Four UAMS Researchers Receive Grants Totaling $200,000

By David Robinson

The annual awards of up to $50,000 each are made to projects with the strongest likelihood of leading to improved health and health care. This is the first year the institute has offered awards for pilot projects focused on implementation science.

Implementation science is the study of methods to promote integrating research findings and other evidence-based practices into routine practice to improve the quality and effectiveness of health services.

Awardees were selected using a committee with internal, external and community reviewers. The awardees are:

  • Pearl McElfish, Ph.D., MBA, assistant professor, internal medicine, College of Medicine; associate vice chancellor, Northwest Regional Campus; director, Office of Community Health and Research, co-director of the Center for Pacific Islander Health
    Pilot project: Implementation of Family Model DSME in an Underserved Marshallese Population in a Clinical Setting
  • Benjamin Teeter, Ph.D., assistant professor, pharmacy practice, College of Pharmacy, Center for Implementation Research
    Pilot project: Testing Implementation Strategies to Support Community Pharmacist-Initiated Prescription and Distribution of Naloxone to Reduce Overdose by Opioids
  • Jeremy Thomas, Pharm.D., associate professor, pharmacy practice, College of Pharmacy
    Pilot project: Implementation of Clinical Pharmacy Services Delivered via Telehealth to Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers
  • Kristin Zorn, M.D., associate professor, gynecology and genetics, College of Medicine
    Pilot project: An Implementation Strategy to Increase Appropriate Referrals for Genetic Counseling and Testing Among Patients at High Risk for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes