Sarah Mae Dizon

Evelyn Tomaszewski, MSW, ACSW

Social Work Student Mengqi Li Is a Fierce Advocate for the APIDA Community On-Campus and Beyond

mthomp7 — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 14:17:47 +0000

Social Work Student Mengqi Li Is a Fierce Advocate for the APIDA Community On-Campus and Beyond mthomp7 Thu, 08/26/2021 - 10:17

In This Story

Emily Ihara, PhD, MSW, FGSA

Li shares her passion for social justice and the opportunities the MSW program has offered her so far.

Mengqi Li is a Master of Social Work student with a passion for social justice and advocating for the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) community. She was recently accepted into the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Minority Fellowship Program, with a mission to reduce health disparities for racially and ethnically diverse populations through cultural competency training. Additionally, Li accepted a new position at Mason’s Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (CCEE) as a graduate assistant within the Student Engagement for Racial Justice team.

Li started the MSW program as a major career transition a few years after graduating with an undergraduate degree in business. “I just knew it really wasn’t where my heart was,” she says about working in business. She decided to pursue social work due to her interest in clinical mental health and the field’s emphasis on social justice values.

“The program at Mason has the most diverse faculty, and as a BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and person of color] student that was really important to me,” Li says about why the MSW program stood out to her.

She’s found many ways that the curriculum has intersected with her activism and advocacy. Last spring, she took SOCW 659 Organizing and Advocating for Change, a course on community organizing, during which Li and her classmates brainstormed ways to organize around issues on campus.

Li’s engagement as a student goes beyond the classroom too. She is the founding president of the Asian Graduate Student Association. So far, the organization has recruited nearly 100 APIDA graduate students. “I’m very excited for the potential of this RSO [registered student organization] to build community at Mason,” she says.

Faculty and staff have had a tremendous impact on Li’s life as a student, and MSW Program Director Evelyn Tomaszewski, MSW, ACSW, has been a great ally to her in and out of the classroom. Social Work Department Chair Emily Ihara helped connect Li to CCEE for her graduate assistant position and to other opportunities as well, including the CSWE Minority Fellowship Program.

“Having APIDA faculty and staff [in the department] has been very meaningful,” says Li. She notes that Julie Kim, the director of graduate student life, is an APIDA staff member who has also made a huge impact on her experience at Mason so far.

After she completes her master’s degree, Li plans to continue her advocacy work for the APIDA community, particularly within the field of mental health. She notes that a lack of diverse practitioners may be one reason why Asian Americans do not always seek mental health services, even when they need it. Li is currently in a training program to be a meditation teacher and hopes to integrate mindfulness training into her future clinical work.

When asked about what advice she has for future MSW students, Li says, “Let others know what you care about. I really believe that’s a huge part of what will open the door to opportunities.” She also adds that leaning into your interests and passions “will keep [them] burning and sustain you in whatever form of work that you do.”

Topics

College of Health and Human Services Department of Social Work

Experts Discuss Improving Health through City Policy

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 18:36:55 +0000

Experts Discuss Improving Health through City Policy Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/12/2021 - 14:36

In This Story

View the full webinar recording here.

On Tuesday, June 29, the Department of Health Administration and Policy’s Health Policy Collaborative hosted a panel titled, “City Policy: Forming Unique Partnerships to Improve Health.” This panel, the third in the Health Policy Summer Series, was moderated by Alison Cuellar, PhD, director of the Health Policy Collaborative and professor.

Panelists emphasized the importance of aligning the efforts of communities, governments and organizations to improve health outcomes through local policy. “We literally cannot do our work without local partners and our national partners,” remarked panelist Catherine Patterson from CityHealth, underscoring the importance of community partnerships to improve urban health.

The experts on the panel represented a variety of sectors moving toward the shared goal of fostering healthy communities in Virginia and beyond:

Catherine Patterson is the Co-Executive Director of City Health, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente designed to advance evidence-based policy solutions to help people and communities prosper.
Captain Kimberly Elenberg is the Modeling and Analytics Lead at the US Department of Defense COVID Task Force who works toward ensuring the well-being of all military service members through internal policies.
William Hazel serves as the Senior Deputy Executive Director at the Claude Moore Foundation who formerly worked in the Office of the Provost at Mason.

