Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

These projects were completed by students in the University of Vermont Family Medicine Clerkship. Block Clerkship Projects were completed during a five-week period, while Longitudinal Clerkship Projects were completed over the course of a 12-month longitudinal clerkship.

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Personalized Adult Preventive Screening Tool to Improve Access and Health Literacy in a Multilingual Population

Mohamed S. Ahmed
Short-term Project
Many adults are unaware of which preventive screenings apply to them, leading to missed opportunities for early disease detection and under-utilization of evidence-based services. Barriers such as limited appointment time, complex screening guidelines, and wide variation in health literacy and language proficiency contribute to this gap, especially in culturally diverse areas like Danbury, CT. This project aimed to create a multilingual, web-based personalized screening tool based on the 2024 USPSTF A & B recommendations. The tool generates screening suggestions using inputs such as age, sex at birth, BMI, smoking status, and more. Interviews with a clinic preceptor and a public health leader emphasized the importance of patient education, simplified language, and culturally relevant delivery. The tool supports English, Spanish, and Portuguese and is optimized for both in-clinic and home use. Future plans include print and mobile app access, expanded language support, and pilot testing to assess usability and impact.
A multi-modal approach to blood pressure control in the Washington county population

Neelia E. Abadi
Short-term Project
Hypertension continues to be a prevalent condition in Washington County and throughout the state of Vermont, contributing to significant cardiovascular risk. Many individuals remain unaware of their blood pressure status, are less motivated to address moderately elevated readings, or do not engage in regular monitoring. These factors all give rise to suboptimal management. To address these challenges, this project implemented two interventions focused on the Washington County community and the CVMC Family Medicine – Waterbury clinic. A patient-facing blood pressure guide was developed and integrated into Epic for provider use, and a community education booth was held outside a local pharmacy. These initiatives aimed to increase awareness, empower patients to take an active role in blood pressure management, and provide practical, accessible guidance for those that were willing to make health-promoting changes.
Resource Guide for Pregnancy-Related Mental Health Disorders

Adama Aja
Short-term Project
Pregnancy-related mental health disorders, such as postpartum depression (PPD), postpartum psychosis (PPP), and perinatal or postpartum mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD), affect a significant portion of new mothers in the United States. Rural areas such as Milton, Vermont, face unique challenges, including a shortage of mental health providers and limited access to specialized postpartum care. This resource guide will aid in early identification and intervention that is crucial to preventing severe outcomes for both mothers and their infants.
E-Cigarette Use for Smoking Cessation

Alexia M. Amaio
Short-term Project
Despite their known health consequences, many Americans and Vermonters use cigarettes. Current data suggest that e-cigarettes, or vapes, although still with risks, are much safer than traditional combustible cigarettes. The use of e-cigarettes to quit smoking cigarettes has grown in popularity, however, due to their ease of use and higher concentration of nicotine, some people who try to quit smoking by using e-cigarettes end up more dependent on nicotine. The goal of this project was to explore how providers can guide individuals attempting to quit smoking via e-cigarette use to avoid increased nicotine dependence with the goal of people eventually stopping e-cigarette use over time.
Access to Food, Access to Health : A Resource Guide for Food Insecurity in Windham County, VT

Lajla Badnjevic
Short-term Project
Food insecurity in Windham County has increased from 12.3% in 2019 to 13.6% in 2023. Research shows a strong link between food insecurity and increased risk of cardiovascular conditions, including hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. Individuals already living with these conditions are also more likely to experience food insecurity, often at more severe levels. In Vermont, poor diet is one of three key behaviors contributing to four major diseases—cancer, heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, and lung disease—which together account for over 50% of deaths statewide. These chronic illnesses also place a significant financial strain on the healthcare system, with national costs projected to reach trillions in the coming decades. In response, I developed a comprehensive pamphlet that brings together information on food insecurity, local food assistance programs, and how individuals can access support. The pamphlet is distributed by clinical staff to patients who screen positive for food insecurity, offering clear, actionable information. It serves as a convenient, offline resource that brings key information together in one place, complete with phone numbers and guidance for getting started. The goal is to empower patients to engage with available resources and support informed, patient-centered conversations within the clinical setting. Results of the project have yet to be studied.
Tick Safety in Newtown CT

