Meet_Our_Fellows

CHOPR Meet Our Research Fellows

Postdoctoral Fellows

Dr. Pamela B. de Cordova (BSN Georgetown University, 2000; MSN University of Pennsylvania, 2004; PhD Columbia University School of Nursing, 2011) is a post-doctoral research fellow studying the impact off-shifts (nights and weekends) on patient outcomes. In 2009, she received an AHRQ Dissertation Award to study this topic. Her current research interests include nursing workforce issues and her clinical background is intermediate/medical-surgical nursing. Selected Publications: De Cordova, P. 2012. Twenty-four/seven: a mixed-method systematic review of the off-shift literature. Journal of Advanced Nursing. De Cordova, P., Phibbs, C.S., and Stone, P.W. 2012. Perceptions and observations of off shift nursing. Journal of Nursing Management.

Dr. Olga Jarrín (BS, MS, PhD University of Connecticut, School of Nursing, 2002, 2007, 2010) is a post-doctoral fellow focusing on health disparities, community healthcare outcomes and the nursing workforce. Her background is in community and public health nursing research and she has worked as a visiting nurse/ case manager. Her Doctoral Dissertation is titled, "A Philosophical Inquiry of Nursing Meta-language". Selected Publications: Jarrín, O.F. (2006). Results from the Nurse Manifest 2003 Study: Nurses' Perspectives on Nursing. Advances in Nursing Science, 29(2), E74-E85. Neafsey, P., Jarrín, O., Coffman, M. & Luciano, S. (2007). Self-Medication Behaviors of Spanish-Speaking Older Adults, Hispanic Health Care International, 5(4), 169-179. Jarrín, O.F. (2007). An Integral Philosophy and Definition of Nursing. Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, 2(4), 79-101. Jarrín, O.F. (2010). Core Elements of U.S. Nurse Practice Acts and Incorporation of Nursing Diagnosis Language. International Journal of Nursing Taxonomies and Classifications 21(4), 166-176. Brooks Carthon JM, Kutney-Lee A, Jarrín O, Sloane DM, Aiken LH. (2012). Nurse Staffing and Post Surgical Mortality in Black Patients. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Jarrín O.F. (2012). The Integrality of Situated Caring in Nursing and the Environment. Advances in Nursing Science 35(1), 14-24. This is currently featured (free) on the ANS Journal website. LINK TO ARTICLE

Dr. Monica F. Rochman (Diploma Ravenswood Hospital, 1999; BSN University of Michigan, 2005; PhD University of Michigan, 2012) is a post-doctoral research fellow focused on the effect of nurse staffing on cardiac arrest and survival. Her dissertation is titled "The Impact of Nurse Staffing on in-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patient Outcomes." Her clinical background is in emergency nursing. Selected publication: Rochman, M., Aebersold, M., Tschannen, D., and Camridge, B.(2012). Interprofessional simulation nurse interruptions. Journal of Nursing Care Quality 27(3): 277-281 Kalisch, B., Friese CR., Choi, SH., & Rochman, M. (2011). Hospital nurse staffing: choice of measures matters. Medical Care 49(8): 775-779. Kalisch, B., Lee, H., & Rochman, M. (2010). Nursing Teamwork and Job Satisfaction. Journal of Nursing Management 18(8): 938-947.