Panelists covered topics related to the following:

CityHealth’s 9 policy recommendations to cities to improve health
City governments’ on-going efforts to adopt evidence-based policy and receive recognition
The well-being of military service members, reaching beyond military bases and into local communities using a data-driven approach
Partnerships between the Department of Defense, federal sister agencies, local governments and national health-related coalitions
The Collective Impact Model and how it can be applied to locales in the Commonwealth of Virginia

Upcoming events in the Health Policy Summer Series include:

Tuesday, July 13: 1:00pm-2:00pm EST

Top Priorities for Access and Affordability

Post-pandemic Primary Care, What Next? Shawn Martin, Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer, American Academy of Family Physicians
Marketplace Coverage, What Next? Jeannette Thornton, Senior Vice President of Product, Employer, and Commercial Policy, America's Health Insurance Plans
Balancing Value with Affordability and Access Post COVID: Peter Bach, PhD, Director of Center for Health Policy and Outcomes, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY

Tuesday, July 27: 1:00pm-2:00pm EST

Public Health, Lessons Learned

Moderator: Michael Fraser, MPH, CEO, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

Panelists:

Lessons from the National Vaccination Effort: Bechara Choucair, MD, Vaccinations Coordinator at The White House
Local Lessons from a Frontline Health Official: Reuben Varghese, MD, MPH, Public Health Director, Arlington County, Virginia
Manufacturer Perspectives, US and Global: Sharon Lamberton, MS, Deputy Vice President, PhRMA

Topics

Health Policy

College of Health and Human Services Department of Health Administration and Policy

Local and National Experts Discuss Promoting Housing Stability through Health Policy

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 17:51:27 +0000

Local and National Experts Discuss Promoting Housing Stability through Health Policy Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/12/2021 - 13:51

In This Story

View the full webinar recording here.

On Tuesday, June 15, the Department of Health and Administration and Policy Health Policy Collaborative held a panel on “Promoting Housing Stability through Health Policy.” The event is a part of the Health Policy Summer Series and was moderated by director of the Health Policy Collaborative and professor, Alison Cuellar, PhD.

“We all know that housing is a social determinant of health,” said panelist Nina Janopaul in her opening remarks. “When people aren’t stably housed, they’re not healthy.”

With the country experiencing a national housing crisis, it is crucial that experts explore various policy options for making housing more accessible. Panelists represented private, non-profit and government sectors:

Nina Janopaul, President and CEO of the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing provided a perspective on the full range of affordable housing options.
Shira Hollander, Senior Associate Director of Policy Development at the American Hospital Association delivered the perspectives of the many options hospitals have to help promote housing stability in their communities.
Anna Cleveland, Government Operations Consultant in the Division of Medicaid Policy for the state of Florida, discussed how Medicaid policy can advance on housing stability.

During the seminar, the panelists covered related topics such as:

The continuum of affordable housing supports and policy options
The importance of permanent supportive housing, an intervention that combines affordable housing assistance with supportive services, for people who are experiencing homelessness and have a disabling condition

Land-use policy and funding from government and non-profit sectors as key to promoting affordable housing
Various frameworks that hospitals can use for promoting housing stability
Florida’s pilot program to support permanent supportive housing and Medicaid options for supporting housing security

Upcoming events in the Health Policy Summer Series include:

Tuesday, July 13: 1:00pm-2:00pm EST

Top Priorities for Access and Affordability

Post-pandemic Primary Care, What Next? Shawn Martin, Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer, American Academy of Family Physicians
Marketplace Coverage, What Next? Jeannette Thornton, Senior Vice President of Product, Employer, and Commercial Policy, America's Health Insurance Plans
Balancing Value with Affordability and Access Post COVID: Peter Bach, PhD, Director of Center for Health Policy and Outcomes, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY

Tuesday, July 27: 1:00pm-2:00pm EST

Public Health, Lessons Learned

Moderator: Michael Fraser, MPH, CEO, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

Panelists:

Lessons from the National Vaccination Effort: Bechara Choucair, MD, Vaccinations Coordinator at The White House
Local Lessons from a Frontline Health Official: Reuben Varghese, MD, MPH, Public Health Director, Arlington County, Virginia
Manufacturer Perspectives, US and Global: Sharon Lamberton, MS, Deputy Vice President, PhRMA

Topics

Health Policy

College of Health and Human Services Department of Health Administration and Policy

Experts Share Insights on Current Health Policymaking Priorities

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 14:38:59 +0000

Experts Share Insights on Current Health Policymaking Priorities Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/07/2021 - 10:38

In This Story

College of Health and Human Services Department of Health Administration and Policy

Alison Evans Cuellar, professor and director of Health Policy Collaborative, is the moderator for the Health Policy Summer Series

Health Policymaking Priorities Now: the first webinar in the Health Policy Summer Series featured panelists from Capitol Hill, the Virginia Medicaid program, and the Urban Institute.

