-in-glove partnership, so I’m excited to help move that forward through the interprofessional lens of USF Health.”

Before joining USF, Dr. Rich was the chief nurse executive and associate hospital administrator for the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and the associate professor of nursing administration at the University of Pennsylvania Health System’s School of Nursing. During her tenure at PENN Health System, she helped establish a longstanding partnership between academia and practice.

During that time, she also helped develop an interprofessional model of team-based care incorporating unit physicians, advanced practice providers, nurse clinician leaders, pharmacists and quality specialists to improve patient care. That model has been replicated both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Rich earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with highest honors. She received her master’s degree and PhD in nursing administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Rich is nationally known for her work on patient safety and transformational nursing leadership. As a result, she’s received the Prism Diversity Award from the American Organization of Nurse Executives, and the Patient Safety Award from Voluntary Hospital Association (now Vizient).

Dr. Rich is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and an ambassador for the National Institute of Nursing Research. She is also a member of the Patient Safety Committee for National Quality Forum and consultant for CNO Solutions and Center for Applied Research.

-Photo by Ryan Noone, USF Communications and Marketing

New program will shorten time needed for USF students in St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee to complete two undergraduate degrees, helping meet region’s demand for well-prepared nurses

TAMPA, Fla. (May 17, 2017) – A new University of South Florida College of Nursing partnership with USF St. Petersburg (USFSP) and USF Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) will allow eligible students to complete two bachelor of science degrees – one in biology and another in nursing — in five years.

The Suncoast Nursing Accelerated Pathway program creates an opportunity for students from USFSP and USFSM to earn an undergraduate degree in biology from their respective institutions, followed by a seamless transition to the USF College of Nursing’s accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

Students enrolled in this five-year accelerated pathway can jumpstart nursing coursework in the third year of their four-year undergraduate biology program, and begin clinical training in the accelerated BSN program in spring of their fourth year.

“The science of the nursing profession is deeply embedded in the natural sciences combined with the humanity of caring,” said Victoria Rich, PhD, associate dean of academics at the USF College of Nursing. “Undergraduate students who invest in this enrichment of education will be well prepared to care for patients and their families.”

The joint effort by USF System institutions combines a science-focused background in the discipline of biology with the academic and clinical rigor of a baccalaureate nursing degree.

During the accelerated BSN program, students will take classes in Tampa but have opportunities for clinical rotations in their local communities (Pinellas, Sarasota or Manatee counties).  They can also engage in nursing research and global nursing experiences.

“This collaboration with USF in Tampa will allow us to begin addressing the need for highly qualified, well prepared nurses in Pinellas County.  Also, the accelerated pathway, in combination with the low tuition of a state university, substantially reduces costs for students,” said Martin Tadlock, PhD, regional vice chancellor of academic affairs at USFSP.

“The program will prepare our students to enter the nursing field right away, where they will be in great demand, or to continue their education to the master’s or doctoral level,” said Paul Kirchman, PhD, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at USFSM.

“Coming together as the USF System enables us to create this type of important educational program, optimizing the best elements of the component parts, maximizing the benefits of the system, and meeting compelling community needs across the Tampa Bay region,” said Donna Petersen, ScD, interim dean of the USF College of Nursing.

The new program will begin recruiting students this fall.

Story by Jessica Samaniego, USF College of Nursing, and Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Conmunications and Marketing                                                                     

The USF Physicians Group has a new governance structure, called USF Health Care, to better reflect a faculty practice group incorporating professionals from across health care disciplines, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, public health professionals, physical therapists and physician assistants.

“USF Health Care recognizes the value added when all USF Health practitioners work together as one to improve the health and quality of life of our patients and the greater community,” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, senior vice president of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “It is another important step in the coordination of effort among all our health science colleges and schools.”

Dr. Lockwood recently approved the creation of the new clinical leadership board for the practice plan, which includes the deans of USF Health’s four colleges and the director of its School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.  This board will help advise Dr. Lockwood on issues related to USF Health’s clinical service mission.

From left, Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health; Victoria Rich, PhD, dean of the College of Nursing, Kevin Sneed, PharmD, dean of the College of Public Health; and Laura Lee (Dolly) Swisher, PT, PhD, interim director of the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences. 

The recent change in clinical governance structure is a testament to USF Health’s dedication to creating the best team-based care available, said Kevin Sneed, PharmD, dean of the USF College of Pharmacy.

“We are delighted and prepared to contribute to outstanding quality of care and health outcomes for USF Health patients,” Dr. Sneed said. “The evolution to USF Health Care confirms our collective commitment to train the most advanced health care workforce for the future, ultimately resulting in optimal health for people in our communities.”

Health care today is a team profession, with no single health professional or specialization able to meet all the complex needs of patients, said Victoria Rich, PhD, dean of the USF College of Nursing.