Dr. Amy Witkoski Stimpfel (BSN Villanova University, 2006; MS University of Pennsylvania, 2009; PhD University of Pennsylvania, 2011) is a post-doctoral research fellow focused on the effect of nurses' working conditions on patient and nurse outcomes. Her dissertation is titled "The Impact of Hospital Staff Nurse Shift Length on Nurse and Patient Outcomes." Prior to coming to CHOPR, she worked at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania on the neurology and neurosurgery unit Selected publications:. Witkoski Stimpfel, A., & Aiken, L.H. Hospital staff nurses’ shift length associated with safety and quality of care. Journal of Nursing Care Quality Published online ahead of print 27 September 2012. McHugh, M. & Witkoski Stimpfel, A. Nurse reported quality of care: A measure of hospital quality. Research in Nursing and Health Published online ahead of print 21 August 2012 Witkoski, A. & Dickson, V.V. (2010). Hospital staff nurses work hours, meal periods and rest breaks: A review from an occupational health nurse perspective. AAOHN Journal, 58(11), 489-499. Teitelman, A., Stringer, M., Nguyen, G., Hanlon, A., Averbuch, T., & Witkoski Stimpfel, A. (in press). Social cognitive and clinical factors associated with HPV vaccine initiation among urban, economically disadvantaged women. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing. Witkoski, A. & Dickson, V.V. (2010). Hospital staff nurses work hours, meal periods and rest breaks: A review from an occupational health nurse perspective. AAOHN Journal,58(11), 489-499. PMID:21053797 Teitelman, A. M., Stringer, M., Averbuch, T., & Witkoski, A. (2009). Human papillomavirus, current vaccines and cervical cancer prevention. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing, 38(1), 69-80. PMID: 19208050

Predoctoral Fellows

Danielle Altares is a first year pre-doctoral student. She holds a BA in Biology and Society from Cornell University, a BSN from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MSN in Pediatric Primary Care from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to her doctoral studies Danielle worked as a Policy and Advocacy Associate at a global health organization where she helped to support organization-wide policy initiatives. She is also a board certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and has worked in pediatric outpatient care. Her research interests include international nursing and global health, nurse education and patient outcomes, as well as the role of advanced practice nurses in health care delivery.
Karen Blanchette is a first year predoctoral fellow. She completed her BSN at Quinnipiac University. Prior to entering the BSN/PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania, she practiced as a telemetry nurse. While practicing, she was involved in collecting data for a two-year multisite quasi-experimental research study aimed at improving heart failure outcomes for adult patients with heart failure. Karen maintained an active role as a member of the hospital’s Center for Nursing Research and Innovation, as well the finance committee for Connecticut Nurse’s Association. Her research interests include the nursing workforce, practice environment, and health outcomes. Photo
Molly Kreider Viscardi is a second year predoctoral student and has a BSN from the University of Pennsylvania and an MPA in Health Policy and Management from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service. Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked first as a staff nurse in Labor and Delivery and then Emergency Medicine. Her research interests are staffing ratios, end-of-life spending, and the ethical implications of resource allocation.

Lisa Quinn has a BSN from Boston College and earned her MS from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011. Prior to the doctoral program, she worked as a registered nurse in a variety of roles including medical/surgical, geriatric, and oncology. She has extensive experience in oncology nursing and is an oncology certified nurse (OCN). She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau. She is interested in nurse education, nurse workload, the professional practice environment, and health disparities and policy. Her dissertation chair is Dr. Ann Kutney-Lee.

Shweta Singh is a first year pre-doctoral fellow at CHOPR. She completed her BSN and MSN in the Adult and Gerontology NP program at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to starting the doctoral program, she worked as an oncology-certified, Level II clinical nurse in medical oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP). As an RN, she actively participated in the Magnet Shared Governance council and assisted in the implementation of the electronic medical record at HUP. In her time at Penn, she presented class analyses on reform to Governor Rendell’s Office of Health Care Reform, was on the founding editorial board of the Journal of Student Nursing Research, and was inducted into the honor society Sigma Theta Tau International. She maintains an interest in international health and participated in the Penn Guatemalan Health Initiative as well as Penn tsunami relief efforts in Sri Lanka. Her researchinterests include nurse education, staffing, burnout, and the interaction of workplace environment, nursing care and patient outcomes. Her Center advisors are Dr. Linda Aiken and Dr. Ann Kutney-Lee. Recent publication: Singh, S. (2012). Entry into practice: Is it relevant today? [Letter to the editor]. American Nurses Association Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.

