A.T. Still Research Institute

The mission of the Center for Oral Health Research is to promote whole person health by translating outcomes gained from clinical, behavioral, and exploratory research into advances in dental education and practice.

The goal of the Center for Oral Health Research is to expand the scientific knowledge base of dentistry used to support the delivery of high quality, evidence-based care to promote oral health and whole person wellness.

• Interventions that improve the oral health of specific population groups.
• Best practices for treating patients with special needs.
• Exploratory research used to improve diagnosis and treatment of oral conditions.
• Delivery models to improve access to care to underserved populations.
• Cost-benefit analysis of oral health interventions to improve systemic health.
• Influence of health and oral health behaviors on overall health and wellness.
• Impact of public health education on dental practitioner attitudes and behaviors towards treating the underserved.

• Collaborative practice using teledentistry.
• Enhancing Osteopathic Medical Education by Incorporating Medical Ultrasound Training for DOs.
• Validating HPV 16+ biomarkers in oropharyngeal cancer for future point-of-care testing
• Assessing Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation and in patients with cirrhosis
• Assessing the oral health status of athletes participating in the International Special Olympics games
• Impact of a novel curriculum on social emotional learning in special care dentistry
• Using VR to improve student learning in operative dentistry

• Promote oral health as an essential component of whole person health.
• Develop skills in ATSU faculty and students that will lead to research independence.
• Increase breadth and scope of research and scholarly activities of ATSU faculty.
• Develop, implement, and disseminate innovative strategies to improve the oral health of the public, especially among the underserved.

The Colgate Oral Health Network is proud to partner with the distinguished faculty at the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, A.T. Still University (ATSU), to provide you with this 8 part- CE podcast series: TIPS FOR IMPLEMENTING SPECIAL CARE DENTISTRY INTO DAILY PRACTICE. Hosted by Dr. Ann Eshenaur Spolarich an internationally recognized author and speaker on the care of medically complex patients, this series covers a variety of topics including, but not limited to:

• A broad overview of individuals who present with special needs
• Risk reduction strategies to improve safety
• Tips for staff training and skills and communication

Listen to the each episode and complete the short CE quiz at the end of each to earn .25 CE credits per episode.

Start your education journey about this important patient population today

Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health

The purpose of the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ASDOH) is to educate caring, technologically adept dentists to become community and educational leaders, serving those in need, and to:

• be a leader in the lifelong education of community responsive general dentists
• prepare graduates with a strong foundation of critical inquiry, evidence-based practice, research, cultural competency, orientation to prevention, and interdisciplinary healthcare experiences
• promote the delivery of optimal patient care and for the transfer of newly acquired knowledge, skills, and technology to the profession and the community

ASDOH’s dental programs feature innovative curriculum, simulation technology, state-of-the-art facilities, leadership training, needs- and service-focused education.

The COHR co-director at ASDOH is Ann Spolarich, RDH, PhD, FSCDH. Dr. Spolarich is an internationally recognized author and speaker on pharmacology and the care of medically complex patients. She has presented over 1,100 invited lectures and has over 125 professional publications. She is Professor, Course Director of Pharmacology, and Assistant Dean for Research at the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, A.T. Still University (ATSU), where she teaches part-time in the Special Care Clinic. Ann is also a faculty member in the NYU Langone AEGD residency program at ATSU. Ann received the Education Award in 2021 from the Special Care Dentistry Association. Ann currently serves as Vice-President of the Arizona Section of the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) and President of the Oral Health Group for the International Association for Dental Research (IADR). Her research interests include best practices and interventions for the care of medically complex patients, especially patients with head and neck cancer, older adults, and those with disabilities, as well as dental product and device testing.

Dr. Spolarich, along with other COHR members and students at ASDOH, actively engage in scholarly activity to identify regional and national healthcare needs and improve access to dental care for children, seniors, and underserved populations. The Center for Oral Health Research at ASDOH hosts numerous clinician researcher development program interns annually, who present work at national and international conferences, publish in prominent journals, and go on to include dental research as an integral part of their clinical practice for best patient care.

Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health

The purpose of the Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) is to produce graduates with a strong foundation of critical inquiry, evidence-based practice, research, cultural proficiency, orientation to prevention, and interprofessional and interdisciplinary healthcare experiences.

There are many research opportunities available to MOSDOH students. MOSDOH’s Research Program emphasizes research in public health dentistry and the basic sciences. Qualified students are invited to participate in ongoing research with MOSDOH faculty. Alternatively, students may elect to conduct independent research by participating in MOSDOH’s Research Elective, which is a seminar that helps students develop research skills in all areas, from project development to dissemination. Students also have the opportunity to conduct research at other institutions over the summer, such as other dental schools or the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Dr. Ann Spolarich (aspolarich@atsu.edu) with any questions.

The Center for Research in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine’s mission is to advance the use of objective feedback methods in educational programs that train learners in the performance of diagnostic and therapeutic manual skills.

• Assessing Palpation Skills of Osteopathic Medical Students and Clinicians.
• Developing and offering programming that incorporates objective measures of palpation within osteopathic curricula to increase the accuracy and validity of palpatory diagnosis and treatment.

• Multicenter study evaluating the Palpatory skills of first year medical students at KCOM, SOMA, and MUCOM using validated Models.
• Use of Models to Assess the Accuracy of Positional Asymmetry Tests within osteopathic medical school curricula Advancing Medical Student Accuracy and Reliability Performance of Pelvic Positional Asymmetry Tests through Consensus Training and Objective Feedback.
• Advancing the Accuracy and Reliability of Manual Diagnostic Tests of select Medical Students.