On Tuesday, June 1, the Department of Health Administration and Policy Health Policy Collaborative held “Health Policymaking Priorities Now”, the first panel in the Health Policy Summer Series.

Moderated by Alison Cuellar, PhD, professor and director of the Health Policy Collaborative, the panel discussed shifting health policy priorities as COVID-19 cases continue to decline across the country. As the nation approaches post-pandemic status, policymakers on both the Federal and state-level are assessing which COVID-19 related changes will become permanent and which will not. Panelists represented a variety of perspectives:

Audrey Smith, senior policy advisor to Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Mason alumna, and Stuart Portman, health policy advisor and majority staff member of the Senate Finance Committee, provided their perspectives from Capitol Hill.
Dr. Ellen Montz, chief deputy and chief health economist from the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, delivered her perspective on Medicaid policy in the state.
Senior fellow at the Urban Institute, Dr. Jessica Banthin provided simulated data results on the latest trends in health insurance and coverage amidst the current pandemic.

The seminar covered important trends and topics such as:

Support for reforms for dually eligible, i.e., Medicare-Medicaid, coverage
Assessing vaccine accessibility, particularly for under-served communities
Revisiting telehealth policies particularly where Medicaid is ahead of Medicare and for patients in rural areas with low broadband access
Achieving health equity and increased access to behavioral health services
Examining the data needed to assess the effects of pandemic-related health policy changes
Evaluating the long-term impact of making permanent the enhanced insurance subsidies that are part of pandemic response

Future events in the five-part Health Policy Summer Series include:

Tuesday, June 15: 1:00pm-2:00pm EST
Promoting Housing Stability Through Health Policy

Hospitals and Health Systems’ Role in Providing Support for Housing and other Social Determinants of Health: Shira Hollander, Senior Associate Director, Policy Development, American Hospital Association
Encouraging Housing Stability Through Medicaid Managed Care Contracts: Anna Cleveland, Govt. Operations Consultant, Division of Medicaid Policy, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration
View from the Housing Provider on Linkages to Health Systems and Plans: Speakers to be announced

Tuesday, June 29: 1:00pm-2:00pm EST
City Policy: Forming Unique Partnerships to Improve Health

City Policy and Health: Catherine Patterson, MPP, Co-Executive Director, CityHealth
The Armed Forces’ Role in Community Health Partnerships: Captain Kimberly Elenberg, RN, DNP, U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
Developing Collective Impact in Communities, Approaches and Lessons: William Hazel, MD, Senior Deputy Executive Director, Claude Moore Foundation

Topics

Health Policy

“Mason: Health Starts Here” 5-year Cohort Study Underway with 500+ Total Participants So Far

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 15:39:25 +0000

“Mason: Health Starts Here” 5-year Cohort Study Underway with 500+ Total Participants So Far Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 06/02/2021 - 11:39

In This Story

Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD

College of Health and Human Services Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

The longitudinal study is an important effort seeking to improve the health of young adults.

Launched in Fall 2019, the Mason: Health Starts Here study is well underway and continues to collect data on the habits and health of student participants at ��ӽ紫ý. Principal investigators, Drs. Larry Cheskin and Alison Cuellar recently published the protocol of the study in BMC Public Health. They noted that the university’s highly diverse student population makes it an ideal setting for the 5-year cohort study. So far, Mason: Health Starts Here has collected data from two cohorts—freshman from Fall 2019 and Fall 2020. The study will help researchers understand how habits developed in young adulthood affect health outcomes over time. Students are historically an under-studied population.

“Almost all other studies look at older folks, or at already-sick people to understand risks for health and disease,” says Cheskin, professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies. “We are looking at young adults proactively, before health starts to decline.”

So far, Mason: Health Starts Here has collected data from two cohorts—freshman from Fall 2019 and Fall 2020.

The study will look at at dietary patterns among the students and will compare them to national averages for young adults. The study will also look at racial and ethnic parameters as Mason is a minority-majority campus.

Mason: Health Starts Here will continue to collect data on participants and recruit freshman students between the ages of 18-24 years old. Researchers maintain check-ins with participants every semester for the next 4 years through online surveys and in-person clinic visits.

“The data we’ve gathered will allow researchers, but also the participants themselves, to learn more about the connections between health, mental health, and academic success,” says Cuellar, professor of Health Administration and Policy. “Our long-term goal for this study is to support the development of effective, low-cost interventions that will encourage young adults to be healthy and succeed in college.”

The study team includes Rana Ziaul, postdoctoral fellow and Alyssa Wilson, research assistant.

Students who wish to participate can visit the Health Starts Here website for more information.