Claire Baptiste
Short-term Project
Connecticut is a high-risk area for tick bites. Blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) is the primary vector of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease o Fairfield County reports the second-highest number of Lyme disease cases in the state. Ticks are active from early spring to late fall, overlapping with high outdoor activity seasons o June is peak nymphal stage of blacklegged ticks. Despite public education efforts, many patients remain unaware of when to seek medical care after a tick bite, as well as best practices for tick prevention and removal. There is a clear need for enhanced local education to improve early intervention and reduce the risk of complications.
T2DM and the Somali Population

Tanner Baroni
Short-term Project
The Somali population is at a higher risk for developing T2DM and lack adequate resources to help them with this diagnosis. This project looked into making these resources more readily available.
Assessing Patient Satisfaction in Direct Primary Healthcare: A Rural Community Health Initiative

Kartheek Batchu
Short-term Project
In rural Newport, Vermont, a designated Health Professional Shortage Area, access to affordable primary care is limited, contributing to higher healthcare costs and poorer outcomes. This Community Health Improvement Project evaluated patient satisfaction with Blue Spruce Health’s direct primary care model, which minimizes insurance reliance to enhance accessibility and care quality. A 20-question survey was distributed to patients across three locations (Newport, St. Johnsbury, Williston), assessing demographics, communication, value, insurance-based system comparisons, satisfaction, and marketing testimonials. Interviews with Dr. Umair Malik and Chelsea Hamel, RN, highlighted direct care’s benefits, including reduced bureaucracy and increased patient interaction time. Initial survey results suggest high satisfaction with accessibility and care quality, potentially guiding service expansions (e.g., in-house diagnostics) to reduce external healthcare reliance. The project faced challenges like small sample size and response bias from self-selecting participants. Future efforts could expand the survey and quantify cost savings. This initiative, aligned with the AHEC focus area of Medical Practice Transformation, demonstrates direct primary care’s potential to address rural healthcare shortages, lower costs, and improve patient outcomes, offering a scalable model for underserved communities.
The Impacts of Oral Health and Overall Wellness

Jeremiah Bates
Short-term Project
Vermont is one of the many places suffering from decreased accessed to Oral Healthcare. This problem is particularly impactful to Addison County and other places outside of the greater Burlington area. Provider shortages, geography, and lack of dental education are contributing factors leading to poor dental health and decreased overall wellness. This project analyzes these issues and takes steps to increase PCP scope of practice to better address Oral Health needs of all patients.
Appropriate Use of Healthcare Services: A Patient Education Initiative

Timothy E. Baugh
Short-term Project
Many patients struggle to determine when and where to seek medical care. This is especially present in those with limited health literacy, language barriers, or unfamiliarity with the U.S. healthcare system. This can lead to the misuse, underutilization, or overutilization of primary care and other healthcare services, which contributes to excessive healthcare spending, crowding, and poorer long-term outcomes. This project employed a mixed-methods approach to assess provider perceptions of patient understanding regarding appropriate healthcare utilization. A survey and clinical vignette-based assessment were distributed to staff at a primary care outpatient clinic to identify common areas of confusion. In response to the findings, an educational poster was developed in English and translated into Spanish, visually outlining appropriate uses for primary care, urgent care, telehealth, emergency departments, and other healthcare services. The poster is designed as a template to be adapted into additional languages and serves as a tool to improve health literacy and reduce misutilization. The project highlights the need for multilingual, culturally sensitive patient education to enhance navigation of the U.S. healthcare system.
Diabetes Education and Management in Townshend, VT

Kimberly Bau
Short-term Project
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that can lead to serious complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, retinopathy, and neuropathy. In Vermont, follow up visits to address diabetes managements accounts for a significant portion of primary care provider appointments (157 appointments for every 1000 insured person). In addition to lifestyle changes, many patients are placed on medications for glycemic control. This project focused on creating an education handout on diabetes medications, focused on common questions and points of discussion that patients have, that is organized and easy for to understand.
Roadmap to Recovery: Enhancing Access and Awareness of Substance Use Recovery Resources in Vermont

