Funding PDSS Awardees ICTS News

Inaugural Funding Cohort Announced for New Partnership Development and Sustainability Support Program (PDSS)

The Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences and Washington University’s Institute for Public Health announce six partnerships selected to receive funding through the new Partnership Development and Sustainability Support (PDSS) program.

This funding program provides up to $10,000 to community-academic partnerships for a 12-month period. It enables partners to develop the trust, infrastructure, capacity and skills needed to undertake future research; it supports new partnerships in development, as well as existing partnerships. 

The awarded partnerships include:

An Assessment of the Feasibility of the Use of St. Patrick’s Center’s Administrative and Clinical Databases for Advanced Program Evaluation and Research Studies
Linhorst

Donald Linhorst, Professor of Social Work, Saint Louis University College for Public Health & Social Justice with Joseph Gregory, Data Manager and Analyst, St. Patrick Center

St. Patrick Center is the region’s largest provider of services to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The agency has client data spanning decades that has gone unanalyzed. With multiple unlinked databases, St. Patrick’s Center cannot analyze the relationship between client demographics and services received to outcomes. This partnership will focus on developing plans to form a comprehensive electronic client database, protect data privacy, and enhance the agency’s program evaluation system.  

This project is funded by Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences.

A Community–University Partnership Addressing Housing and Health
Xaverius

Pamela Xaverius, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Saint Louis University College for Public Health & Social Justice with Rose Anderson-Rice, Deputy Director, Generate Health

Housing is an important determinant of health that can have a profound impact on the health of pregnant women and children. Families with limited resources are least able to remedy unsafe housing conditions, underscoring the importance of understanding tenant rights. This partnership will create and implement an education program for Clinton Peabody Government Housing Complex residents to learn about their enhanced tenant rights due to a recent lawsuit settlement. 

This project is funded by Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences.

Criminal Justice Re-entry Database Partnership Project
Clark

Carissa van den Berk Clark, Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine with Gwen Smith, Director of Programs, Criminal Justice Ministry

The Reentry Collaborative Network is a multi-agency initiative to promote the well-being of formerly incarcerated individuals during their transition from prison to the community, and in turn, improve their chances of post-release success. Through this partnership, collaboration partners and a client advisory board will develop a regional criminal justice data system and data sharing practices guided by principles, research ethics and a cultural framework.  

This project is funded by Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences.

Project CASA
Bravo

Paulina Cruz Bravo, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine with Mary Shannon, GUIA Program Coordinator, Casa de Salud and Melissa Tepe, Chief Medical Officer, Affinia Healthcare

Hispanics have significant health disparities in diabetes prevention and outcomes compared to non-Hispanic whites. This partnership focuses on implementation of a promising model of diabetes self-management developed by Casa de Salud with Affinia patients. The curriculum—delivered by community health workers–addresses social determinants of health to improve self-efficacy, patient engagement and health outcomes in diabetes.   

This project is funded by Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences and Washington University’s Institute for Public Health.

Improved Asthma Control in St. Louis Based on Academic-Community Collaborations
Wang

Leyao Wang, Instructor, Washington University School of Medicine with Reagan Nelson, Program Director, The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, St. Louis Chapter

In St. Louis, one in five children are diagnosed with asthma, twice that of the national average.  This project will focus on the development of a community-academic partnership to conduct community-engaged research related to translation and implementation of evidence-based interventions for asthma control and management in underinsured and uninsured families. 

This project is funded by Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences and Washington University’s Institute for Public Health.

An HIV Self-Testing Pilot Program to Reach Young Black Gay and Bisexual Men in Missouri
Patel

Rupa Patel, Assistant Professor, Washington University School of Medicine with Erise Williams, Jr., Williams & Associates, Inc.

Missouri is a hot spot for disproportionate occurrence of HIV in rural areas. One reason is that it is difficult to reach hidden, stigmatized populations in Missouri that are at risk, resulting in under-testing. HIV Self-Tests are rapid, over-the-counter HIV tests for personal use. Building on successes of the New York City Department of Health Home Test Giveaway program, this partnership will provide HIV self-testing kits primarily to minority men who have sex with men in the greater St. Louis area. If successful, the program will serve as a local model for bypassing social and financial barriers to end Missouri’s HIV epidemic. 

This project is funded by Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences and Washington University’s Institute for Public Health.