The Research Scholar Program provides structured educational research opportunities for undergraduate students. Within each session, students apply for positions offered by health network departments. Each position involves a combination of research, as well as professional and clinical observations. The program offers educational experience for students and additionally provides valuable assistance to health network departments.
Go to Lehigh Valley Health Network's website for more information about the Research Scholar program.
2024
Evaluating the Validity of Telehealth Nutrition Focused Physical Assessment for Malnutrition Diagnosis: A Comparative Study, Olivia Ahn; Melissa Faura RD, LDN; and Ann Flickinger MS, RD, LDN (Poster)
The DIRECT Index: A Tool for Equity, Inclusion, and Relationship-Centered Care, Kwame Otoo Appiah and Ashwini Kamath Mulki MD, MBBS, MPH (Poster)
Firearm Injury Prevention through Design and Delivery of a Gun Lock Distribution, Afiya Bentinck and Melissa Mee BSW (Poster)
Identifying and Addressing Equity Gaps Among LVHN Health Plan Members, Jessica Berman; Cynthia Kusorgbor-Narh MPH, CHES; Brigid Tray MPH, CHES; and Lori Piltz BS, RN, CPHQ (Poster)
Analysis of the ED Pharmacy Process: From Medication Order to Administration, Hope Boldizar, Kathleen E. Kane MD, and Beth Lally PharmD (Poster)
Streamlining Split Flow: Evaluating Emergency Department Efficiency, Hope Boldizar, Rose Morgan, Cayden Rex, and Kathleen E. Kane MD (Poster)
EPIC Education: The Value of Utilizing Outpatient Billable Notes and the Creation of Efficient Training, Maggie Cygan, Kerri Green EdD, Katerina C. Valavanis MD, and Anne Vanderpool MBA (Poster)
Evaluating Influence of Pharmaceutical Detailing on Osteoporosis Management in Outpatient Primary Care Settings, Sarah Davenport and Grant M. Greenberg M.D., M.H.S.A., M.A. (Poster)
Unentered Patient Surveys: How to Collect Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Data, Julianna Ehm; Karlee Posivak; and Kay Young MSN, RNC-OB (Poster)
Performance of a Biodegradable Temporary Matrix in Clinical Practice, Kurt Glaeser, Laetitia Roegner, and Sigrid A. Blome-Eberwein MD (Poster)
The Efficacy of an Integrated Visual-Vestibular Rehabilitation Model in Concussion Patients Suffering from Prolonged Vestibulo-Ocular Dysfunction, Megan Hammer, Mark Cipolle MD, David Clark, Eden Hunt MD, and Daniele Shollenberger CRNP (Poster)
Prevention of Pressure Injuries Caused by Endotracheal Tube (ETT) Securement Devices, Grace M. Hercik; Kenneth Miller MEd, RRT-NPS; and Daniel R Ofak MHA, RRT-NPS (Poster)
Evaluating the Use of a Single Question Derivative to Determine Post-Acute Needs Following Total Joint Replacement, Kiya Humphries; Brittany N. Shockency BS; and Carissa Hrichak MBA, BSN, RN (Poster)
Comparative Efficacy of Transthoracic vs. Transesophageal Echocardiogram in Diagnosing Endocarditis, Mackenzie Johnstone and Raul E Davaro MD (Poster)
Using TQIP Data to Determine the Effect of Adding Emergency General Surgery Services to Trauma Outcomes, William Kane; Bree A. Harrison BSN, RN, TCRN; Jaclyn Sharkazy PA-C, MSPAS; Kathryn L Wheel MD; and Joseph J. Stirparo MD (Poster)
Telling the Story: Long-term experiences of Valley Preferred Quality Improvement (QI) Program participants, Kourtney Keim and Johnny Stoeckle MD (Poster)
Evaluation of Patients Admitted to the Hospital with Sepsis, Febrile Neutropenia, or Pneumonia Following Administration of Chemotherapy, Abigail Kennedy; Savitri Skandan MD; Dennis Sopka MD; and Melissa Kratz RN, MSN, AOCN (Poster)
Improvement of Satisfaction of the Patients from the Caregiver in the NICU, Jackson Kondak, Kamran Ahmed MD, Jose D. Salazar MD, and Brian Repetz BS (Poster)
The Effect of Vision Therapy in Post Concussion Recovery, Alexandra Kundek, Mark Cipolle MD, David Clark, Eden Hunt MD, and Daniele Shollenberger CRNP (Poster)
Machine Learning-Driven Prediction of Severe Thrombocytopenia Risk in CRRT Patients, Michael Li and Divakar Sharma MD (Poster)
Long-Term Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) in Patients with Renal Failure on Dialysis, Shree Manivel; Bryan D. Nelson MBA, NR-P; and James K. Wu MD (Poster)