Clifton Bauman
Short-term Project
Substance use disorder remains a pervasive public health challenge in Vermont, where access to recovery resources and stigma surrounding addiction continue to impede care. This project, Roadmap to Recovery, aimed to improve community awareness and accessibility of local recovery services through the development and distribution of an educational brochure. Designed with input from a mental health clinician and a recovery outreach worker, the brochure compiled state and regional resources while framing addiction as a medical condition rather than a moral failing. The intervention sought to empower individuals, families, and service providers with clear, compassionate information to facilitate connection to support. Feedback from community partners highlighted the value of destigmatizing language and accessible design. Future directions include formal evaluation of the brochure’s impact and expansion of outreach materials to additional Vermont communities.
Lyme Disease Education

Caitlin Beattie
Short-term Project
Lyme disease is an emergent health issue in Vermont. Unfortunately, misinformation about Lyme risks, transmission, and treatment is very common. This project aims to provide factual information about Lyme to ease anxiety, reduce antibiotic resistance, and encourage patients to seek treatment when appropriate.
Expanding Awareness of Buprenorphine-ER for Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

Shannon Bennett
Short-term Project
Vermont has made significant progress since the start of the opioid crisis, with a growing number of patients receiving treatment for opioid use disorder. However, there have still been barriers to medication adherence in patients being treated with oral buprenorphine. Many of these difficulties have been addressed with the recent development of extended-release injectable buprenorphine. Given its recent emergence in health clinics, many patients aren’t aware of its availability, necessitating more accessible patient education materials.
Transportation Options for Mad River Patients

Jake Bleau
Short-term Project
UVM is closing the Mad River family medicine clinic in May of 2025. Many patients at this clinic, particularly elderly patients who live alone, already struggle with transportation to their medical appointments due to distance from the clinic and inability to drive themselves. This project was to create a flyer that the clinic may distribute to their patients that highlights two of the most widely used options for transportation to medical appointments. This flyer will be handed out to patients from now, January 2025, until the closure of the clinic.
Development and Distribution of Narcan (Naloxone) Information Cards

Marina Cannon
Short-term Project
Access to naloxone has been associated with fewer opioid overdose deaths. One way to increase the safety of opioid use is to increase knowledge about where to get naloxone.
Where Community Paramedicine Referrals Get Stuck

Brian M. Canova
Short-term Project
Primary care provider (PCP) referrals remain the critical choke point in underutilization of Community Paramedicine (CP) programs, despite their proven ability to reduce readmissions and expand healthcare access. In Maine, barriers include poor provider awareness of CP’s scope, difficulty identifying eligible patients, and lack of streamlined referral pathways. Lessons from CP and palliative care show that EMR-based referral algorithms and embedded care teams can boost referral rates, but adoption is limited by technical and reimbursement challenges. This project identified referral barriers through conversations with community partners and developed a clinic placard to guide PCPs in patient identification as a pragmatic alternative to a “forced consideration” EMR popup.
Identifying Mental Health in Sports Medicine

Cassandra Chin
Short-term Project
This project examines how sports injuries affects mental health and identifies key psychological concepts related to injury and restriction from sport. From interviews with community members and providers, a screening questionnaire was created to start a conversation around mental health in injured athletes with the goal of destigmatizing the topic, identifying struggling patients, and offering appropriate resources.
Encouraging Shared Clinical Decision-Making to Expand HPV Vaccination Rates in 18-26-year-old Patients

