Story from the University of Cincinnati Dean’s List - May 1, 2023

Jennifer Molano, MD, associate professor in the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine and CCTST Co-Director of the Center for Improvement Science (CIS), has been accepted into the Osher Center Integrative Health Faculty Fellowship Program Class of 2024, the first inductee from UC. The goal of the fellowship is for trainees to develop a holistic and expansive view of medicine, gaining and applying this perspective in their patient interactions through a combination of intensive mentorship, rigorous instruction and immersive experiential activities.

Molano is a collaborator with the Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC, serving as a faculty member of the Mind-Body program since 2016 and as an expert speaker at numerous Osher Center events, including the 2022 Optimize Your Well-Being Community Symposium and the 2022 Virtual Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness Series: Healthy Sleep.

Her interests within neurology include the interface between sleep and cognition. She is an avid advocate for the well-being of physicians, having served on multiple wellness initiatives with the American Academy of Neurology and the Ohio State Medical Association, as the chair of the College of Medicine Faculty Wellness Advisory Council and the UC Medical Center Graduate Medical Education Resident Wellness and Wellbeing Committee, and physician lead for UC Health’s involvement with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Joy in Work Learning Network.

The CCTST Center for Improvement Science (CIS) is pleased to announce new leadership.

Jennifer Molano, MD, has been an active member of the CIS core, serving as Team Science faculty since 2018 and joining the CIS as associate director under Dr. Jack Kues’ leadership in 2021. Upon Dr. Kues’ recent retirement, Dr. Molano was named co-director of the CIS and director of Collaboration & Team Science.

Dr. Molano is an associate professor at the University of Cincinnati, where she has been on faculty since 2010. After obtaining her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Latin at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, she completed both medical school and neurology residency training in her home state at West Virginia University. She further received training in behavioral neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and in sleep medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Her career has also been enriched by numerous activities within the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), currently serving as the Vice-Chair of the Member Engagement Committee. She also serves on the editorial boards for the New England Journal of Medicine Journal Watch Neurology and the Brain and Life magazine. Her interests within neurology include the interface between sleep and cognition. She also has a great interest in promoting clinician and health care worker wellness, having participated in multiple wellness initiatives within the AAN and the Ohio State Medical Association Wellness Committee. Locally, Dr. Molano chairs the UC College of Medicine Faculty Wellness Advisory Council and the UC Medical Center Graduate Medical Education Resident Wellness and Wellbeing Committee. She is also the UC Health physician lead for their involvement with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Joy in Work Learning Network. She continues to work on perfecting the art of juggling scarves, is always on a quest to find joy, and is looking forward to supporting collaboration and team science initiatives within the CCTST.

The CCTST welcomes Brittany Rosen, PhD, MEd, who has been named co-director of CIS and director of evaluation, overseeing evaluation initiatives for all CCTST cores. Dr. Rosen is a research associate professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent and Transition Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Her research program focuses on developing and assessing evidence-based implementation strategies to increase the uptake of biomedical technologies (e.g., vaccines) in adolescent patients through the healthcare setting.

She has experience and training in survey development, advanced quantitative statistical analyses, behavior change theory application in public health, adult education, and intervention development and evaluation. She has also received extensive training in implementation science by completing the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer (TIDIRC) Facilitated Course and the Certificate in Implementation Science from the University of California San Francisco. She has experience conducting evaluations of smartphone apps, virtual reality, and game-based interventions.

Please join us in congratulating Drs. Molano and Rosen on their new positions!

We would like to honor our good friend and colleague Jack Kues, PhD, who officially retired from his role as the Director of the Center for Improvement Science (CIS) in December 2022.

Dr. Kues has been a remarkable leader within the CCTST and the broader academic health center. He has dedicated his career to the improvement of health programs and the advancement of science, frequently through incubating interprofessional collaboration and being able to address inscrutable problems through thoughtful and meticulous evaluation efforts. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Kues has been a mentor and a collaborative force, bringing together teams of scientists and healthcare professionals to work toward common goals. His efforts have touched every CCTST core, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of researchers and clinicians.

