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May 2015
Focus on Advancement
WATCH Study Examines Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes Prevalence
Two articles resulting from the Western Alaska Tribal
Collaborative for Health (WATCH) study have been
published recently, one in the Journal of Clinical
Hypertension and one in Diabetes Research and Clinical
Practice. The WATCH study is a collaboration involving
MedStar Health Research Institute; the Georgetown-Howard
Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences,
the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Alaska Native Tribal
Health Consortium, Anchorage and several others. MedStar
investigators on this research were Barbara V. Howard,
PhD, Senior Scientist, and Jason G. Umans, MD, PhD,
Scientific Director of the Biomarker, Biorepository and
Biochemistry Laboratory at MHRI.
Why do the study in Alaska? Hypertension and
cardiovascular disease are very prevalent among western
Alaska Native people; however, few population-based data have been available to compare prevalence of
these conditions and their associated risk factors among Alaska Native people living in remote rural
communities. The WATCH investigators combined data from four major cohorts of western Alaska
Natives residing in the Norton Sound and Yukon-Kuskokwin regions of western Alaska. The four cohorts
were from the Alaska-Siberia Project (ASP), the Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR),
the Alaska Education and Research Toward Health (EARTH), and the Genetics of Coronary Artery
Disease in Alaska Natives (GOCADAN) studies. The two articles use the enriched data from these groups
and focused on the topics of hypertension and diabetes. Some of the study findings are outlined below.
In “Prevalence of Hypertension and Associated Risk Factors in Western Alaska Native People,” by
Stacey Jolly et al., the prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension was determined overall, by sex,
age, and region in the WATCH cohort. The investigators examined known risk factors, including age,
body mass index/obesity, smoking status, lipids, and diabetes. In addition, the investigators assessed the
proportion of participants who were aware of having hypertension, and among those for whom records
were available of treatment for high blood pressure. The proportion who had met their blood pressure
targets was assessed.
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality in this rural population. Despite that fact, the
authors found that improvement is needed in hypertension awareness -- only about two thirds (64%) of
patients reported awareness of having hypertension and only 39% with hypertension were controlled on
medication. Risk factors for development of hypertension are likely to increase as this population ages
and so attention to prevention is needed, as well as cooperation with the communities to improve
hypertension awareness, treatment, and control. Prospective analyses conducted in conjunction with
community prevention programs are needed to determine factors associated with incident hypertension.
Read more about this research in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension.
In “Cardiometabolic Correlates of Low Type 2 Diabetes Incidence in Western Alaska Native People,” by
Kathryn Koller et al., the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes in western Alaska Natives were
examined and associated cardiometabolic risk factors were analyzed. State registry data for this
population had indicated an increase of 300% in diabetes in some western Alaska regions.
Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes prevalence and incidence were determined by
the WATCH investigators using consolidated data from the four major cohort
studies of western Alaska Natives. Crude and age-adjusted incidence for type 2
diabetes and prediabetes were calculated using 2010 American Diabetes
Association criteria. Effects of covariates on type 2 diabetes and prediabetes
were determined using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards
analyses, adjusted for age and sex.
While type 2 diabetes incidence in western Alaska Native people is
substantially lower than that for U.S. whites, incidence of prediabetes is more
than 10-fold higher than western Alaska Native type 2 diabetes incidence and
more closely aligned with U.S. rates. Interventions aimed at achieving healthy
lifestyles are needed to minimize risk factors and maximize protective factors
for type 2 diabetes in this population. Read more about this research in Diabetes
Research and Clinical Practice.
“This consortium has allowed the creation of a dataset large enough to obtain reliable data on western
Alaska Native peoples, a group that is distinct from other Alaska Natives,” Dr. Howard said. “This
population is unique in having high rates of cardiovascular disease despite the low rates of diabetes. The
results from analyses of this dataset should help to improve medical care to this underserved population.”
MedStar-Georgetown Research Partnership Grants Awarded
The MedStar Health–Georgetown University Partnership Grants demonstrate how clinical research
activity can be enhanced by building research partnerships across
the institutions. The overall goal of these intramural grants is to
foster new MedStar-Georgetown collaborations that will lead to
new research and increased external grant funding.
We are delighted to announce the recipients of the third cycle of
the MedStar-Georgetown Research Partnership Grants. We were
able to fund four grants in support of the following new
collaborative research partnerships:
“Development and Evaluation of a Safety Event Learning Module for Medical Students”
Dr. Kendall Hall (MedStar SiTEL) and Dr. Eileen Moore (Georgetown University School of
Medicine)
“The Epidemiology of Hand and Wrist Injuries Among Collegiate Athletes: Trend in Incidence,
Management and Timing of Return to Play Over a Decade of Surveillance”
Dr. Ebrahim (Abe) Paryavi (Curtis Hand Center, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital) and Dr.
