If you are interested in participating, reach out to:
Elia Brodsky, MBA, Business Development Executive
DePaul Community Health Centers – Ascension Health: elia.brodsky@dcsno.org
Include your resume and a cover letter in the email, outlining your interest in one of the projects. These are subject to change based on participation and availability of relevant staff.
FQHC Context:
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are pivotal community health centers that operate in underserved areas across the United States, providing comprehensive primary care services to patients, often including those with limited access to healthcare. These centers are unique in that they involve local communities in organizing care, ensuring that services are tailored to meet the specific needs of the population they serve. This community-driven approach not only enhances accessibility but also promotes patient-centered care by actively involving patients in decision-making processes and health management.
For students, FQHCs offer a valuable learning environment rich in primary care experiences. Engaging with FQHCs allows students to observe and participate in the delivery of healthcare to diverse populations, gaining insights into the challenges and opportunities of providing care in underserved communities. They can learn firsthand about the holistic care models employed at FQHCs, which often integrate medical, dental, behavioral health, and supportive services under one roof.
Moreover, FQHCs provide a platform for students to understand the broader public health implications of primary care, including preventive care initiatives and health education programs aimed at community empowerment. By actively participating in these settings, students can develop skills in patient advocacy, cultural competence, and interdisciplinary collaboration, preparing them to address the complex health needs of diverse populations throughout their careers in public health and healthcare delivery.
Project Guidelines:
The purpose of the Applied Practice Experience, or practicum, is for students to have an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills gained in the classroom to a work setting in the field of public health practice. It is required for all students in professional master’s programs (MPH, MSPH, MPH&TM), including those with prior work experience. The practicum may be done in a variety of settings outside of the university, and it may align with future career goals.
The practicum (APE) needs to apply public health practice in the field and should demonstrate competencies of a practice degree. There is often a clear audience or stakeholder group that benefits from the work. The APE should be supervised and evaluated by the preceptor and advisor. Research opportunities may be adapted for the APE if the following also occur:
- There must be a community or population or practice setting that you are collaborating with, including a preceptor in the field
- There must be two work products that benefits the community, population, or practice setting
- It should have immediate application and be demonstrated by the production of work products; it cannot count towards future application.
- The field experience often includes engagement with a community, population, or practice setting.
Project Summary:
Project 1: Analysis of Patient Services Needed aims to optimize provider recruitment, staffing, and productivity by identifying trends in service utilization across medical, specialty, dental, and optometry services. Through descriptive statistics, trend analysis, geospatial analysis, predictive modeling, and productivity analysis, students will develop actionable recommendations. Activities include interviewing providers, patients, and administrative staff, as well as conducting structured and unstructured surveys. The project outputs include a trends report and a dashboard.
Project 2: Trends in Patient and Subpopulations focuses on understanding health disparities among different demographic groups and the impact of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), transportation, and financial status on health outcomes. By comparing local data with the latest public health literature and HRSA studies, students will provide evidence-based recommendations for targeted interventions. Key activities involve data collection, literature review, descriptive and regression analysis, and reporting with visualizations.
Project 3: Operational and Effectiveness Metrics evaluates healthcare facility operations and the effectiveness of interventions to enhance efficiency and outcomes. The analysis includes operational efficiency, cost-benefit, and outcome evaluations, benchmarked against industry standards. Activities comprise data collection, interviews, surveys, and observational studies, with deliverables including a detailed report and a dashboard for ongoing monitoring.
Project 4: City and Suburb Population Trends aims to analyze demographic changes in the city and its suburbs, focusing on factors such as language, age, and financial class, and their impact on patient needs in clinics. Using CDC, census, and EHR data, the project involves descriptive statistics, trend analysis, geospatial mapping, and predictive modeling to identify high-demand areas and forecast future healthcare needs.
Project 5: Medication Prescription Analysis and 340B Program Utilization
This project aims to compare patient diagnoses and prescriptions to identify opportunities for optimizing 340B program utilization, respond to program changes, and monitor prescription capture using EHR, pharmacy records, 340B data, and patient surveys. Key analytics will include descriptive statistics, trend analysis, comparative analysis, and predictive modeling to assess prescription trends and operational efficiency. The project will result in a comprehensive report, visualizations, and an interactive dashboard to enhance understanding of prescription trends, improve program utilization, and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes.