Those within the CCTST and the CIS know that Dr. Kues has been a champion of team science, recognizing that the most effective solutions come from working together across disciplines. He has been a strong advocate for the importance of team science in driving health improvements, and his dedication to this mission has been a guiding principle for the CCTST. His passion for interprofessional collaboration has been evident in the many interdisciplinary teams he has led and nurtured over the years. Dr. Kues has been an integral part of the CCTST since its inception, working closely with the late Jim Heubi, MD, to establish the CIS. His contributions to the CCTST are immeasurable, and his collaborative spirit will always be remembered and respected by those he has touched and inspired.

Collaboration and Team Science provides an overview of the Science of Team Science (SciTS) for investigators who are (or will be) working in transdisciplinary teams. In addition to examining the theoretical and research literature on the dynamics of teams, the course will include:

• An examination of the construction and maintenance of high functioning teams.

• Hands-on exercises for assessing and improving team skills.

• Discussions about institutional barriers to working in teams and strategies for overcoming these and other challenges faced by translational researchers navigating in a team-based environment.

To view the spring semester syllabus and additional course information, please visit the CCTST Team Science page.

COURSE INSTRUCTOR:
Jack Kues, PhD
Professor Emeritus
Department of Community and Family Medicine
CCTST Center for Improvement Science

TIME & LOCATION:
Thursdays, Spring Semester (January 12 – April 20, 2023)
Online, 9:00am – 10:50am

REGISTRATION:
BE-7040, 46941, 2 credits
Register at catalyst.uc.edu
Regular UC tuition rates apply

FOR REGISTRATION QUESTIONS, CONTACT:
Beth Niehaus
virantem@ucmail.uc.edu

The CCTST Center for Improvement Science will host three (virtual) workshops this fall, each building on the other to empower teams to communicate effectively. Individuals can sign up for any and all of the workshops - each can be taken as a stand-alone training, but content will be related and participants will benefit from attending all three.

Workshop Series: Communication - A Strategic Tool for Teams

Communication Styles & Team Dynamics | October 6, 2022 (2:00-3:30PM)
Personal styles of communication and how they impact working relationships and team functioning.

Courageous Conversations | October 13, 2022 (8:30-10:30AM)
Understand the effects of stressful communication and explore strategies for navigating difficult conversations.

Team Charters: It's a Journey, Not a Destination | October 26, 2022 (1:00-3:00PM)
How to build an optimal team environment by creating and using a team charter.

Click here to register for the workshop series.

Questions? Please contact Laura Hildreth.

The Collaboration Network (TCN) will feature a virtual presentation by Kristin Burgoyne, MSSW, executive director of RefugeeConnect on September 15, 2022 from 9-10AM.

In July, RefugeeConnect received a 3-year grant from bi3 to support launching and expanding its Refugee Health Navigator program. The Health Navigator program is a three-pronged approach designed to increase refugees’ understanding of US healthcare systems increase health literacy, ensure equitable pathways to services through training and consultation with healthcare providers, and ensure that families can access and navigate the healthcare system. Health Navigators are cultural leaders with native language skills, which not only center community voices but also ensures equitable practices and culturally relevant services are offered to the refugee community. 

Request the Zoom link for this meeting by contacting Laura Hildreth.

This course provides an overview of the Science of Team Science (SciTS) for investigators who are (or will be) working in transdisciplinary teams. In addition to examining the theoretical and research literature on the dynamics of teams, the course will include an examination of the construction and maintenance of high functioning teams. Tools and exercises for assessing and improving team skills will provide hands-on experiences for learners. The course will include discussions about institutional barriers to working in teams and strategies for overcoming these and other challenges faced by translational researchers navigating in a team-based environment.