Michael Kessler (MedStar Georgetown University Hospital)
“Leveraging Health Information Technology to Reduce Hospital Readmissions: MedStar Health
Surgical Readmission Risk Score (SR2S)”
Dr. Waddah Al-Refaie (MedStar Georgetown University Hospital) and Dr. Chukwuemeka
Ihemelandu (MedStar Washington Hospital Center)
“Cardiovascular Phenotyping in Breast Cancer Patients Using Informatics Approaches”
Dr. Subha Madhavan (ICBI and Lombardi, Georgetown University) and Dr. Ana Barac (MCRN at
MedStar Washington Hospital Center)
Congratulations to them all! And, many thanks to Dr. Ed Healton and Dr. Nawar Shara who chaired
the peer review process. And, a special thanks to our many peer reviewers for their time, commitment and
thoughtful reviews.
We continue to be pleased with the enthusiasm that the Partnership grant opportunity generates and the
new potential collaborations that are formed. While we were unable to fund all of the requests at this time
(with approximately 30 applications this round), we encourage all applicants to continue to develop their
new cross-campus research collaborations in an effort to secure future funding.
Congratulations to the Georgetown Medical Student
Summer Research Scholarship Recipients Class of 2018!
Scholarship Name
Location
Mentor(s)
Frank S. Pellegrini, M.D. Scholars
Elizabeth Moroni
Patient Safety
MedStar Health
Seth Krevat, MD &
Kelly Smith, PhD
Christopher Wynkoop
Clinical Quality Improvement
MedStar Health
Chris Goeschel, ScD, RN &
Kelly Smith, PhD
MGUH
Risa Fishman, MD &
Bruno Anthony, PhD
Pines-Kleinman Mental & Behavioral Health Scholar
Jeremy Chaikind
Psychiatry
MedStar Health Primary Care Scholarships at Franklin Square (MFSMC)
Carol Barnes
Family Medicine
MFSMC
Melly Goodell, MD
Daniel Gawron
Dori Abel
Family Medicine
Pediatrics
MFSMC
MFSMC
Melly Goodell, MD
Scott Krugman, MD
Ngoc Bui
Pediatrics
MFSMC
Scott Krugman, MD
MedStar Health Scholarships
Larick David
Joshua Fabie
Travis Hart
Asthma and Allergy
Palliative Medicine
Internal Medicine
MUMH
MUMH
MUMH
Sudhir Sekhsaria, MD
Kathryn Walker, PharmD
Alex Yazaji, MD & Joseph
Nichols, M.D.
Meneena Bright
Internal Medicine
MUMH
Melissa DeLong, MD
Kelsey Cobourn
Vascular Surgery
MWHC
Steven Abramowitz, MD
Samuel Lawrence
Surgical Oncology
MGUH
Waddah Al-Refaie, MD
Brittany Dos Santos
Internal Medicine/Quality
MGUH
Eileen Moore, MD
Matthew Beamer
Cardiology
MWHC
Gaby Weissman, MD
Cassandra Baker
Breast Surgery
MWHC
Patricia Wehner, MD
Henry Francois
Nephrology
MGUH
Wen Shen, MD
Megan Davis
OB/Gyn/HIV/Pregnancy
MWHC
Rachel Scott, MD
Yuchen (Jake) Liu
Community Pediatrics
MGUH
Matthew Levy, MD
Jack Penner
Primary Care/Spring Valley
MGUH
Christine Gillespie, MD
Kush Patel
Human Factors Engineering
MI2 SiTEL
Sarah H Parker, PhD & Raj
Ratwani, PhD
Sallie Long
Emergency Medicine
MGUH
Munish Goyal, MD
Focus on
People
Get Ready for the “Focus on 5” Wellness Campaign!
This MedStar-wide campaign aims to encourage and provide tools and strategies to associates to increase
their consumption of plant-based foods with the goal of eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per
day.
WHO:
All associates are eligible to participate.
WHAT:
3-week nutrition campaign. Participants will be encouraged to track their daily
fruit and vegetable intake for 21 days with the goal of achieving five or more
servings each day.
WHEN:
Focus on 5 will run from June 2 through June 22, 2015.
WHY:
Current dietary guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
recommend consuming 5-13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day for optimal
health and disease prevention.
