Recognition July 2019


Kamineni, Green, and Buist speak at International Cancer Screening Network

Three speakers represented KPWHRI at the June 3-5 International Cancer Screening Network (ICSN) conference in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. ICSN is a global organization that promotes evidence-based cancer screening implementation and research. The conference, held every two years, brings scientists who study cancer screening together to exchange research methods, knowledge, and results.

  • Assistant Investigator Aruna Kamineni, PhD co-chaired and gave a presentation for a plenary debate on communicating in personalized cancer screening. Dr. Kamineni spoke on "Risk-based cancer screening: promoting the intersections of evidence, policy, and practice."
     
  • Senior Investigator Bev Green, MD, MPH, presented on the first day in a plenary session on the impact of screening policies. Dr. Green talked about "A centralized mailed program with stepped support and adherence to colorectal cancer screening over 9 years: A randomized controlled trial."
     
  • Dr. Green spoke again on the third day in a plenary session on reaching hard-to-reach populations, presenting about "Financial incentives to increase colorectal cancer screening and decrease screening disparities: A 3-arm randomized controlled trial."
     
  • Senior Investigator and Director of Strategic Partnerships Diana Buist, PhD, MPH, spoke at a session on the impact of screening policies and strategies in cervical cancer screening. She presented about the "Impact of mailed home-based HPV self-sampling kits on screening uptake and cervical pre-cancer detection in underscreened women: results from a US-based pragmatic randomized trial."
     

Two KPWHRI groups present at Kaiser Permanente National Quality Conference

Kaiser Permanente held its 2019 National Quality Conference (NQC) in Seattle on June 25-27. The NQC brings participants including Kaiser Permanente senior executives, clinic staff, and members together to advance the health care Quadruple Aim of enhancing patient experiences, improving population health, reducing costs, and improving the work life of care providers.

This year, two groups from KPWHRI presented in working sessions:

  • Communication and Analytics Consultant Carol Cahill, MLS, and Senior Research Associate/Program Manager Elena Kuo, PhD, from KPWHRI's Center for Community Health and Evaluation, collaborated with Kaiser Permanente Director of Strategic Initiatives Elisa Wong, MPH, to present about Kaiser Permanente's approach to measuring health improvement. Their presentation was "How healthy is my community: Designing a measurement system for leaders and implementers."
     
  • Research Associate Amy Lee, MPH, with collaborators Kaiser Permanente psychiatrist Ryan Caldeiro, MD, and Integrated Behavioral Health Clinical Consultant and Social Work manager Rebecca Parrish, MSW, LICSW, shared about partnerships between KPWHRI and Kaiser Permanente Washington for implementing clinical initiatives. Their breakout session presentation, "Lessons from implementation of behavioral health integration in KP WA," included examples such as adding new roles to primary care teams, implementing mental health and substance use screening in clinical care, and integrating mental health and wellness in primary care.
     

Michael Parchman speaks at NIH on equity in rural health care

Michael Parchman, MD, MPH, senior investigator, MacColl Center for Health Care Innovation at KPWHRI, was invited to present at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, on June 19.

Dr. Parchman spoke on "Creating solutions for health equity in preventive services in rural areas: Primary care and cardiovascular risk" for a Pathways to Prevention Workshop at the NIH Office of Disease Prevention. The theme of the workshop was "Achieving Health Equity in Preventive Services." 

Greg Simon honored by Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

Greg Simon, MD, MPH, KPWHRI senior investigator and Washington Permanente Medical Group psychiatrist, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). DBSA is a national organization focused on improving the lives of people with mood disorders.

The annual 2018 Gerald L. Klerman Awards from the DBSA—named for an educator, researcher, and clinician who was an early DBSA supporter—were given out in May in San Francisco. Dr. Simon, who previously chaired the DBSA Scientific Advisory Board, was honored for his "ongoing commitment to serving as a champion and advocate in supporting DBSA’s mission."

Palazzo and Gray present on patient-centered dementia care

KPWHRI Research Associate Lorella Palazzo, PhD, and Assistant Investigator Marlaine Figueroa Gray, PhD, presented at the 79th annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology in Portland, OR, on March 19-23. In a session about perspectives on aging in North America, Drs. Palazzo and Gray spoke about “Recognizing Risk: New Ways to Use Health Data for Patient-Centered Dementia Care.”

Their collaborators on this work were Assistant Investigator Clarissa Hsu, PhD, Project Manager Mikael Anne Greenwood-Hickman, MPH, and Senior Investigator Sascha Dublin, MD, PhD, from KPWHRI, and Professor Deborah Barnes, PhD, from the University of California, San Francisco.