“USF Health Care brings together exceptional teams of clinical experts skilled at collaborating and contributing their expertise,” Dr. Rich said. “Our teams of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, physical  therapists and community and family health faculty are at the forefront of 21^st century health care.”

“The evolution of what had been an outstanding physician group to what will be an outstanding integrated health care group reflects our continued commitment to interprofessional approaches to care delivery and the promotion of health for patients and their families,” said Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health.

“It is about being relevant, but also forward thinking.  We want all our clinical faculty to be up to date on the latest in clinical practice, so that they can share the latest advancements with our students and inform and translate their research studies for more rapid adoption.”

The new governance structure demonstrates that USF Health is serious about taking interprofessional practice to a higher level, said Laura Lee (Dolly) Swisher, PT, PhD, interim director of the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.

“Transforming interprofessional education into collaborative practice can be organizationally challenging,” Dr. Swisher said. “The new structure for USF Health creates an environment to foster interprofessional teaching, research and clinical care, and a framework to facilitate interprofessional planning to promote health.”

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Connections regional conference hosted by USF

Investing in young scholars who are underrepresented minorities (URM) is not only important for society and academia – it makes good business sense.

That theme was echoed by several speakers participating Feb. 27 in a regional conference sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) New Connections national career development program and the University of South Florida.  The day-long conference, titled “Uncovering the Institutional Impact of Scholars from Historically Underrepresented Backgrounds,” was held at the USF Marshall Student Center.

Members of the conference planning committee include, from left: June Lake, MA, USF College of Public Health;  Devona Foster Pierre, EdD, assistant director of faculty/staff diversity at USF; Angie Harris, USF College of Public Health; and event co-chair Jacqueline Wiltshire, PhD, assistant professor in the USF College of Public Health who has been a New Connections scholar.

Participants came from five Southeastern states – Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana and South Carolina – to define policies and best practices to help junior faculty and postdoctoral scholars from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds advance their academic careers. Representing a range of disciplines and institutions, they discussed working towards breaking down the barriers that may prevent talented URM researchers from securing grant funding, a disparity documented in part by a study commissioned by the National Institutes of Health and reported in Science.

USF System President Judy Genshaft kicked off the conference by recognizing Jacqueline Wiltshire, PhD, an assistant professor in the USF College of Public Health and New Connections grantee who worked with RWJF to bring the conference to USF. Dr. Wiltshire’s recent research evaluating factors that may influence medical debt incurred by African American and white older adults was published in the American Journal of Public Health.

USF Health leaders shared their experiences and insights in a panel discussion framing how to move beyond numbers to best practices in supporting underrepresented minority scholars.

USF is proud of its diversity and will continue to seek even more diversity in student, faculty and staff recruitment, Genshaft said. “We look forward to continuing the conversation regarding underrepresentation on our campuses and in our workforce, and on making a positive and thoughtful impact on changing the face of the nation.

“I really believe universities are vital for advancing science and opening up people’s minds (to new perspectives), and diversity enriches education in every way possible,” she said. “This is especially true for health care and health research professions, who are caring for our ever-growing, more diverse population and discovering cures for our most complicated diseases.”

Role of university leadership in strengthening diversity

The plenary panel discussion “Diversity by the Numbers: The Role of University Leadership” featured four senior health leaders at USF. The panel fielded questions from Tyra Dark, a New Connections grantee and faculty member at Florida State University College of Medicine, and the audience. Below is an edited sampling of some of their comments and advice to junior and aspiring faculty in the audience:

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Kevin Sneed, PharmD, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF College of Pharmacy

Casting a wider net to find and recruit talented URM students and young faculty is just the beginning:  “You can’t be a catch and release program… We have to make sure we’re bringing people along and providing them with continual mentorship. In my experience, if we’re not creating that level of sustainable relationship building, the influence of other areas very often will become a distraction to their pathway to (academic) success.”

Creating an environment to build trust: “I’m very fortunate that I’ve encountered an environment here at USF, starting with President Genshaft and vice president for health Dr. Lockwood, that is very collaborative and has allowed me to be me … You have to build an environment that is very welcoming to underrepresented minorities, that allows faculty to have very open and honest conversations (with leadership) about a whole host of things.”

Additional financial pressures often confronted by underrepresented minorities as they select career options, which can include higher-paying private sector jobs: “We have to work harder to mentor them at younger stages in their careers, all the way back to when they are students and in residency training, and help them overcome the financial debt that many of our students must overcome to advance.”

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Catherine Lynch, MD, associate vice president of faculty development and women’s health, and the first woman to be promoted to professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine

The need to be aware of “unconscious bias:” “There’s plenty of data that shows if you have several women on your short list, the likelihood of a woman becoming a finalist for a major position goes up… If you don’t have underrepresented minorities as faculty within your department, it’s hard for (physician) residents who are underrepresented to say ‘this is a place where I want to be.’”

