School of Nursing
Give

Health Disparities and Population Health

Our research looks at health differences between different groups of people and the health of populations such as the underserved, including their health outcomes, health patterns and social determinants of health, as well as the impact policies and interventions may have on their health.

Promoting the health of caregivers and their loved ones is advanced through our research in the communities we serve.

Topics addressed in our research include:

  • Social determinants of health
  • Health screenings in specific care settings, such as pediatric primary care
  • Patient-centered outcomes for palliative care for people with dementia and family caregivers
  • Preventing hospital readmission in older adults
  • Plant-based diet interventions
  • Nursing education and experiential learning among nursing students
  • Nursing education and evidence-based practice

A Stakeholder Alliance for Better Palliative Care for People with Dementia and their Family Caregivers

Primary Investigator, Carole White PhD, RN, FAAN

Goal: The overall objective is to build a sustainable alliance of key stakeholders who are engaged in the development, execution, and dissemination of patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) for better palliative care for persons living with dementia and their families. 

Sponsor: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Mag-Pcor Muna Tayo”: Nationwide Capacity Building for Filipino-Americans to Engage in Pcor and Cer

Primary Investigator, M. Danet Lapiz Bluhm PhD, RN, MSCI, FAAN

Goal: This project aims to build capacity and engage Filipino-Americans on patient-centered outcomes research and comparative effectiveness research to make informed healthcare decisions.

Sponsor: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute 

The knowledge and attitudes of precision health in adults with chronic kidney disease

Primary Investigator, Yan Du PhD, MPH, RN

Goal: A cross-sectional study to survey adults living with chronic kidney disease about their attitudes and acceptance of renal precision health.

Sponsor: UT Health San Antonio, Nursing Advisory Council

Advancing Community Oriented Registered Nursing (ACORN)

Primary Investigator, Norma Martinez Rogers PhD, RN, FAAN

Purpose: The purpose of this grant is to develop and sustain a recruitment and retention plan for baccalaureate nursing students (BSN) who are interested in practicing in community-based primary care settings. The program emphasizes essential competencies and skill sets in population health, chronic disease prevention and management, team-based interprofessional primary care, and culturally inclusive care coordination, which address the social determinants of health, such as poverty, addiction, etc

Sponsor: Health Resources and Services Administration

Texas Targeted Opioid Response (TTOR)

Primary Investigator, Lisa M Cleveland, PhD, APRN, CPNP, IBCLC, FAAN

Goal: The purpose of this Opioid Emergency Response Pilot is to develop, implement, and analyze a program aimed at decreasing overdose mortality and increasing recovery initiation by connecting individuals identified as being at high risk for overdose with induction and engagement into Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), community paramedicine support, and recovery support services. 

Sponsor: Health & Human Services Commission

Stop HCC Expansion

Primary Investigator, Bertha "Penny" Flores PhD, RN, WHNP-BC

Purpose: STOP-HCC program purpose it to promote HCV screening/treatment and HCC prevention in Texas through a well-integrated, multi-faceted program of screening baby boomers (BBs), addressing community and clinician education and implementation in diverse primary care health systems serving low socioeconomic status, racial/ethnic minority populations in North and South Texas.

Sponsor: UT Southwestern/ Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT)

The Texas Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Symposium

Primary Investigator, Lisa M Cleveland, PhD, APRN, CPNP, IBCLC, FAAN

Goal: The purpose of the statewide NAS Symposium is to provide training and education on strategies aimed at improving outcomes for families affected by prenatal substance exposure. 

Sponsor: Health & Human Services Commission

South Texas Area Health Education Center Program

Primary Investigator, Janna Lesser, PhD, RN, FAAN

Goal: The goal of this project is to recruit individuals from underrepresented minority populations or from disadvantaged or rural backgrounds into
health professions and support such individuals in attaining such careers. Additionally, the project aims to develop and implement strategies to foster and provide community-based.

Sponsor: Health Resources and Service Administration

Texas Primary Care Office

Primary Investigator: Janna Lesser, PhD, RN, FAAN

Goal: Improving workforce distribution throughout Texas, particularly among rural and underserved areas and populations to positively impact social determinants of health.

Sponsor: Texas Department of State Health Services