August 25, 2020

COLUMBUS, OH — The Ohio State University College of Nursing set a college record for external funding received for research by its faculty from a range of national organizations that strive to improve healthcare.

Throughout fiscal year 2020, 135 total funding proposals were submitted to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), American Cancer Society, Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and other external funding groups. Eighty-seven grants were awarded, totaling nearly $13 million in research funding.

“Our faculty researchers have demonstrated leadership and excellence in pursuing science that improves lives, and we’re making an impact,” said Mary Beth Happ, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, associate dean for research and innovation at the College of Nursing. “From work to reduce health disparities in our communities to better quality of life in older adults and improving care for children in the NICU, our faculty research is working to build a healthier world.”

Among the awards received, Heather Tubbs Cooley, PhD, RN, FAAN, Janna Stephens, PhD, RN, Candy Rinehart, DNP, FNP, ADM-BC, FAANP, and Lorraine Mion, PhD, RN, FAAN, received multi-year grants worth more than $1 million to conduct their research:

  • Tubbs Cooley received a $2.8 million R01 grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH/NICHD) for her study on NICU nursing care enhancement. Tubbs Cooley and her team hope to gain a better understanding of NICU nurse workloads in order to provide the best quality of care and safety for their patients.
     
  • Stephens received a four-year, $1.6 million R01 grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NIH/NINR) for her study entitled “Reducing Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Black Young Adults.” This study will focus on developing strategies to assist African American community college students in improving their health habits to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease later on in life.
     
  • Rinehart, CEO of the nurse-practitioner-led Total Health and Wellness center, received $650,000 in grant support funds from HRSA. This funding helps support the Total Health and Wellness center’s primary care services to underserved populations. The center also was awarded “Federally-Qualified Health Center” status and is one of only 77 health centers in the country to receive this status.
     
  • Mion, Vanderbilt University colleague, Nilanjan Sarkar, PhD and their team, received a five-year, $3.13 million grant provided by the National Institute on Aging (NIH/NIA) to develop socially-assistive robots in extended care facilities to encourage interaction among older adults, especially those with dementia.
November 19, 2018

The Ohio State University College of Nursing’s Center of Excellence in Critical and Complex Care has been renamed the Center for Healthy Aging, Self-Management and Complex Care to more accurately reflect the research conducted at the center, which aims to generate evidence that will improve health and care delivery to adults and older adults across settings.

With a mission consistent with that of the College of Nursing, the goal of the center’s work is to improve clinical care and health outcomes through exemplary transdisciplinary research in the areas of aging, self-management, critical and complex care especially within vulnerable populations.

The new center name was sparked by an expanded focus that encompasses research in healthy aging and health promotion. “The change to the center’s name reflects our goals to conduct research that will result in healthier lives, enhance quality of life for those with multiple comorbid conditions and dementia, and prepare the next generation of scholars and scientists who will advance gerontology, self-management science and critical care,” said Dr. Lorraine Mion, PhD, RN, FAAN, director of the Center for Healthy Aging, Self-Management and Complex Care.

Research in the Center for Healthy Aging, Self-Management and Complex Care highlights the processes, progression and outcomes of disease recovery in a variety of settings and populations. Center faculty develop and test interventions at the individual-, practitioner-, and organizational levels for disease prevention, health promotion and disease management.

Studies implemented at the center will target Hispanics, Asian Americans, refugees and immigrants, African Americans and Appalachian individuals through diabetes prevention programs, hypertension treatment, stress reduction and self-care strategies.

The center is committed to supporting health and wellness for older adults by advancing the science of prevention, care and recovery from critical and complex conditions; addressing pain and common geriatric syndromes; and addressing effectiveness and risk of treatment and care management strategies especially for those with dementia or other cognitive impairment.