Topics

Food and Nutrition

Students

College of Health and Human Services Department of Health Administration and Policy

Young Adults

Mason COVID Health Check™

Center for Health Equity

Dr. Amira Roess Awarded for Outstanding Achievement in Mason Community and Beyond

mthomp7 — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 11:50:46 +0000

Dr. Amira Roess Awarded for Outstanding Achievement in Mason Community and Beyond mthomp7 Thu, 04/08/2021 - 07:50

In This Story

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH

Professor of Global and Community Health Amira Roess has been recognized for her excellence in community involvement, teaching, and research during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mason’s safe return to campus.

Amira Roess, an epidemiologist and professor of Global and Community Health, has received Mason’s Outstanding Achievement Award. Every year, ��ӽ紫ý recognizes employees for significant achievement in their contributions to Mason. The Outstanding Achievement Award is given to individuals whose outstanding work exemplifies Mason’s values.

Roess has played a vital role in Mason’s response to COVID-19 and the safe return to campus.

With expertise in infectious disease epidemiology and pandemic response, Roess has played a vital role in Mason’s response to COVID-19 and the safe return to campus. When the coronavirus led to the shutdown of businesses and campuses across the country, Roess led a team to create and launch the nation’s first online COVID-19 symptom and exposure tracker. This tool, the Mason COVID Health Check™, has been vital to the university’s randomized testing and surveillance protocol. Last June, Dr. Roess was requested by the Virginia Council of Presidents to share the Mason COVID Health Check™ with all Virginia universities.

Roess has also served on several committees that have informed Mason’s safe return policies and protocols. These committees involved coordinating efforts on screening, contact tracing, testing, and vaccinations. Her contributions have been foundational to Mason’s response to COVID-19 and these successful strategies have played a big role in Mason’s low positivity rate. Furthermore, Roess is the recipient of two extramurally funding grants on COVID-19 transmission.

“These time-intensive initiatives of service to the University and the community are in addition to countless hours she has dedicated to ensure accurate translation of COVID-19 health information to various communities,” said Dean of the College Germaine Louis on Roess’ extensive work in the Mason community and beyond.

Additionally, Dr. Roess is also directing the new PhD in Public Health degree program within the Department of Global and Community Health, teaching a course on epidemiology, and working with several students on COVID-19 related projects in the disciplines of public health and engineering.

Her tireless, multifaceted work demonstrates a clear commitment to excellence in the face of adversity. Congratulations to Roess on this well-deserved honor.

Topics

coronavirus; covid-19

Safe Return to Campus

College of Health and Human Services Department of Health Administration and Policy

faculty spotlight

Senior Health Informatics Student Grace Buck Awarded HIMSS-NCA Scholarship

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 13:43:04 +0000

Senior Health Informatics Student Grace Buck Awarded HIMSS-NCA Scholarship Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/05/2021 - 09:43

In This Story

Farrokh Alemi, PhD

Grace Buck, a senior studying Health Informatics, has been recognized for her demonstrated leadership and excellence in the areas of health informatics.

Grace Buck, a senior studying Health Informatics in the Department of Health Administration and Policy, has been awarded a scholarship from the Health Information and Management Systems Society-National Capital Area chapter (HIMSS-NCA). The HIMSS-NCA scholarship is awarded annually to high-achieving students in the health management and health information systems field. Buck has been recognized for her demonstrated leadership in the classroom and excellence in the areas of health informatics.

Currently, Buck is also a Student Pathways intern at the National Institute on Aging within the National Institutes of Health. The opportunity has allowed her to apply knowledge from her studies in the field such as using data visualization software like Tableau.

“My experience as a Pathways intern has been very exciting,” says Buck on the prestigious internship that she discovered through Mason’s Career Services. She notes that Career Services’ various career fairs and workshops have shaped her professional development in addition to the technical skills she’s gained through the College’s Health Administration degree program.

“I remember how excited I was when I was first introduced to Tableau and SQL,” says Buck, recalling the highlights of her experience within her program. “It was so cool to see how simple it was to turn complex data into simplistic and easy-to-understand visuals and to use queries to easily pull data from large files.”

In one of her Health Informatics courses on data analysis, Buck taught a lecture about SQL. Her professor for that class, Dr. Farrokh Alemi, was impressed by her leadership and excellence.

“I am sure she will continue her spectacular performance as the class proceeds,” he wrote in her letter of recommendation for the HIMSS-NCA scholarship.

Buck is expected to graduate in fall of 2021. Her post-undergraduate plans include converting her current internship into a full-time position with the National Institute on Aging. Further in her future, she hopes to pursue a Master’s in Health Informatics and discover new opportunities in her field.

Topics

Student Spotlight

Health Informatics