Seed Grants

Alison Duffy, PharmD, BCOP (SOP) received an $11,000 seed grant for Interprofessional Collaborative Approach to Prevent and Management of Chemotherapy Toxicities/Oncology Symptom Management/Medication Reconciliation. Paula Rosenblatt, MD (SOM) is a contributing faculty member on the project. The IPE project is designed to bring patients, medical students, and pharmacy students together for mutual benefit. Students will benefit by learning about drug therapy, medication safety, and the psychosocial aspects of cancer. Patients will have enhanced contact with the care team and treatment of chemotherapy side effects. To learn more, contact Dr. Duffy at aduffy@rx.umaryland.edu.

Amy Kruger Howard, PharmD (SOP) received a $15,000 seed grant for Bridging Curriculum Gaps in Pediatric and Adolescent Transgender Care. The contributing faculty and staff include Jill A. Morgan, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS (SOP), Maria Eleni Nikita, MD (SOM), Tiernan Connor Castile, MD (Resident), Lee Westgate, MBA MSW, LCSE-C (SSW), and Sara Gold, JD (SOL). The IPE project is designed to improve interprofessional education focusing on the care of transgender and gender diverse pediatric and adolescent patients. This educational program will prepare students and clinicians to: ensure adherence to best practices guidelines for transgender care; improve baseline knowledge of available pharmacologic treatment modalities; and improve interdisciplinary communication. Any University of Maryland Baltimore student, at any point of their curriculum, is eligible to participate. This multimodal 14-hour course includes online webinars, in-person patient panel and case discussions, and simulated patient clinic visits. To learn more, contact Dr. Howard at akhoward@rx.umaryland.edu.

 COVID-19 Seed Grants

Richard Colgan, MD (SOM) received a $25,000 COVID-19 seed grant for ACT Immersion Program. The contributing staff and faculty are Allison Robinson, MPH (SOM), Lana Sherr, PharmD, BSPharm (UMES, Pharmacy), and Beth Smolko, DMSc, PA-C (FSU, Physician Assistant). The ACT (Advocacy for underserved and underrepresented Communities through Training) Immersion Program is designed to expose AHEC Scholars to underserved communities through interprofessional didactic and experiential learning opportunities. AHEC Scholars will experience immersion weekends in either Eastern Shore, Western Maryland or Central Maryland region. Prior to the weekend, Scholars will attend virtual interprofessional webinars and education programs providing up-to-date information on the impact of COVID-19 on diverse populations and systemic racism’s impact on the delivery of healthcare. A key long-term outcome, of ACT, is to increase the number of health professionals practicing in underserved communities. To learn more contact Dr. Colgan at rcolgan@som.umaryland.edu.   

Gina Rowe, PhD, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, PHCNS-BC, CNE (SON) and Heather Congdon, PharmD, BCPS, CDE, FNAP (SOP) received a $25,000 COVID-19 seed grant for Adaptation of an Interprofessional Team Care Clinic to a Telehealth Model to Accommodate the COVID-19 Crisis. The contributing faculty are Barbara Nathanson, MSW, LCSW-C (SSW), Joan Pittman, PhD, LCSW-C (SSW), and Phyllis McShane, MS, RD, (UMCP). The Interprofessional Team Care Clinic (IPTCC) has been successful as a means to enhance and expand care for medically complex, uninsured patients through coordinated interprofessional care, as well as a mechanism to train students from pharmacy, nursing, social work, and dietetics programs to work effectively in interprofessional teams. The COVID-19 crisis halted operations of the IPTCC in March 2020 and has prevented students from resuming clinic experiences. Telehealth is an innovative mechanism well-suited to facilitate continuation of this successful model of interprofessional care. Faculty will implement a virtual IPTCC and precept students in providing interprofessional care through telehealth, starting in fall, 2020. To learn more contact Dr. Rowe at growe@umaryland.edu.

Keri McGowan Lowery, JD, MPH (SOL) received a $14,920 COVID-19 seed grant for Addressing Acute Housing Needs in the Wake of COVID-19. The contributing faculty are Kathleen Hoke, JD (SOL), Toby Guerin, JD (SOL), Sara Gold, JD (SOL), Thomas Silverstein, JD (SOL), Stacy Smith, JD (SOL), Rebecca Bowman-Rivas, MSW (SOL), Deborah Eisenberg, JD (SOL), Lauren Siegel, LCSW-C (SSW), Everett Smith, LMSW (SSW), Lane Victorson, LMSW (SSW), and Adam Schneider, MSW (SSW). Faculty from UMB Carey Law and the School of Social Work propose an interprofessional Project to prepare and respond to acute housing needs anticipated after the state eviction moratorium is lifted and courts reopen later this summer. Specifically, we aim to develop a self-sustainable collaboration among four clinics within the Clinical Law Program (Public Health Law, Medical-Legal Partnership, Mediation, and Fair Housing) and social work students placed with the SSW Office of Field Education, Law & Social Work Service Program, and Social Work Community Outreach Services (SWCOS) to provide access to legal services and needed social services and supports to improve short- and long-term outcomes for families facing housing crisis due to COVID-19. Interprofessional team-based client care work will focus on direct client services, process, and policy. Project faculty will also engage students in interprofessional learning, including training on housing issues, landlord-tenant law, the rent court process, and alternative dispute resolution, as well as a co-taught module for law and social work students on the legislative process. To learn more contact Ms. Lowrey at klowrey@law.umaryland.edu.