Some advice for women on advancing a career: “You need to be strategic in the (academic) service that you do. Be on the committee that’s going to help you advance and meet the right people — that will be the most valuable use of your time…  If there are 10 requirements listed for a position, women tend to say ‘I don’t have number 7’ … But, if you already know everything on that list, you need to be looking for a position the next level up. Don’t assume if you work hard and keep your nose to the grindstone, you’ll be recognized for your efforts. Go to your supervisor and ask ‘what do I need to do to be the assistant director of so and so?’”

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Edmund Funai, MD, chief operating officer for USF Health and senior vice president for strategic development at USF

Importance of leaving a legacy of people: “As university leaders we really have to be mindful of looking for talent everywhere and developing that talent.  Talent isn’t necessarily right under your nose; you have to go a little further and look in nontraditional places.”

Advocating the business case for more URM representation in academia. “Part of the answer is… make the business case for diversity… And the business case for diversity, well known in the management literature, is that homogeneous groups do not produce as elegant or inclusive solutions as when everyone is represented around the table.”

Advice he gives all junior faculty regardless of their backgrounds: “When someone gives you something to do, do it a little better than they expect it to be done, but more importantly do it a lot quicker than they expect. Because when you’re talking about the hierarchy of departments and chairs, if someone delegates something and then they have to worry about it and ask you how is it coming, and they need updates, you’ve already failed… Your reward for that will be more work, but that’s the sort of behavior upon which careers are built.”

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Donna Petersen, ScD, associate vice president of USF Health, dean of the USF College of Public Health, and interim dean of the USF College of Nursing

The role of faculty in preparing a pipeline of young scholars: “We have to reach back and commit to identifying young people and helping them get on a path so that they are not only prepared to join the academy, but want to join the academy… In both the (USF) Colleges of Public Health and Nursing, the numbers (of URM) are increasing, particularly in the assistant professor ranks where you have to start. In the nursing college, we have the additional challenge of needing more men in our faculty… and I’m very proud that our college of nursing actually has more male faculty than the national average.”

The importance of listening and meaningful dialogue to building a foundation of diversity in academia: “We can talk about numbers, but what’ are the stories behind the statistics?…Nothing is more heartbreaking than hearing the stories of underrepresented minorities who make it through layers upon layers of an MD or PhD program and then find themselves in an institution where perhaps they are the only ones who look like them.”

Health disparities research: “While we need more underrepresented minorities joining the research ranks to help us solve the problems of health disparities in this country, it’s not your burden alone to solve…I would say to URMs interested in pursuing higher education as a career, study whatever you want. You don’t have to study the things that are specific to the community you come from.  If you want to, please do, but there are other ways you can engage in that conversation with the scholars focusing on health disparities.”

Jose Hernandez, EdD, associate vice president and chief diversity officer at USF, talked about what USF is doing to help scholars from historically underrepresented groups build the skills they need to succeed in academia.

Mentoring historically underrepresented faculty

Another panel, which focused on mentoring historically underrepresented minority faculty, included Jose Hernandez, EdD, associate vice president and chief diversity officer at USF.

Dr. Hernandez, who immigrated at age 9 with his parents from Cuba to Puerto Rico, said that, for two years, he was the only Latino in his doctorate program at Florida State University. He helps mentor USF students in the McNair Scholars Program, which aims to increase graduate degrees awarded to students from underrepresented segments of society.

Dr. Hernandez spoke about USF’s Research Boot Camp© coordinated by the USF Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunity (DIEO), which he says was modeled after the research boot camp created by Sisters of the Academy Institute. Entering its third year, the USF camp offers an intensive one-week program in May designed to help women junior faculty, post-doctoral scholars and doctoral candidates, including women of color underrepresented in the academy, network with senior faculty and build the skills needed for success in academia. The one-week camp has been expanded to create a community of scholars with opportunities throughout the year to participate in sessions on research design and quality, publications, grantsmanship, and to discuss issues related to retention, promotion and tenure, he said.

USF’s Hernandez and other panelists listen to Bertha Hildalgo, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, speak about how, with the help of RWJF New Connections grant funding, she developed her research investigating health disparities in cardiometabolic diseases. Her studies have focused on epigenetics in Latino populations.

USF also hosts a series of “Courageous Conversations” to help promote a culture of diversity and inclusion, Dr. Hernandez said, and best hiring practices workshops for faculty serving on search committees address the topic of implicit bias and how to mitigate it.

“We’re making a difference, but how can we do more? And how can you inspire us to do more, particularly with underrepresented minorities?” said Dr. Hernandez, who serves on the National Association of Chief Diversity Officers Board of Directors.

The RWJF New Connections program recently celebrated its 10^th year supporting research grants and career development opportunities for a national network of more than 900 scholars from diverse, underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds.  For more information, please visit http://www.rwjf-newconnections.org/.

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Story by Anne DeLotto Baier and photos by Eric Younghans,  USF Health Communications