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  Accessing Healthcare in the Era of COVID-19 for Youth Experiencing Homelessness

  Ray Mak

  Short-term Project

  Youth experiencing homelessness face multifactorial challenges in obtaining adequate health literacy. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for healthcare as well as heightened confusion with the spread of health misinformation. This project aims to provide a step-by-step guide for when youth should seek medical treatment for COVID-19 to avoid unnecessary medical costs.

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  The State of Sleep: What Keeps Vermont Up at Night?

  Magalie Carey

  Short-term Project
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  Nutritional Habits: Encouraging Simplicity and Consistency

  Alim Esemenli

  Short-term Project

  Nutrition plays a crucial role in development of diseases that are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the Unites States. However, due to reasons such as time limitations, lack of clear guidelines, and what seems like a sense of hopelessness felt by providers and patients alike upon lack of results, discussions around nutrition may lack in frequency, consistency, and/or adequacy of duration, Research shows that flexibility of mindset, as well as achievability and sustainability of nutritional goals, play a key role in achieving success in weight This project proposes a three-page document that can potentially help primary care providers support and monitor nutritional behavioral changes determined by their patients.

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  The Use of Technology for Mental Wellbeing in the Era of COVID-19

  Adam Fakhri

  Short-term Project

  Prevalence of mental health issues has increased during the time of COVID-19. There are many contributing factors to consider, the main one reported has been social isolation due to quarantine precautions. Members of the community have spent extended periods of time at home and away from their loved ones during this pandemic. Many patients have reported many life events occurring including deaths in the family without the ability to even mourn with their family members. This has taken a toll on the community, especially in Vergennes where this small tight knit community that has relied on its tight social bonds for wellness. There has been a trend of depressive symptoms rising in the community as well as an increase in reported anxiety. There is a shortage of mental health services through therapists and psychiatrists during this time, and a possible solution is the use of technology, specifically phone apps to aid with mental health concerns for members of the community who are unable to meet with a specialist. This project consists of a handout containing 7 apps for mental wellbeing reviewed by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).

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  Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

  Aram S. Garewal

  Short-term Project

  COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States is a major roadblock in the fight against a raging pandemic. Education on mRNA vaccine technology, efficacy, and safety may help reduce public hesitancy. An educational handout was created and distributed at the Brookfield Family Practice to help alleviate COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the local community.

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  Updating Evidence-Based Patient Education Resources for Sleep: Sleep Hygiene and Benzodiazepine Discontinuation

  Carolyn Geraci and Madeline Fritz

  Short-term Project

  There is a major need for patient education around the topics of sleep hygiene and benzodiazepine sleep aid discontinuation in the family medicine clinic setting. Current patient-focused educational materials need updating and are not comprehensive enough. We therefore created new handouts and smartphrases which integrate into the electronic medical record system with the goal of educating patients on these topics.

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  Increasing Patient Access to LGBTQ+ Healthcare through Expanding the Vermont Diversity Health Project

  Rachel Harrison

  Short-term Project

  Numerous studies have documented various disparities in health outcomes and barriers to healthcare access for LGBTQ+ individuals. One major way to combat this is to increase access to healthcare for LGBTQ+ patients and increase provider knowledge of how to best care for them. Through expanding the Vermont Diversity Health Project database of providers and having providers participate in LGBTQ+ Best Practices trainings (both hosted by Pride Center of Vermont), we may reduce LGBTQ+ health disparities in our local community.

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  Promoting Measles Prevention and Awareness

  Elizabeth P. Lanata

  Short-term Project
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  Nutritional Barriers for Patients with Diabetes: A quality improvement project

  Emma C. Levine and Taylor D. Marquis

  Short-term Project

  The goal of this study was to look at health care providers perspectives on what the nutritional barriers patients with diabetes faced and compare that with the patient's perspectives. We also assessed patients knowledge on certain foods and if they have carbohydrates. We used this information to create a Notecard that could be given to patients.

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  COVID-19 Vaccination: Educating Patients on Vaccine Availability and Distribution Plans in Lewiston, ME

  Erick MacLean

  Short-term Project

  In December 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorizations for two COVID-19 vaccines. Many patients at the Central Maine Medical Center Family Medicine Residency clinic had questions related to the vaccines and the plans for vaccine distribution in Maine. With the prevalence of misinformation related to the COVID-19 vaccines on the internet, there existed a need for accurate, easily understandable information to assist with patient education about the vaccines.

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  Attitudes Towards the COVID Vaccine

  Micheal Mikheal

  Short-term Project

  This project was done to assess the attitudes towards COVID vaccination in Berlin, Vermont. A survey was utilized to inquire if participants have received or were willing to receive the COVID vaccine. It also gathered details regarding which sources participants received their information regarding the vaccine.

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  Inclusive Local and Online Resources to Stay Active During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  Collin B. Montgomery

  Short-term Project

  The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted daily life in an innumerable amount of ways. Through gym closures and overcrowded, unsafe public spaces, maintaining exercise routines and reaching physical activity recommendations is increasingly difficult for many people. As a result of this, there has been an increasing emphasis on at home exercise and routines people can do at home. However, many of these resources are not inclusive of populations such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and the otherwise deconditioned as the exercises can be too strenuous or require specific equipment. The goal of this project was to compile a list of online and local resources in the Greater Burlington Area to help facilitate physical activity for all populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to include a short, intuitive walkthrough of a few exercises that can be done from the home in a chair.