Details:
Project 1: Analysis of Patient Services Needed
Objective: Identify and analyze trends in patient services to improve healthcare delivery, optimize provider recruitment, staffing, and productivity.
Data Sources: Electronic Health Records (EHR), patient surveys, service utilization data, staffing and productivity records.
Key Analytics: Descriptive statistics to analyze patient demographics and service utilization; trend analysis to identify changes in service demand over time; geospatial analysis to map service usage and identify high-demand areas; predictive modeling to forecast future service needs; and productivity analysis to evaluate provider efficiency. Activities include interviews and surveys with providers, patients, and administrative staff, and observations of clinic operations. Work products are a trends report and an interactive dashboard.
Project 2: Trends in Patient and Subpopulations
Objective: Understand demographic trends and health outcomes among different patient subpopulations, comparing data with public health literature and HRSA studies on the impact of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), transportation, and financial status on medical care outcomes.
Data Sources: Electronic Health Records (EHR), census data, public health databases, patient surveys, HRSA studies, and recent public health literature.
Key Analytics: Descriptive statistics to analyze health outcomes and demographic characteristics; health outcome analysis to compare outcomes across subpopulations; equity analysis to assess disparities; and regression analysis to identify factors impacting health outcomes. Activities include data collection, literature review, health outcome analysis, and comparative analysis with national data. Work products include a policy brief, visualizations, and an interactive dashboard.
Project 3: Operational and Effectiveness Metrics
Objective: Evaluate healthcare facility operations and the effectiveness of healthcare interventions.
Data Sources: EHR, financial records, patient satisfaction surveys.
Key Analytics: Operational efficiency analysis to measure metrics such as patient wait times and appointment no-show rates; cost-benefit analysis to assess the financial impact of interventions; outcome evaluation to determine intervention effectiveness; and benchmarking against industry standards. Activities involve data collection and cleaning, descriptive and predictive analytics, engagement with clinic staff and patients, and reporting. Expected outcomes include improved operational efficiency, resource allocation, and targeted interventions to address health disparities.
Project 4: City and Suburb Population Trends
Objective: Analyze population changes in the city and its suburbs to determine the impact on patient populations and their needs, and establish the necessary providers and services.
Data Sources: CDC data, census data, EHR.
Key Analytics: Descriptive statistics to analyze demographic characteristics; trend analysis to identify changes in population and patient demographics over time; geospatial analysis to map population changes and patient data; predictive modeling to forecast future healthcare needs; and comparative analysis with national trends. Activities include data collection and cleaning, demographic analysis, and predictive modeling. Work products are detailed reports, visualizations, and an interactive dashboard for stakeholders. Expected outcomes are improved understanding of demographic shifts and data-driven service planning.
Project 5: Medication Prescription Analysis and 340B Program Utilization
Objective: This project aims to compare patient diagnoses and prescriptions to understand opportunities for maximizing the utilization of the 340B program, respond to changes in program structure, and monitor prescription capture. Using data from Electronic Health Records (EHR), pharmacy prescription records, 340B program data, and patient surveys, the project will analyze prescription trends, demographic patterns, and operational efficiency to identify and address gaps in 340B program utilization.
Key Analytics: The project will involve descriptive statistics to calculate frequencies of diagnoses and prescriptions, trend analysis to identify changes in prescription rates over time, and comparative analysis to assess prescription fills within and outside the 340B program. Predictive modeling will be employed to forecast prescription needs and the impact of program changes. Additionally, operational efficiency will be evaluated to streamline prescription capture processes and improve overall utilization of the 340B program.
Activities and Expected Outcomes: Data collection and cleaning will be followed by detailed descriptive and trend analyses, as well as predictive and comparative assessments. Operational efficiency will be reviewed to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. The work will culminate in a comprehensive report, visualizations, and an interactive dashboard for stakeholders. The expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of prescription trends, optimized 340B program utilization, improved response to program changes, and more efficient prescription capture processes, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.