Jill Vanak has a BSN from Georgetown University and an MSN from Columbia University and is a third-year pre-doctoral fellow at CHOPR. Prior to coming to Penn she worked as a research nurse practitioner on the autologous stem cell transplant service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center where she participated in the development of clinical research protocols including having an active role in orchestration, implementation, and evaluation of trials that are implemented in the outpatient setting. She is a board certified Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and an Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner. Selected Publications: Moskowitz, A.J., Perales, M.A., Kewalramani, T., Vanak, J., et al. (2009). "Outcomes for Patients who Fail High Dose Chemoradiotherapy and Autologous Stem Cell Rescue for Relapsed and Primary Refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma". British Journal of Haematology 146(2); 158-163. Small, T., Zelenetz, A.D., Noy, A., Rice, D., Vanak, J., et al. (2009). "Pertussis Immunity and Response to Tetanus-Reduced Dophteria-Reduced Pertussis Vaccine (Tdap) after Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation". Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation 15(12), 1538-1542. Moskowitz, C., Yahalom, J., Zelenetz, A.D., Zhang, Z., Vanak, J., et al. (2010). "High-dose Chemo-radiotherapy for Relapsed or Refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma and the Significance of Pre-transplant Functional Imaging". British Journal of Haematology 148(6), 890-897. Moskowitz, A.J., Yahalom, J., Kewalramani, T., Maragulia, J., Vanak, J., et al. (2010). "Pre-transplant Functional Imaging Predicts Outcome Following Autologous Stem Cell Transplant for Relapsed and Refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma". Blood.

Hillman Scholars

Julie Assis has a BS in Biology and BA in Humanities-Literature from Messiah College, and a JD from Rutgers University School of Law. She is a first year Hillman scholar at CHOPR. Prior to coming to Penn, Julie worked as a healthcare attorney representing hospital, pharmaceutical, and life sciences clients in a variety of transactional and corporate matters and advising healthcare providers regarding compliance with licensure, privacy, fraud and abuse, reimbursement, and other healthcare laws and regulations. Her research interests include health outcomes and health policy research, particularly focusing on innovative models for delivering primary and community-based care, coordination of care issues, and health systems research. In her spare time, Julie enjoys creating avant-garde floral designs for weddings incorporating recycled materials and plants growing around her neighborhood.

Emilia Flores is a BSN/PhD Hillman Scholar in the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research. A native of the Bay Area, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Stanford University. Prior to joining CHOPR, she spent almost a decade in industry as a consultant and manager in Europe and Asia, focusing on regulatory compliance for medical devices and systems engineering. Her research interests include health disparities, healthcare systems engineering and hospital readmissions, and environmental toxicity as it relates to health outcomes. Her center advisors are Dr. Linda Aiken and Dr. Margo Brooks-Carthon. Emilia is one of the rare Californians who enjoys an East Coast winter.

Hayley Germack is a BSN/PhD Hillman Scholar. She has a BA in Medical Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Arts and Sciences. She will get her BSN in December 2012. Prior to starting the PhD she worked as a qualitative researcher for programs in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and the Philadelphia School District. Her research interests are health inequalities, cultural dimensions of nursing, mixed methods, and nurse staffing. Her center advisor is Dr. Linda Aiken. Her current work at the Center uses RN4Cast data to look at the relationship between percent of internationally recruited nurses at hospitals in the UK and its relationship with patient perceived outcomes. She is also working on a study using a videography intervention in documenting recovery of patients with Serious Mental Illness.

Linda Kang has a BSN with a minor in multicultural/global health care and a BA in Health and Societies with a concentration in Public Health from the University of Pennsylvania. Linda is a Hillman Scholar for Nursing Innovation in the first cohort of the BSN to PhD program. Her research interests are in international health care, inter-professional education and collaboration, nurse work environment and health policy. This past summer Linda traveled home to China to conduct qualitative research on the field exploring managers', nurses' and patients' attitudes towards community health centers.