Accuracy of Rapid On-Site Cytology (ROSE) for the Diagnosis of Peripheral Lung Nodules during Robotic Bronchoscopy, Carly Mehta, Daniel Schwed-Lustgarten MD, and Brian Civic MD (Poster)
Exploring Contributors to Cervical Cancer Disparities in Hispanic Women across Lehigh Valley Hot Spots: A Mixed Methods Analysis, Jocelyn Mertz; Roya Hamadani MPH; Nicole M. Burgess BS; Melanie B. Johnson MPA; and Autumn Kieber-Emmons MD, MPH (Poster)
Assessing the Efficacy of a Therapeutic Thermoregulation Protocol (TTP) for the Burn Surgical Patient, Gwendolyn Minogue; Morgan Strecker; and Jill Krystofinski Mantell DNAPc, CRNA (Poster)
Developing a Quick Reference Guide for Staff on CT Policies and Protocols, Rose Morgan, Jason Morgan MD, and Kathleen E. Kane MD (Poster)
Evaluation of Specimen Collection and Processing Workflows to Improve ED Throughput, Rose Morgan; Shelbi Taylor MSN, MBA, RN-BC; and Kathleen E. Kane MD (Poster)
Evaluating Lehigh Valley Health Network's Stage 1A Lung Cancer Care in Concordance with National Guidelines, Katie O'Connor; Melissa Kratz RN, MSN, AOCN; Savitri Skandan MD; and Dennis Sopka MD (Poster)
Powering Master Adaptive Learning: How Family Medicine Residents Embody a Growth Mindset, Prital Prabhu, Drew Keister MD, and Karla J Felix PhD (Poster)
Mapping the Lived Experience: Access to Food and Green Spaces in Franklin Park, Allia Proctor, Cheryl Arndt PhD, and Samantha A. Shaak PhD (Poster)
Mitral Valve Surgery Outcomes for Severe Mitral Annular Calcification (MAC), Hoang Quach; Bryan D. Nelson MBA, NR-P; and James K. Wu MD (Poster)
Getting Narcan to Post-Partum Patients with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) at Time of Discharge, Joshua Raggi; Courtney Boyle DO; Katelin Kimler PharmD; and Kay Young MSN, RNC-OB (Poster)
Assessing Emergency Computed Tomography Throughput, Cayden Rex and Kathleen E. Kane MD (Poster)
Performance of a Biodegradable Temporary Matrix in Clinical Practice, Laetitia Roegner, Kurt Glaeser, and Sigrid A. Blome-Eberwein MD (Poster)
Optimizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Graduate Medical Education (GME) at LVHN, Paulina Royzman, Joseph E. Patruno MD, and Robert Sweeny MHA (Poster)
Analyzing Patient Outcomes and SLP Perspectives to Prepare for the Onboarding of FEES, Kaitlyn Shaffer and Kasey Hutter MS, CCC-SLP (Poster)
Residency Redesign: Building Sustainable Family Medicine Residency Learning Networks (First Place), Athird Shastry, Drew Keister MD, Nyann Biery DHSc, and Karla J Felix PhD (Poster)
Increasing Access to Orthopedic Providers in Dickson City, Samantha Simmers; Dene Palazzi-Khan MBA, B.Sc; Kathryn Paone; Ashleigh Solomon; Aidan Alco; and Matthew Smith (Poster)
Assessing the Need for a Therapeutic Thermoregulation Protocol (TTP) for the Burn Surgical Patient, Morgan Strecker; Gwendolyn Minogue; and Jill Krystofinski DNAPc, CRNA (Poster)
Adherence to Guideline-Based Treatment of Recurrent C. difficile within LVHN Hospitals, Zoe Tarun, Kathryn Zaffiri MPH, Eric Young MD, and Jarrod W. Kile RPhD (Poster)
Retrospective Assessment of Donor Site Scarring Following Split-Thickness Skin Graft Procedure, Lauren Thomas, Sakura Helm, and Sigrid A. Blome-Eberwein MD (Poster)
Satisfaction Survey of Living Kidney Donors Patients with Enhanced Recovery Protocol, Aiden Tobin; Jill Knolle LMSW, MPH; and George Rofaiel MD (Poster)
Comparision of Combination Test (CT and Troponin) Against the Gold Standard Echocardiogram to Assess Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Acute Pulmonary Embolism, Nandini Venkiteswaran and Divakar Sharma MD (Poster)
The Fate of Post Open-Heart Surgery Patients With Newly Developed Renal Failure, Chris Wickenheiser; Bryan D. Nelson MBA, NR-P; and James K. Wu MD (Poster)
Impact of the Emerging Health Professionals Program on Nursing Career Trajectory within the Lehigh Valley Health Network, Brooke Wunderler and Kerri Green EdD, MS (Poster)
2023