• Pilot training programs with local faculty and residents using instrumentation, models, and procedures established within the Center’s research program.
• Training a pool of national clinical D.O. researchers who can document the reliability and accuracy of their palpatory skills.
• Pilot training programs with groups of undergraduate students to utilize methodologies and models as objective feedback during OMM skill development.
• Develop similar training programs at other osteopathic medical schools.

DO-Touch.NET is a practice-based research network whose clinician members are dedicated to assessing the clinical usefulness of osteopathic manipulative medicine. Their mission is to evaluate and advance the practice of osteopathic manipulative medicine. Through a global network of clinicians, DO-Touch.NET aims to produce research that translates easily into practice.

To learn more about current research and educational opportunities, visit DO-Touch.NET.

Advancing Skills in Osteopathy (ASO) offers innovative continuing education courses to refine clinicians' palpation skills, provide unique experiences of osteopathic history, and promote rigorous research in osteopathic principles, led by a team of leading educators and researchers. ASO courses are open to:

• Osteopathic physicians graduated from an accredited USA or International College of Osteopathic Medicine

OR

• Osteopathic students, fellows, and residents motivated to incorporate osteopathic manipulative skills in their future practice

For more information, please visit atsu.edu/aso.

Contact Dr. Brian Degenhardt (bdegenhardt@atsu.edu) with any questions.

The mission of the National Center for Community Health Research, a research alliance between the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and A.T. Still University, is to conduct quality research that considers the range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors influencing health status; focus on underrepresented communities and vulnerable populations served by health centers; and address health equity by improving health, wellness, and well-being.

NACHC is a membership organization for community health centers nationwide. Founded in 1971, this non-profit organization promotes the provision of high quality, comprehensive, and affordable health care that is coordinated, culturally and linguistically competent, and community directed for all medically underserved populations.

NCCHR research focuses on all domains relevant to Value-Based care with an emphasis on social determinants of health for patients and communities served by health centers.

With a focus on the Quintuple Aim, the National Center for Community Health Research will promote research to improve and evaluate patient care experiences (including quality and satisfaction), population health, healthcare costs, health equity and healthcare providers and staff work life at the level of the health centers and communities they serve.

• Million Hearts: Multi-Sector Collaborative Partnership to Advance Self-Measured Blood Pressure (SMBP) Monitoring Nationally.
• Testing a model for improving colorectal and cervical cancer screening that embeds cancer screening improvement efforts within a comprehensive, evidence-based transformation approach (Value Transformation Framework).
• Nationwide assessment of current vaccination activities and capacity to provide vaccination services in federally funded community health centers.

The long-term goal is to employ an interprofessional, collaborative research approach to help develop a more efficient, effective health system that can promote health and wellbeing for individuals and communities served by health centers. The National Center for Community Health Research will work with health centers, local organizations, and community members to promote community-oriented primary care, oral healthcare, and community-based research focused on social determinants of health.

The overall goal is to improve health and well-being and promote health equity. Today, there are more than 1,375 health center organizations, with more than 9,300 delivery sites serving more than 24 million patients annually (1 in 13 people in the US); 48% of health center organizations are rural and 92.5 % of patients are low income. Health centers serve: 1 in 7 Medicaid beneficiaries, 1 in 7 uninsured persons, including, 1 in 5 low income uninsured, 1 in 3 individuals below poverty, 1 in 3 minority individuals below poverty, and 1 in 7 rural Americans of which approximately 13 million are CMS beneficiaries.

• Modica C, Lewis JH, Bay RC. Advancing Virtual at-Home Care for Community Health Center Patients Using Patient Self-Care Tools, Technology, and Education. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare. 2024 February 2;17:521-531. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S443973.
• Meader M, Sachdev N, Anderson E, Roy D, Bay RC, Becker LH, Lewis JH. Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives from Community Health Clinicians. Journal for Healthcare Quality 45(2):p 109-118, March/April 2024. doi: 10.1097/JHQ.0000000000000417.
• Picha KJ, Welch Bacon CE, Bay RC, Lewis JH, Snyder Valier AR. Athletic Trainers Perceptions and Experiences of Social Determinants of Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023 April 21;20(8):5602 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20085602
• Lewis JH, Appikatla S, Anderson E, Glaser K, Whisenant EB. The Primary Care Transformation Executive Fellowship to Develop Community Health Center Leaders. Advances in Medical Education and Practice. 2023 February 12;14:123-136.
• Meador M, Coronado F, Roy D, Bay RC, Lewis JH, Chen J, Cheung R, Utman C, Hannan JA. Impact of COVID-19 Care Disruptions on Blood Pressure Management and Control in Community Health Centers. BMC Public Health. 2022 December 8; 2295(2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14763-9
• Meador C, Bay C, Sasu N, Allgood JA, Anderson E, Lewis JH. Using the Practical Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) to Identify and Address Provider-perceived barriers to Optimal Statin Prescribing and Use in Community Health centers. Health Promotion Practice. 2022 May 22; doi: 10.1177/15248399221088592
• Modica C, Bay C, Lewis JH, Silva C. Applying the Value Transformation Framework in Federally Qualified Health Centers to Increase Clinical Performance Measures. Journal for Healthcare Quality. 2022 March 14; Volume - Issue - 10.1097/JHQ.0000000000000340 doi: 10.1097/JHQ.0000000000000340
• Modica C, Lewis JH, Bay C, Macario E. Colorectal Cancer: Applying the Value Transformation Framework to Increase the Percent of Patients Receiving Screening in Federally Qualified Health Centers. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2019, May 24. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.pmedr.2019.100894
• Lewis JH, Whelihan K, Roy D. Teaching Students to Identify and Document Social Determinants of Health. Advances in Medical Education and Practice. 2019(10): 653-665. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S206819

Contact Dr. Joy Lewis (jhlewis@atsu.edu) with any questions.