Around the country, print, broadcast, and online media outlets are covering the groundbreaking work of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) leaders, scholars, fellows, alumni, and grantees. Some recent examples:

The number of emergency department visits by adults in California increased 13 percent between 2005 and 2010, with the biggest increase seen among those on Medicaid, according to a research letter by RWJF Physician Faculty Scholar Renee Y. Hsia, MD, MSc, and colleagues. The researchers say Californians with Medicaid may be having trouble finding primary care, forcing them to rely on emergency departments.

African American medical school students anticipate having significantly higher debts from their years in school than students of other races and ethnicities, according to a study co-authored by RWJF Investigator Awards in Health Policy Research recipient Sandro Galea, MD, MPH, DrPH. The findings “also underscore the belief that the high cost of medical school deters qualified minority students from applying and enrolling, especially among African American students,” U.S. News & World Report says.

A study co-authored by RWJF Health & Society Scholars alumnus Haslyn Hunte, PhD, MPH, finds that people of all races who perceive they have been discriminated against—whether everyday discrimination or a single instance of "major" discrimination—have higher levels of drug use than people who have not had such experiences. "Mental health and substance abuse providers should consider treating experiences of unfair treatment/discrimination as a risk factor for drug use as they do other experiences of stress, such as the death of a loved one," Hunte told Medical XPress. "They should also not assume that discrimination is only a problem for racial/ethnic minorities."

Around the country, print, broadcast, and online media outlets are covering the groundbreaking work of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) leaders, scholars, fellows, alumni, and grantees. Some recent examples:

Jennifer Stuber, PhD, an alumna of the RWJF Health & Society Scholars program, was a guest on KING’s New Day (Seattle, Wash.) to discuss Forefront, an organization she co-founded to advance suicide prevention through policy change, professional training, campus and school-based interventions, media outreach and ongoing evaluation. Stuber has been an advocate for suicide prevention since her husband took his own life in 2011, and supports suicide-assessment training for medical professionals as part of continuing education. Read a post Stuber wrote for the RWJF Human Capital Blog about that legislation.

Nearly 60 percent of the 5.1 million patients who were prescribed a psychotropic medication in 2009 had received no psychiatric diagnosis, according to a study led by RWJF/U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Clinical Scholar Ilse Wiechers, MD, MPP. The study also finds that 67 percent of those prescriptions were given to patients who did not receive any specialized mental health care, Medscape reports, meaning the medications were prescribed in primary care, general medical, or surgical settings.

Minnesota Public Radio and MinnPost.com report on a study co-authored by Health & Society Scholars alumni Sarah Gollust, PhD, and Jeff Niederdeppe, PhD, MA, examining how different messages about the consequences of childhood obesity could affect public attitudes about obesity-prevention policy. The researchers found that tapping into core values beyond health—like the need for a strong and ready military—appealed to conservatives, sometimes causing them to revise their views on how the problem should be addressed and which public and private entities should play a role.

Around the country, print, broadcast, and online media outlets are covering the groundbreaking work of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) leaders, scholars, fellows, alumni, and grantees. Some recent examples:

Adverse working conditions contribute substantially to the risk of depression for working-age adults, according to new research from a team led by RWJF Health & Society Scholars alumna Sarah A. Burgard, PhD. The study is the first of its kind to show the impact of the sum total of negative working conditions, rather than focusing on only one particular risk factor, Science Daily reports.

A study led by RWJF/U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Clinical Scholars alumnus Michael Hochman, MD, finds that the philosophy behind patient-centered medical homes supports improved patient care and better physician and staff morale, Bio-Medicine reports. Hochman and his colleagues studied Galaxy Health, a program jointly operated by the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California. "We all know that fewer and fewer young physicians are choosing careers in primary care because of the difficult work schedules, lack of support and lower salaries," Hochman said. "What we did here was to move in the direction of a team-based approach and it resulted in improved satisfaction for physicians in training with their primary care experiences."

RWJF Scholars in Health Policy Research alumna Hilary Levey Friedman, PhD, wrote a column for the Time Magazine Ideas blog, reflecting on a trend in organized children’s activities that she calls “the carving up of honor.” It consists of devising smaller categories that offer more opportunities for prizes. Giving children rewards for doing an activity lowers intrinsic motivation, she writes, which bodes poorly for long-term success and for pride in hard-earned achievement. “The carving up of honor and the trophy culture that accompanies it has clearly gone too far: carving up honor probably doesn’t improve children’s performance or motivation—but it may mean a bigger payday for those who run childhood tournaments.” Friedman identified the trend while researching her new book, Playing to Win.

Around the country, print, broadcast, and online media outlets are covering the groundbreaking work of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) leaders, scholars, fellows, alumni, and grantees. Some recent examples:

The U.S. News & World Report Economic Intelligence blog cites a study co-authored by RWJF Scholars in Health Policy Research alumna M. Marit Rehavi, PhD, that finds mothers who are physicians are 9 percent less likely to have unscheduled C-sections than their non-physician counterparts. The researchers used this and other data to examine the interaction between patient information and financial incentives for physicians, as C-sections are typically more profitable than traditional deliveries.

