Since July 1, Center for Health Policy researchers have received six new externally funded grants and contracts, totaling more than $248,000. Additionally, the researchers and the center’s graduate research assistants have published an article in a peer-reviewed journal and published several externally funded technical reports. Researchers have also made numerous presentation about the Community Apgar Project, which assesses factors with physician recruitment and retention in rural areas.
The new externally funded grants and contracts are:
- “Scope of Practice Study II.” The contract with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare – Office of Rural Health and Primary Care is to assess rural physician scope of practice issues related to recruitment and retention. Ed Baker, director of the Center for Health Policy, and David Schmitz, associate director of rural family medicine for the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho, are co-principal investigators for the $28,000 grant.
- “Year 2 Idaho Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visitation Program Evaluation.” The contract was awarded by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to the Boise State University Center for Health Policy. Tedd McDonald, director of the Master of Health Science Program and senior researcher for the Center for Health Policy, is the principal investigator for the $91,200 grant.
- “Year 5 Statewide Evaluation of the Impact of Clinical Screening in County Detention Centers.” The contract was awarded by the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections to the Boise State University Center for Health Policy. McDonald is the principal investigator for the $45,274 grant.
- “Healthwise Research Collaboration Contract.” The contract with Healthwise, Inc. is to provide collaborative research services. Janet Reis,senior researcher for the Center for Health Policy, is the principal investigator for the $33,640 grant.
- “Tobacco Cessation Grant.” The contract with the Idaho Public Health Departments is to provide tobacco cessation related evaluation services. Lee Hannah, interim director of the Center for the Study for Aging and researcher for the Center for Health Policy, is the principal investigator for the $23,834 grant.
- “Alaska Community Apgar Project Year 2.” The contract with the University of Alaska-Anchorage is to provide recruitment and retention services to Alaska critical access hospitals. Baker and Schmitz are co-principal investigators for the $26,471 grant.
Baker, Schmitz, and Ted Epperly, program director and CEO of Family Medicine Residency of Idaho, wrote “Assessing Community Health Center (CHC) Assets and Capabilities for Recruiting Physicians: The CHC Community Apgar Questionnaire” with graduate research assistants Sean Wasden and Lisa MacKenzie. The article has been accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journal Rural and Remote Health.
The center has published three externally funded technical reports:
- Baker, E., Schmitz, D., MacKenzie, L. & Morris, B. (2012). Assessing Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Assets and Capabilities for Recruiting and Retaining Physicians: The Alaska CAH Community Apgar Program. Alaska Center for Rural Health, Alaska’s Area Health Education Center (AHEC), University of Alaska Anchorage.
- McDonald, T., Howard, E. K. M., & Begic, S. (2012). Stakeholders’ perceptions of issues related to alternatives to sentencing for juvenile offenders in Ada County. Boise, ID: Center for Health Policy, Boise State University.
- McDonald, T., Begic, S., & Howard, E. K. M. (2012). Idaho’s Juvenile Justice Substance Use Delivery System in fiscal year 2011: Factors associated with treatment cost and likelihood of criminal recidivism. Boise, ID: Center for Health Policy, Boise State University.
Baker and Schmitz have presented five times across the country about aspects of the Community Apgar Project:
- Schmitz, D., Baker, E. & Doty, B. (2012). Assessing Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Assets and Capabilities for Recruiting and Retaining Physicians: The Alaska CHC Community Apgar Program. Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association Annual Meeting, Anchorage, Alaska.
- Schmitz, D. & Baker, E. (2012). Community Apgar Project: Comparing Results from the National Database. Presented at the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health Region C Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
- Schmitz, D., Baker, E. & Muffit, C. (2012). Assessing Community Health Center (CHC) Assets and Capabilities for Recruiting and Retaining Physicians: The Maine CHC Community Apgar Program. 2012 New England Clinical Symposium & Workforce Summit, Portland, Maine.
- Schmitz, D. & Baker, E. (2012). Community Apgar Project: Comparing Results in Region E. Presented at the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health Region E Annual Meeting, Boise, ID.
- Schmitz, D. & Baker, E. (2012). Community Apgar Project: Comparing Results from the National Database. Presented at the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health Region B Annual Meeting, Little Rock, AR.