Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health

POSTER A: Kwanza Devlin, MD, Associate Director, University of North Dakota Center for Family Medicine Residency Program

“S.H.A.R.P.E. Program - School Health And Risk Prevention Education”

We all know that many risky health behaviors are initiated in adolescence and young adulthood. Research has shown that community level interventions can improve outcomes. This project suggests an initiative directed at promoting healthy behaviors in North Dakotan youth while involving local health professionals in that process.

POSTER B: Mandi-Leigh Peterson, MA, Research Specialist, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health

“Projection of Physicians in North Dakota”

The current North Dakota population of 672,591 was projected to increase to 682,969 by 2040. The current number of physicians in North Dakota (1,432) was projected to decrease to 1,359 in 2040. The current rate of physicians in North Dakota was estimated at 21.3 per 10,000 people, decreasing to 19.9 per 10,000 people in 2040.

POSTER C: Mandi-Leigh Peterson, MA, Research Specialist, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health

“International Medical Graduate Physicians In North Dakota”

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) make up 23% of the current physician workforce in North Dakota. IMGs are more likely to be male and work in urban areas, and come from southern and southeast Asia. IMGs are likely to practice primary care or surgery.

POSTER D:  Kyle Muus, PhD, Research Associate, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
Boris Volkov, PhD
Marilyn G. Klug, PhD, Associate Professor, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health

“The North Dakota Dementia Care Services Project: Contributing to Reduced Health Care Costs”

The North Dakota Dementia Care Services Project (DCSP) provides support to persons with dementia and their caregivers. As health care costs for dementia patients are three times higher than for patients without dementia, the project’s impact on these costs is a central focus. Results indicated that DCSP participation coincided with substantial estimated health cost reductions.

POSTER E:  Kyle Muus, PhD, Research Associate, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
Boris Volkov, PhD
Marilyn G. Klug, PhD, Associate Professor, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health

“Providing Support to Caregivers: Positive Outcomes of the Dementia Care Services Project”

The evaluative analysis of the North Dakota Dementia Care Services Project has identified positive impact on its participants: providing enhanced support, increasing the use of health care directives, and reducing estimated health care and Long term care costs. These outcomes in turn may lead to improved physical, mental, emotional, and financial health of North Dakota caregivers and persons with dementia.

POSTER F:  Marilyn G. Klug, PhD, Associate Professor, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health

“Direct Patient Care Physicians in North Dakota”

Direct patient care physicians in North Dakota are proportionately fewer and older in rural areas. Nearly 40% of the direct patient care physicians currently practicing in North Dakota graduated from medical school and/or completed a residency here.

POSTER G: Becky Brodell, PhD, Clinical Instructor, Williston State College

“An Assessment of Group Caring Environment in Nursing”

Nursing programs value the qualities of caring and desire to produce nurses with these attributes. Caring behaviors need to be assessed because students are susceptible to the attitudes of their peers, instructors and the nursing staff within the clinical agencies.

POSTER H: Deborah Swanson, BSN, Graduate Student - UND, Grand Forks Health Department

“Improving Care Through Language Interpretation”

This poster session explores the evidence to determine the best practices for language interpretation for persons with limited English language proficiency in health care settings. Comparing in-person interpretation with telephone interpretation is a focus of the research to determine guidelines for when to use each intervention.

POSTER I: Dorcas Kunkel, SPRN, APHN-BC, MS, Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, Minot State University

“Report: Quality Improvement of School Located Vaccination Clinics”

The rate of influenza infection among children is the highest of all groups. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) published a universal recommendation that all persons greater than six months be vaccinated annually for influenza (USDHHS, 2010 &2011). There is a practice-knowledge gap in how to increase the percentages of school-aged children who get vaccinated for influenza.

POSTER J: Jacque Gray, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health

“Spirituality as a Protective Factor in American Indian Mental Health”

Major aspects of Northern Plains Native American spirituality are the medicine, the Sacred pipe, the medicine wheel, and the Seven Sacred Ceremonies or Rites. The Seven Sacred Ceremonies include the Inipi (sweat), the Sundance, the Seeking of a Vision, the Womanhood ceremony, the Throwing of the Ball, the Keeping of a Spirit, and the Making a Relative. The current study examines whether spirituality is significant factor in mental health status.

POSTER K: Jacque Gray, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health

“Mental health of Native American Elders”

Mental health of Native American Elders is a poster presentation that summarizes the mental health status of Native elders. The summary results are from cycle IV of the Identifying Our Needs: A survey of elders assessment project.

POSTER L: Jacque Gray, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health

“Relationship between Acculturation and Psychological Stress in NPI”

The Northern Plains Biculturalism Inventory was originally developed by Allen and French (1994) and later revised by Baker (2005). Two factors were isolated; American Indian Cultural Identification (AICI) and European American Cultural Identification (EACI) subscales create four levels of acculturation.

POSTER M: Jane Strommen, MS, Project Coordinator, North Dakota State University Nursing Department
Loretta Heuer, PhD, Professor/Project Director, North Dakota State University Nursing Department

“North Dakota Partners in Nursing Gerontology Consortium Project”

The purpose of the North Dakota Partners in Nursing Gerontology Consortium Project is to improve access to a well-prepared and adequate gerontology nursing workforce necessary to meet the needs of a rapidly aging population.  This presentation will provide an overview of the Consortium, the implementation of project activities, and the evaluation and sustainability plans.

POSTER N: Kathy Peil, Med, Teacher, North Dakota Center for Distance Education

“Providing Health Education to Rural North Dakota Schools Via Distance Education”

Health and Fitness Education can be provided to rural North Dakota schools by qualified teachers using distance education as a delivery system.

POSTER O: Alexis Newton, RN, PhD, CNS, CPNP, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Metropolitan State College of Denver

“An Ethnographic Exploration of Health Beliefs of Migrant Farm Worker Parents”

Presentation will consist of a concise review of relative literature related to migrant farm worker children's health status. Seminal studies will be highlighted. A detailed description of study design and sampling strategies will be discussed including protection of vulnerable participants. Major themes will be discussed and findings will be presented. There will be time alloted for questions.