WHERE:
The registration link will be available starting May 11. Registration deadline is
by 12 noon on June 1.
Look for more information in upcoming emails about
the Focus on 5 Campaign and click on the registration
link contained there OR look for the registration link
on www.MedStarMyHealth.org.* (If you don’t have a
MedStar email account, you can register using your
personal email address. Just make sure you register so
you can opt in to receive the weekly tips and recipes.)
You will need your wellness ID to register. If you
cannot find your wellness ID card, please call the
Health and Wellness Service line 855.242.4871,
Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and
Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Raffle Prizes!!!!
Complete the brief pre-campaign survey to be entered into a raffle for prizes. The
survey must be completed by Monday, June 1, to be eligible.
HOW:
Track your servings with the MyHealth OnLine Diet Tracker or another diet app
that you like.
Spring Town Hall Meetings
Friday, June 5
1 to 2 p.m.
MUMH-Curtis Hand Center Conference Room
Tuesday, June 9
11am-12 p.m.
UTC – Multipurpose Room
Wednesday, June 10
2:30-3:30 p.m.
MWHC - True Auditorium
Town Hall Meetings are a great opportunity for the research community to learn more about our
organization’s accomplishments and future direction, and they provide a great venue to connect directly
with co-workers and MHRI leadership.
Before, during and after these sessions – we want to hear from you!
• Email: submit your question or comment to Christine Alhambra in the communications office
at [email protected].
• Phone: please call Christine at 301-560-2917 with your question or comment.
• StarPort: visit the new Associate Feedback Portal and submit online:
http://starport.medstar.net/MHRI/mac/Pages/2-WayCommunication.aspx
Reminder: SiTEL Mandatory Trainings Must Be Completed by June 30, 2015
It is the time of year again for all associates to complete their
annual mandatory online training courses as required as part of the
annual performance review process. The training courses are
administered and tracked by MedStar’s e-Learning system, SiTEL.
Access your mandatory courses:
• Log into SiTEL www.sitelms.org
• Navigate to the left panel
• Click on “My Curriculum” under the Learning Center
• Launch and complete each course listed
To ensure you are fully compliant, complete the training by June 30. If you experience any difficulty,
contact the SiTEL Help Desk at 1-877-748-3567 or Sasha Chin at 301-560-7370 or
[email protected].
Fiscal Year’s End and Performance Evaluations
With the year-end performance evaluation period right around the corner, all associates are encouraged to
prepare a self-evaluation. Your year-end performance review form is currently in your Talent Manager inbox and will be available to you for completion of your self-evaluation until June 30, 2015. This process
is a change from past performance review cycles. Click on the following link to access Talent Manager:
https://performancemanager4.successfactors.com/login.
Company ID: Medstar
Username: PeopleSoft ID number followed by – 0 for most associates
Password: If you forgot your password, please contact the IS Helpdesk at 1-877-777-8787
This is your opportunity to document your accomplishments this past fiscal year and share your thoughts
on areas of focus for FY16. Your self-evaluation can be very helpful in guiding discussion between you
and your manager regarding your personal and professional career growth.
Please note: Talent Manager will be unavailable during the following time frames. Please check
Important Things to Know for updates to these time frames.
•
•
May 18th – May 22nd for MedStar St.Mary’s Hospital Conversion
June 17th – June 23rd for MedStar National Rehabilitation Network Conversion
If you have questions, please contact Susanne Selzer at [email protected] or 301-560-7371.
Recognizing Nurses Week – May 6-12
At MedStar Health, we not only value what our nurses do, we care about what they have to say. As
respected members of the research team, they help improve the research experience and ensure quality
outcomes.
Joan K. Bardsley, MBA, RN, assistant vice president at MHRI, serves as MHRI’s representative to
MedStar’s Chief Nursing Council and the Nursing Research Consortium. Ms. Bardsley says, “Nurses
bring a unique perspective to the research team, based on their expertise and approach of patient-centered
care.”
As we approach Nurses Week, please be sure to recognize and thank the nurses with whom you work.
They are critical in helping provide the best care and dedication to advancing health.
Focus on Compliance
MedStar Health Research Institute Compliance Training
An important part of being a High Reliability Organization is ensuring we are in compliance with the
overarching regulations that govern research. One of the ways we accomplish this is through regular
training of all associates.
For this reason, arrangements have been made with department leaders for compliance training to be
conducted at local staff meetings as well as in common locations over the next several months. Leaders
have been working with the MHRI Compliance Committee and the Corporate compliance team to ensure
the training is relevant for our environment and there is the opportunity to utilize actual cases specific to
the group to enhance the learning experience. This training will serve as the foundation of compliance.