A low-cost, home-based program called “Beat the Blues” lowers depressive symptoms among older African Americans who are having trouble paying for basic needs, according to a study co-authored by RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholar Sarah Szanton, PhD, CRNP. Szanton’s findings coupled with those in another study that showed meaningful reductions in depressive symptoms from the program “suggest that depression can be 'decoupled’ from financial strain," Nurse.com reports.

Harold Pollack, PhD, MPP, co-authored a post for the Washington Post Wonk blog about research he led that finds adults whose households receive support from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are only slightly more likely than non-recipients to display substance use disorders. “Proposals to drug-test SNAP recipients don’t address the genuine challenges posed by drug and alcohol misuse in American society,” he writes. “Instead, poor families who seek a little help with the food money are being used as stage extras in a different, nasty ideological fight.” Pollack is an alumnus of the Scholars in Health Policy Research program and recipient of an RWJF Investigator Award in Health Policy Research.

Patrick M. Krueger, PhD, is an alumnus of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars program. He is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado-Denver in the departments of sociology and health and behavioral sciences, and research faculty at the University of Colorado-Boulder Population Program. He recently co-authored a study, published in Population Research and Policy Review, that examines the characteristics and mortality risks of nondrinker subgroups to explain why people who do not drink alcohol are at greater risk for death than light to moderate drinkers.

Prior research has documented that both heavy drinkers and nondrinkers have higher risks of premature death than their peers who drink in moderation. Heavy drinkers have elevated rates of death from accidents, suicides, homicides, liver disease, and some cancers. But the reason for the elevated rates of death among nondrinkers is less well understood. Some researchers* have advocated for national guidelines that discourage nondrinking and encourage moderate alcohol consumption. But physicians are reticent to suggest that their nondrinking patients drink more, because alcohol is a nonessential part of a person’s diet, is disallowed by many religions, and can have adverse consequences for health if consumed to excess.

I have worked with collaborators at the University of Colorado to understand the factors that explain the elevated risk of premature death among nondrinkers relative to their peers who drink in moderation. In particular, we use the stated reasons that people report for nondrinking to better understand why they have higher rates of premature death than their peers who drink in moderation.

Around the country, print, broadcast, and online media outlets are covering the groundbreaking work of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) leaders, scholars, fellows, alumni, and grantees. Some recent examples:

More Americans are dying from obesity than previously thought, according to a new study by Ryan Masters, PhD, an alumnus of the RWJF Health & Society Scholars program. In recent decades, 18 percent of deaths of Americans ages 40 to 85 can be attributed to obesity, NBC News, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times report, which is much higher than the often cited 5-percent toll.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett last week signed a new health care law based on a plan designed by RWJF Community Health Leader Zane Gates, MD, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The measure will provide $4 million to community health centers in rural and underserved areas.

Children exposed to lead are nearly three times more likely to be suspended from school by the 4th grade than their non-exposed peers, according to a study co-authored by Health & Society Scholars alumna Sheryl Magzamen, PhD, MPH. “We knew that lead exposure decreases children's abilities to control their attention and behavior, but we were still surprised that exposed children were so much more likely to be suspended,” she told Science World Report.

WHYY (Philadelphia) spoke to RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows alumna Cheri Lee Rinehart, BSN, RN, about grants to train "navigators" to assist people as they purchase insurance through health exchanges. Rinehart is president of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers, one of five groups in the state that are receiving the federal funds.

Around the country, print, broadcast and online media outlets are covering the groundbreaking work of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) leaders, scholars, fellows, alumni and grantees. Some recent examples:

Newly licensed registered nurses who experience high or moderate levels of verbal abuse by physicians have less favorable perceptions of their work environments, lower intent to stay in their jobs, and lower commitment to their organizations, according to a study by the RWJF-supported RN Work Project. Health Leaders Media, Becker’s Hospital Review and Medical XPress are among the outlets to report on the findings. Learn more about the study.

Can social media accurately measure public opinion and be a good indicator of how people will vote? Research co-authored by RWJF Scholars in Health Policy Research alumnus Fabio Rojas, PhD, finds a strong correlation between how often a candidate is mentioned in tweets—regardless of what is said about him or her—and that candidate’s final share of the vote. The researcher team’s data predicted the winner in 404 out of 406 competitive races using data from 2010, Rojas writes in an op-ed for the Washington Post.

Physicians who worry about malpractice lawsuits order more diagnostic tests and refer patients to the emergency room more often than other physicians, according to a study co-authored by RWJF Investigator Award in Health Policy Research recipient Michelle M. Mello, JD, PhD, MPhil. The result is higher medical costs for patients, MarketWatch reports.

The Herald (Rock Hill, SC) reports on a study led by RWJF Health & Society Scholars alumna Margaret Sheridan, PhD, that finds that a mother's perceived social status affects her child's brain development and stress indicators. “Our results indicate that a mother's perception of her social status 'lives' biologically in her children,” Sheridan said.

