Seminar Series
The MetroHealth Food As Medicine Clinic: Early Findings*
Shari Bolen MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Population Health Research Institute
Director, Center for Health Care Research and Policy
Case Western Reserve University at The MetroHealth System
Kevin M. Chagin, MS
Strategic Data Analyst, Population Health Innovation Institute
The Institute for H.O.P.E.TM
The MetroHealth System
Jennifer Bier, MS, RD, LD
Manager of Ambulatory Nutrition
The MetroHealth System
Friday, December 10, 2021 | 9 – 10 a.m.
Meeting ID: 945 3232 8533 | Passcode: 867012
*Description: Health systems are increasingly implementing programs to identify and address social determinants of health, including food insecurity which remains one of the top social needs identified on screening surveys.
Addressing food insecurity in a tailored way within health systems has the potential to assist in preventing and better managing chronic conditions through improved dietary behaviors and increased engagement with the health system.
In this seminar, we present early findings from our Food As Medicine clinic at The MetroHealth System and discuss future directions for this program.
Inconsistent Medicaid Coverage is Associated with Negative Health Events for People with Epilepsy*
Wyatt Bensken
PhD Candidate in Epidemiology & Biostatistics | Case Western Reserve University
Friday, January 14, 2022 | 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Meeting ID: 945 3232 8533 | Passcode: 867012
Description: There has long been attention to gaps in Medicaid coverage, often referred to as churning when an individual moves in and out of coverage. People who have Medicaid gaps often have delays in preventive screening, higher rates of hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions, and higher expenditures.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects an estimated three million adults and nearly 500,000 children in the United States alone; it is a condition well poised to illuminate the impact of gaps in coverage on health outcomes.
For people with epilepsy (PWE) lapses in coverage of prescriptions or follow-up care could mean experiencing a breakthrough seizure—risking physical injury or death, and importantly decreasing the quality of life for that patient.
PWE experience a number of social challenges including challenges in school, social relationships, employment, transportation (losing driving privileges due to recent seizures), independent living, and stigma.
Taken together, these considerations make it clear that epilepsy provides a salient condition through which to understand the impact of gaps in coverage on health outcomes, and who is most at risk for those gaps.
In this study, we examined the impact of gaps in Medicaid coverage on negative health events, including hospitalizations and emergency department visits, for PWE, and identified factors associated with gaps to inform potential interventions.
Presenter Bio: Wyatt Bensken is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Case Western Reserve University, working under the mentorship Dr. Siran Koroukian. Wyatt’s research interests center on disparities in health and health outcomes.
Wyatt’s dissertation focuses on disparities and inequities in health for people with epilepsy on Medicaid, with a goal of identifying potential points of intervention to improve health outcomes. His dissertation is funded by an F31 Pre-Doctoral Fellowship from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
Legal Epidemiology and Health Equity
Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Director of Research and Policy in the National Center for Primary Care | Morehouse School of Medicine
Friday, January 28, 2022 | 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Meeting ID: 945 3232 8533 | Passcode: 867012
An Unexpected Journey: A Hedgehog in Academia
David C. Aron, MD, MS
Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Organizational Behavior | Weatherhead School of Management Case Western Reserve University
Director, Clinical Program Research and Evaluation | Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
Friday, March 11, 2022 | 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Meeting ID: 945 3232 8533 | Passcode: 867012
Presenter Bio: David Aron is Director of Clinical Program Research and Education at the Cleveland VA Medical Center. He is a clinical endocrinologist, health services researcher, and leader of the VA Quality Scholars Fellowship Program, a training program in quality improvement.
He is Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. He is also Adjunct Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Weatherhead School of Management where he teaches a class on Managing Complex Systems. He is the author of a recent book entitled Complex Systems in Medicine: A Hedgehog’s Tale of Complexity in Clinical Practice, Research, Education, and Management.
A former laboratory bench researcher, his current research interests are eclectic and have included health services and implementation research related to quality measurement and improvement, especially diabetes-related, and most recently, applications of principles of complex systems. However, as has often been the case in the past, exactly what he will be working on, even in the not too distant future, cannot be predicted with any certainty.