Time and Location:

Tuesdays, Spring Semester
January 10 - April 22, 2022
Online, 10am - 12pm

Course Instructor:

Jack Kues, PhD, Professor Emeritus
Director of the Center for Improvement Science
Associate Dean for Research Evaluation, UC COM

Registration:

BE-7040, 51411, 2 credits
Register at catalyst.uc.edu
Regular UC tuition rates apply

Registration Questions:

Contact Rachel Meyer: meyer2rh@uc.edu

The Center for Improvement Science (CIS) team, a core of the Center for Clinical & Translational Science & Training (CCTST) that provides Team Science education, evaluation services, and facilitates interprofessional collaboration, is thrilled to announce the addition of Jennifer Rose V. Molano, MD, FAAN as Associate Director. Dr. Molano is an associate professor in the University of Cincinnati Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, where she has been on faculty since 2010.

Dr. Molano has been an active member of the Team Science Faculty since Spring 2018 after completing the Collaboration & Team Science graduate course with CIS Director, Jack Kues, PhD. “This is where I learned to juggle scarves!” says Dr. Molano, who is keen on adding fun (e.g., Legos)* to Team Science workshops to increase learning and retention.

Jenn naturally shares her passion for her colleagues’ well-being, co-leading the development and facilitation of this semester’s Team Science workshop on wellness in addition to chairing the UC-CoM Faculty Wellness Advisory Council and the UCMC Graduate Medical Education Wellness Committee. Known for her quick smile (and now physically-distanced) hug, Jenn led multiple UC-CoM faculty and staff wellness efforts, including the most recent “Moments of Joy” video to provide calm during the pandemic’s increasing storm. Louito C. Edje, MD, shared her appreciation for Dr. Molano with her 6-word reflection challenge: “Hug values soar during COVID-19 Pandemic!” and “Thank you for your superpower: humanity.”

Dr. Molano’s career has also been enriched by numerous activities in the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), currently serving as Vice Chair of the Member Engagement Committee and most recently having served as Co-Chair of the AAN Wellness Joint Coordinating Council and the Physician Lead for the Live Well, Lead Well: Improve Your Practice Culture leadership program. Locally, she is a current member of UC Health’s Performance Improvement Leaders Course and has been trained as a Mind Body skills group facilitator for UC-CoM.

Within Team Science, she is interested in facilitating cohesion, communication, and collaborative problem solving for teams across our community through a mindset of continuous improvement. In a continual quest to find joy, Jenn loves long meandering walks with her husband, juggling with scarves, and as always, hugs. One day, she will learn how to use her sewing machine. 

*To sign up for fun CIS Team Science workshops, register here to become a CCTST member today! You may also find our workshops on the CCTST Events Calendar and advertised through the Faculty Enrichment Center.

The June CCTST Grand Rounds, held on June 21, 2019, featured Jack Kues, PhD, Director of the CCTST Center for Improvement Science (CIS), Associate Dean for Continuous Professional Development at University of Cincinnati (UC), and Professor Emeritus of Family and Community Medicine at UC. 

Dr. Kues presented: “Pursuing Transdisciplinary Research: What Does It Mean and How Do I Do It?”

Brief Overview: Transdisciplinary research is widely accepted as the future of studying complex problems. This presentation provides an overview of models of transdisciplinary research methodology and a discussion of how to create an environment that supports and promotes this type of research.

Target Audience: Physicians, healthcare practitioners, researchers, community health advocates

• Click here to watch the presentation.

• Click here for a PDF of the presented material.

Over 100 participants from across the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati community organizations attended the April 4th Virtual Meeting on Social Determinants of Health hosted by the Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training’s Center for Improvement Science (CIS).

Participants convened via WebEx from both the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati community organizations.