Alison E. Chivers and Alison Chivers
Short-term Project
The HPV vaccination series is a safe and efficacious public health tool for prevention of cervical, anal, vulvar, vaginal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers, yet rates of HPV vaccination in rural Vermont lag behind those of the greater state. This community health improvement project involves distribution of an HPV vaccine informational handout to male and female patients between the ages of 18 and 26 years. The primary objective of this work being to increase awareness of the safety, efficacy and availability of the HPV vaccination series for individuals over the age of 18. This project seeks to empower patients to engage in conversations with providers regarding their healthcare preferences with the ultimate goal of enhancing patient-centered decision making and promoting better health outcomes.
Updated Guidelines for Pre-Op Exams by the PCP

William Clark
Short-term Project
This project involved developing and distributing educational materials on the 2024 Guideline for Perioperative Cardiovascular Management for Noncardiac Surgery. By providing key updates to staff, the initiative aimed to enhance provider awareness and support evidence-based perioperative decision-making.
Increasing Utilization of Optometrists in Diabetic Eye Care

Elliot Culleen
Short-term Project
Diabetes is a metabolic condition that continues to be increasing in prevalence. Of the various end-organ effects that diabetes has, diabetic retinopathy is an area that needs more attention in the primary care setting. Diabetes is the leading cause of new onset blindness in patients 25-64. Additionally, of patients with known diabetes, only 60% receive regular screening care to assess for diabetic retinopathy. The reasons for this are not well elucidated, but with interviewing eyecare providers in the surrounding region of Milton, VT the consensus was there is a lack of providers and a lack of patient education. This project seeks to increase patient awareness of local eye care providers through an up-to-date list of providers accepting new patients, and the creation of a poster to be hung in patient rooms informing them of the need for yearly diabetic eye exams.
Silencing the Silent Killer: The Importance of At-Home Blood Pressure Monitoring and Community Resources to Improve Access

Elle G. Cunningham
Short-term Project
Hypertension continues to be a highly prevalent and costly medical condition in the United States. Approximately half of adults in the US have hypertension, and 1 in 3 have hypertension but are unaware of it. The negative impacts of hypertension occur over time, so patient monitoring of blood pressure provides the opportunity for early intervention, but less than half of patients who should monitor their blood pressure at home do so. This project implements the distribution of an educational pamphlet to patients with hypertension who do not regularly monitor blood pressure at home in a community health setting. This intervention was shown to be effective in increasing patient awareness of the health impacts of hypertension, importance of monitoring blood pressure at home, and compliance with at-home blood pressure monitoring.
Increasing MyChart Awareness and Utilization in Plainfield, Vermont

Oona Davies
Short-term Project
Patients of The Health Center in Plainfield, Vermont have limited access to the patient portal, MyChart, and providers do not have time to provide education during office visits. Access to and utilization of MyChart facilitates patient engagement, care coordination, caregiver involvement, and patient-provider communication. Patient access to electronic health record information has been found to improve medication adherence, improve blood sugar and blood pressure control, and reduce admissions. To address this, pamphlets with portal sign-up instructions were distributed in the clinic visit rooms and posters with QR code linked to the MyChart registration website were placed in the waiting room. These pamphlets and posters will give providers and staff a simple way to help their patients gain access and facilitate conversations about MyChart.
Speaking to patients about firearms: increased provider education for individual firearms safety counseling

Joseph Du
Short-term Project
Firearms are the majority cause of pediatric deaths in the United States. Additionally, firearms are the most prevalent mechanism of lethal suicide in the United States. These deaths are largely preventable with safe firearm storage practices in the home. Clinicians often lack colloquial knowledge of nuances in firearm ownership leading to hesitancy in routinely screening patients for safe storage practices in non-acute situations. This project is meant to be utilized as a screening and educational tool for speaking to patients about their firearms and exploring potential unsafe practices they may be unaware of. Additionally, it provides local resources within Vermont for provider and patient utilization including storage facilities, cable lock distribution programs, and lethal means counseling training.
Quality Improvements for Closing the Loop in Diabetic Eye Care Management

Caroline R. Duksta
Short-term Project
There is an opportunity to improve closed loop communication of care plans across organizations and specialists. The concept of this project is to foster patient engagement through healthcare education and leverage that engagement to address areas of identified weaknesses in collaboration. If successful, this could improve communication and coordination of care plans.