Please see the list below of policies and procedures that will be covered by this MHRI Compliance
Training:
Selected Research Compliance and Oversight Policies
− Code of Conduct (MedStar Health Policy)
− Compliance Council
− Business Ethics and Confidentiality
− Research Misconduct Policy and Procedure
− Research Policy for MedStar Health
− Internal Resolution of Issues Relating to Research Policies.
Selected HIPAA and Information Security Policies
− Acceptable Use of Information Technology
− Computer Responsibility, Electronic Mail, and Online Services Usage
− De-Identification of Individually Identifiable Health Information and Limited Stat Set and Data
Use Agreement
− Information Security (Umbrella Policy for HIPAA Compliance)
− Release of Computer-Based Data to External Agencies and Vendors
− Electronic Medical Records and Research.
Selected Research Auditing and Quality Assurance Policies and Procedures
− Research Study Quality Assurance Review Policy and Procedure
− Adverse Event Reporting Policy
− Responding to Government Inquiries Policy and Procedure
− Source Documentation Procedure (Part of the Investigator Responsibilities Policy)
− Informed Consent Policy
− Notifying and/or Obtaining Re-Consent of Research Participants Policy.
Times and locations of the training are in the chart below for your reference. Please note
that several groups have more than one date due to the number of associates at the location
and to allow for flexibility.
Location
Groups Covered
Dates
Time
Location
MUMH
Cardiology, MCRC,
Oncology, Preclinical
4/27/2015
9-10:30 a.m.
Curtis Hand
Center
MWHC
Oncology
4/29/2015
9:30 to 11
a.m.
C1119
MWHC
Cardiology
4/29/2015
1-2:30 p.m.
CTEC
5/11/2015
6/17/2105
9-10:30 a.m.
2:00-3:30
p.m.
Multipurpose
(These two
dates are
options for all
UTC assoc.)
UTC
-Biostats/Epidemiology
-Office of Financial
Management
-Office of Contracts Grants
Management
-Business Development
-Office of Research Integrity
-Human Resources
- Research Development,
Planning, and
Communications
-Office of Research Integrity
-Human Resources
-Penn Medical Lab
-MCCRC
- Research Admin /
President’s Office / Research
Operations
MWHC
MCRC
5/12/2015
9-10:30 a.m.
Rad Onc Conf
Room #CG192
MWHC
Pre Clinical
5/12/2015
2:00 p.m.
Hyman Bldg
MWHC
Cardiology
5/13/2015
1-2:30 p.m.
CTEC
MFSMC
Cardiology, MCRC,
Oncology, Preclinical
5/14/2015
9-10:30 a.m.
Room F
MUMH
Cardiology, MCRC,
Oncology, Preclinical
5/15/2015
9-10:30 a.m.
Curtis Hand
Center
Intelsat
Human Factors
5/20/2015
1-2:30 p.m.
Intelstat
MNRN
Rehabilitation
6/24/2015
12:15-1:30
p.m.
Teleconference
Cardiology, MCRC,
Oncology, Preclinical
5/28/2015
9-10:30 a.m.
Room F
MFSMC
Managers
All Managers
5/ 27/2015
1 p.m.
Columbia
Sheraton
TBD
Health Services Research
Web Ex
MCCRC / Arizona
TBD
Columbia, MD
Focus on Community
SAVE THE DATES for these opportunities!
Aware For All Clinical Research Education Event – May 5
This event is tailored for people who want to learn about clinical research, get free
health screenings, and hear from local physician and patient speakers. The event
takes place at the Marvin Center at George Washington University, from 4 to 8
p.m. For more information, visit www.awareforall.org.
Research Investigator Orientation Session – June 11
This orientation is designed for MedStar investigators who want to learn more about the best ways to
successfully conduct research within the system and with the research support services available from
MedStar Health Research Institute. Interested in attending? Email: [email protected].
Research Grand Rounds – June 12
“Improving Care of Patients with Neuropathic Bladder and Urinary Tract Infection: Symptoms,
Self-Management, and the Urinary Microbiome" Suzanne L. Groah, MD, MSPH, Director, Spinal
Cord Injury Research, MedStar National Rehabilitation Network
Research Grand Rounds are sponsored by MHRI and Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for
Clinical and Translational Science (GHUCCTS)
The schedule is as follows:
Noon to 12:30 p.m. — Lunch
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. — Presentation
Third Friday of the month (unless otherwise noted)
MedStar Washington Hospital Center, 6th Floor, CTEC Theater
110 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010