University of Cincinnati attendees were present from:

• College of Allied Health Sciences

• College of Arts and Sciences

• College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services

• College of Medicine

• College of Nursing

• Institute for Policy Research
  

Cincinnati community organization attendees were present from:

• All Children Thrive Learning Network at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC)

• Bethany House Services

• Community Action Agency

• Council on Aging

• Health Collaborative

• Kroger

• Mercy Health

• Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio

• Progressive Health Care Systems

• Tri-Health

• United Way of Greater Cincinnati

• Xavier University
  

The two-hour session included five short presentations outlining current initiatives being undertaken by UC, CCHMC and other community organizations in the field of social determinants of health. Presentations were given by:

1. United Way of Greater Cincinnati

2. UC College of Nursing

3. All Children Thrive Learning Network at CCHMC

4. UC College of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine

5. Health Collaborative

The session also included a general discussion about potential collaborations and next steps. The CIS team committed to creating a repository of resources from this, and future sessions, and is organizing follow-up meetings to help newly established groups build collaborations and move forward on research, educational, service and care, and product development initiatives.

The goal of these virtual events is to create communication and collaboration networks to support broad-based initiatives, support faculty and investigators, and to support the missions of the organizational participants. The session presentations can be viewed on the CIS website.

The CIS will be assessing the value and impact of collaboration building initiatives on the creation and effectiveness of social/professional networks, the development of collaborative projects, grants, and educational programs, and the overall productivity of individuals and organizations.

For more information about the CIS, contact Jack Kues or Laura Hildreth.

As a program within the CCTST, the Center for Improvement Science (CIS) aims to develop collaboration initiatives. Connecting investigators to resources and collaborations is a need across the CCTST partner institutions and the community. To address this need, the CIS developed The Collaboration Network to overcome institutional and disciplinary barriers to connecting with colleagues with complementary interests.

The Collaboration Network (TCN) is a growing group of investigators, clinicians, and faculty that meet weekly to learn about each other, CCTST resources, and funding opportunities. The Thursday morning meetings take place in the Medical Sciences Building (MSB) on the UC Academic Health Center campus. WebEx is offered for those who are unable to participate in-person. Members of the group receive a weekly agenda and can choose to participate based on the topics and their availability. Guests and experts are frequently invited to participate in order to find collaborators or to provide information about a service or resource. On a monthly basis, the TCN highlights one of its members in the “Member Spotlight” session, in which a member presents their work, research, needs, and interests in collaboration. These sessions will be archived on the CIS website as a resource for TCN members and others.

The newest initiative of the TCN is a quarterly, topical session with invitees from across the university, other CCTST partner institutions and community organizations. The inaugural quarterly session took place on January 17, 2019. It had 82 participants (based upon login information for the program). The topic of the session was Aging. The following colleges, institutions, and organizations participated:

University of Cincinnati Colleges and Units: College of Allied Health Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Blue Ash Campus, Clermont Campus, College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, College of Engineering and Applied Science, College of Medicine, and College of Nursing.

Other Institutions and Organizations: Cincinnati Council on Aging, Episcopal Retirement Services (Marjorie P. Lee Residence), Live Well Collaborative, Maple Knoll Communities, Procter and Gamble, Tri-Health (Good Samaritan Hospital), UC Health (UC Medical Center-Evidence Practice Council), and the Cincinnati VA Medical Center.

The two-hour session included four short presentations from different locations: 1) Allied Health Sciences, 2) DAAP, 3) Nursing, and 4) Live Well Collaborative (including presentations by Live Well, P&G, and Council on Aging). The session also included a general discussion about potential collaborations and next steps. The CIS committed to gathering information on participants, creating a repository with the recording of the session, slide sets, and other resources. The CIS is creating a website that will organize these resources and those from future quarterly meetings. The CIS team is also organizing “next-step” meetings to help the group move forward on educational, research, and practice initiatives. The goal of these quarterly events is to create communication and collaboration networks to support broad-based initiatives, support faculty and investigators, and to support the missions of the organizational participants. The session and presentations can be viewed at: https://cctst.uc.edu/programs/cis/collaboration.

The CIS will be assessing the value and impact of TCN initiatives on the creation and effectiveness of social/professional networks, the development of collaborative projects, grants, and educational programs, and the overall productivity of individuals and organizations.

For more information about the TCN, contact Jack Kues or Laura Hildreth.