Around the country, print, broadcast and online media outlets are covering the groundbreaking work of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) leaders, scholars, fellows, alumni and grantees. Some recent examples:

Natasha Dow Schüll, PhD, MA, an alumna of the RWJF Health & Society Scholars program who has studied ways the gambling industry has designed machines to encourage addiction, spoke to The Atlantic about “the machine zone… where the mind goes as the body loses itself in the task.” Those specific behavioral loops also arise when people use social media services like Facebook, The Atlantic reports. Read more about Schüll’s research.

The New York Times’ Dot Earth blog reports on an open letter co-authored by RWJF Investigator Award in Health Policy Research recipient Matthew C. Nisbet, PhD, to Google’s executive leadership about its decision to host a fundraising luncheon for Sen. James M. Inhofe, a longtime, outspoken critic of scientists who warn about climate change. Google has in recent years “gained a green reputation by investing aggressively in renewable energy projects,” the blog reports, so the decision to support Inhofe took many by surprise.

RWJF Executive Nurse Fellow Loraine Frank-Lightfoot, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, chief nursing officer of Wooster Community Hospital, spoke to the Akron Beacon Journal about an agreement that will allow pediatricians at Akron Children’s Hospital to oversee the care of all pediatric patients hospitalized at Wooster.

Around the country, print, broadcast and online media outlets are covering the groundbreaking work of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) leaders, scholars, fellows, alumni and grantees. Some recent examples:

RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholar Maria Katapodi, PhD, RN, FAAN, has developed a program to help women at high genetic risk of breast and ovarian cancer share the news with family members, who might also be at risk,  AnnArbor.com reports. The “Family Gene Toolkit” program pairs patients with a genetic counselor and an oncology nurse to discuss how and why to reveal the results of a positive genetic test to family members.

A study led by RWJF Health & Society Scholars alumna Rebecca Thurston, PhD, finds that menopausal women tend to underestimate how often they have hot flashes and night sweats, Medical XPress reports. Treatment for these "vasomotor" symptoms (VMS) is tailored to patients’ self-reported data, meaning the current approach may be underestimating the burden on women. “While very common in menopausal women, hot flashes and night sweats can disrupt a woman's quality of life significantly,” Thurston said. “In order to test new treatments, we need to be sure we are assessing a woman's VMS as accurately as possible.”

RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows alumna Cynthia Crone, MNSc, APN, CPNP, spoke to the Kansas City Star about a $24 million outreach effort underway in Arkansas to inform residents about how to sign up for coverage in the state’s insurance marketplace, when open enrollment begins October 1. Crone leads the Arkansas Insurance Department's Health Benefits Exchange Partnership division.

In discussing Medicare’s new hospital-payment system that takes patient satisfaction scores into account, Lisa Rosenbaum, MD, an RWJF/U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Clinical Scholar, wrote in the New Yorker: “Though there are several factors informing the general likability of physicians beyond how we feel about what they tell us, there is no reason to assume we would be somehow immune to this cognitive bias when it comes time to rate them.”

The following are among the many honors received recently by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) leaders, scholars, fellows, grantees and alumni.

Arthur L. Kellermann, MD, MPH, has been named dean of the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He comes to the U.S. Military Medical School from the RAND Corporation, where he was the Paul O’Neill-Alcoa Chair in Health Policy Analysis.  Before that, Kellermann was at the Emory School of Medicine.  Kellermann is an alumnus of both the RWJF Health Policy Fellows program and the RWJF Clinical Scholars program.

The American Academy of Nursing will induct 12 RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows and four RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholars into its 2013 “Class of Fellows,” which is among the most prestigious honors in the nursing profession. The Executive Nurse Fellows are: Margaret Baker, PhD, RN; Susan Bakewell-Sachs, PhD, RN; Gaurdia Banister, PhD, RN; Suzanne Boyle, DNSc, RN; Janie Canty-Mitchell, PhD, RN; Stephen J. Cavanagh, PhD, MS, MPA, RN; Margaret Flinter, PhD, APRN; Mary Ellen Glasgow,  PhD, RN, ACNS-BC; Mary Lou Manning, PhD, RN, CPNP; Sandra Festa Ryan, MSN, CPNP, FCPP, FAANP; Sharon A. R. Stanley, PhD, RN; and Danuta M. Wojnar, PhD, RN. The Nurse Faculty Scholars are: Robert Atkins, PhD, RN; Jason Farley, PhD, MPH, CRNP; Joachim Voss, PhD, RN; and Shannon Zenk, PhD, MPH, RN.

The American Red Cross awarded two RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows its Florence Nightingale Medal: fellow Sharon Stanley, PhD, RN, and alumna Tener Goodwin Veenema, PhD, MPH, RN, CPNP, FNAP, FAAN. The award is the highest international distinction given to those in nursing and is given to “nurses who distinguish themselves in time of peace or war by their exceptional courage and devotion to victims of a conflict or disaster or exemplary service in the areas of public health or nursing education.”

Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program alumna Deidra Crews, MD, ScM, was named the 2013-2015 Gilbert S. Omenn Anniversary Fellow at the prestigious Institute of Medicine. Among her previous research is a study examining the association between unhealthy diet and kidney disease among low-income individuals.