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  Addressing Exercise and Physical Therapy in Older Patients in Colchester, VT

  Adam Morehead

  Short-term Project

  Participation in physical activities remains low among much of the older adult population, particularly during the winter months. Many individuals who are active during warmer times of the year become more sedentary during the winter, and this physical inactivity can contribute to declining health. This project sought to develop a simple brochure outlining several simple exercises that can be performed safely at home without equipment to be distributed to patients at wellness visits to encourage indoor exercise.

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  Community Attitudes Towards Covid-19 Vaccination

  John P. O'Keefe

  Short-term Project

  Vaccination is a very valuable tool in combating the public health crisis of COVID-19 and will be essential in reducing transmission rates and deaths due to the pandemic. Public willingness to receive the vaccination in large polls has stayed well below the ~95% of the population needed to achieve herd immunity against the virus. Here were survey Vermonters to determine their attitudes towards receiving the vaccine and what sources of information patients use to inform themselves about the different vaccines available.

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  Patient Perceptions on the COVID-19 Vaccine

  Claudia E. Russell

  Short-term Project

  With COVID-19 cases and deaths on the rise in Vermont and nationally, it will be important for as many people who are able to receive the COVID-19 vaccines when available. The WHO considers vaccine hesitancy to be a major threat to public health. This study aims to examine patient attitudes and concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. An informational brochure about the recently approved Pfizer and Moderna vaccines was then distributed to all participants.

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  Evaluating Patient and Provider Knowledge of Safe Pharmaceutical Disposal Procedures in Vermont through a Public Health and Environmental Lens

  Emily R. Straley

  Short-term Project

  Patient and provider knowledge of safe pharmaceutical disposal procedures is crucial from both a public health and environmental standpoint. Unfortunately, studies have shown that Vermont residents are largely unaware of safe drug disposal programs in their communities. This project evaluated patient knowledge of drug disposal practices and awareness of safe pharmaceutical disposal procedures at Hinesburg Family Medicine. A short phrase was created to better disseminate information about safe drug disposal in Hinesburg, which can be added to a patient’s after visit summary. Many patients report never discussing medication disposal with their physician. Therefore, increased provider communication regarding leftover and unused medications is critical to encouraging participation in safe drug disposal practices in Vermont.

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  Mental Health Technology During the Era of COVID-19

  Michael Tabet

  Short-term Project

  Mental health symptoms - especially those of depression and anxiety - have become more prevalent during the COVID pandemic. As seen in previous years, direct and indirect costs of depression can be staggering. Apps exist on smart devices that are based in evidence-based practices that can be therapeutic for mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia. A simple handout with some suggested popular mental health apps and accompanying descriptions was created to be used in the CVPH Family Medicine clinic to increase awareness of these apps among patients suffering from depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

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  Patient Attitudes and Education about the COVID-19 Vaccine

  Zeynep Tek, Faith Wilson, and Claudia Russell

  Short-term Project

  We gave patients a survey about if they were interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and if not why across three different sites in Vermont and Connecticut. We also made and handed out a pamphlet about commonly asked questions about the vaccine and what the state's distribution plan was. A majority of patients were interested in the getting the vaccine, and those who were unsure were worried about the long term side effects.

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  Resources for staying active during the COVID-19 pandemic

  Peter K. Twining

  Short-term Project

  During the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients find it difficult to stay active. Staying active when gyms are closed and school sports are cancelled can make staying active especially difficult. The purpose of this project was to compile a list of resources for patients to use to stay active and healthy at home during the pandemic.

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  Educating Patients on the COVID-19 Vaccination

  Jenna Wells and Sara Brennan

  Short-term Project

  Patients are frequently coming into clinics with misinformation and frequently asked questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. The goal of this project was to address these frequently asked questions by educating patients and sparking conversation regarding the vaccine when patients came to their clinic appoints. This was accomplished via a handout that was given to patients on arrival.

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  COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Patient Opinions

  Faith E. Wilson, Zeynep Tek, and Claudia Russell

  Short-term Project

  As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available in Vermont, many patients have questions about the safety and efficacy, who it will be available for, when they can expect to get the vaccine, if their doctor would recommend it for them. These important questions are taking valuable time during already short patient visits, and as information is constantly evolving it is difficult to give a concise answer to many questions. This project outlined the basics of the vaccine and answered many FAQs.

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  Smoking Cessation Patient Intervention in Connecticut Primary Care Clinic

  Fay Abdullah

  Short-term Project

  Cigarette smoking is associated with numerous adverse health effects. As such, USPSTF recommends clinicians provide smoking cessation interventions to patients. The aim of this project is to develop a consistent method for providing patients at the Newtown Primary Care facility in Newtown, Connecticut with a smoking cessation intervention during their annual physical exam.

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  Connecticut Anemia Screening Guidelines

  Amelia Anderson

  Short-term Project

  This handout serves to educate clinicians and other providers as to when anemia screening should be done. It contains a summary of the recommendations made by several national organizations as well as Connecticut-specific requirements.

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  Assessing Prescriber and Staff Readiness for Change and Evaluation of Chronic Pain Management

  Collin J. Anderson

  Short-term Project

  Survey-based study of opioid prescribers and staff members at a community health center. Designed to assess current opioid prescribing practices, management of chronic pain patients, and readiness for future change.

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  Promoting weight-loss via smartphone health applications (MyFitnessPal)

  Michael S. Barnum

  Short-term Project

  Obesity has become a public health crisis in the United States. 68% of men and 64% of women in the United States are considered overweight or obese. Obesity is being addressed through a variety of strategies, the use of mobile apps is a relatively new development that could prove useful in helping people to develop healthy dietary habits. Tracking the consumption of certain foods and drinks may potentially help individuals achieve an improved understanding of their dietary patterns. The goal of this project was to develop and provide educational materials on the use of MyFitnessPal to patients seeking dietary advice.