Gestational Change in Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) and Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes (First Place), Anam Ali and Sharon E. Maynard MD (Poster)
Barriers Faced by Unstably Housed Persons When Seeking Care from a Behavioral Health Specialist in Street Medicine, Madelyn Amadio and Kate Dreisbach MSW, LCSW (Poster)
Optimization of Guided Scheduling in the Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute, Miko Barbe and Justin Kashner MBA (Poster)
Readmissions in Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Patients, Annalise Barner; James K. Wu MD; and Bryan D. Nelson MBA, NR-P (Poster)
Researching the Profitability and Necessity for an Orthobiologics Center for the Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute (LVOI) at Lehigh Valley Health Network, Matthew Barraco, Jennifer Roeder MBA, Jennifer Burrell MHA, and Chelsea Evans DO (Poster)
Identifying Risk Factors for Readmission of Trauma Patients Treated with Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization, Alexandria Baum and Michael Steven Farrell MD, MS (Poster)
An Assessment and Review of Residency and Fellowship Recruitment at LVHN, Miranda Bellocchio, Joseph E. Patruno MD, and Robert Sweeny MHA (Poster)
Analyzing Baseline Compliance on Four Healthcare Effectiveness Data Information Set (HEDIS) Quality Measures in Diabetic Population, Jessica Berman; Alexandra Cline BSN. RN; and Lori Piltz MSN, BSN, RN (Poster)
In Pursuit of Zero Preventable Deaths: A Retrospective Analysis of Venous Thromboembolism in Trauma Patients (Second Place), Emily Breslin and Matthew D. Painter MD (Poster)
Analysis of Major Causes of Stroke Among Patients which Underwent Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, Christian Calderon Pinon and James K. Wu MD (Poster)
How To Achieve Value-Based Care Through Decision Support, Jacob Cierech and Maulik P Purohit MD, MPH (Poster)
Implementing Tdap Vaccine Administration Protocol in a Pilot LVHN Family Medicine Clinic, Jacqueline Costello; Madalyn Schaefgen MD; and Grant M. Greenberg M.D., M.H.S.A., M.A. (Poster)
Retrospective Demographic Review of LVHN Internal Medicine Residency Applicants, Elizabeth Donovan, Justin L. Guthier DO, and Brian J. Costello DO (Poster)
Impact of Supportive Housing Program Services on Loneliness and Well-being Among Previously Homeless Individuals, Sherief Elrafei; Ashwini Kamath Mulki MD, MBBS, MPH; and Nicole M. Burgess BS (Poster)
Investigating Neighborhood Engagement & Perceptions, Quinn Fantozzi, Cheryl Arndt PhD, and Samantha A. Shaak PhD (Poster)
Evaluating Blood Culture Contamination Rates Associated with a Newly Inserted Peripheral Intravenous (IV) Catheter, Jack Freemont; Deborah Fry MT (ASCP), MBA, CIC; Elisa C. Moyer BSN, RN, CEN; Christine Schmidt; Joseph Yashur BSPH; and Alyssa Kahr BSN, RN (Poster)
LVHN Summer Work Experience: Participant Perception of its Impact, Evan Grim and Kerri Green EdD, MS (Poster)
Development of a Concussion Dataset and Preliminary Analysis of Outcomes, Kristen Heilenman and Mark Cipolle MD, PhD (Poster)
Donor Site Scarring Following Split Thickness Skin Graft Procedure, Sakura Helm and Sigrid A. Blome-Eberwein MD (Poster)
Remaining Active: The Crucial Integration of Patient Mobility Practices in an Acute Care Setting, Olivia Hoeing and Heather Faust MSN, RN, CMSRN (Poster)
An Analysis of General Surgery ACGME Case Logs through Program Expansion and the COVID -19 Pandemic at LVHN, Winnie Incorvaia and Daniel Relles MD (Poster)
Community Strategies for Improving Health in Allentown: The Lens of Diabetes Health Disparities, Michael Irvin; Autumn Kieber-Emmons MD, MPH; and Carolyn Peterseim MD (Poster)
Analysis of Systems of Care and Outcomes for Stage III Melanoma Patients at Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute (2014-2019), Aidan Johnson and Suresh G. Nair MD (Poster)
Demographics of Patient No-Show Rates in Pediatric Surgical Specialties, Isabella Joyce and Sarah A. Jones Sapienza MD (Poster)
Establishing a Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) for the Transitional Living Center (TLC) of LVHN, Cameron G. Koch and Megan Messa LPC (Poster)
Evaluating the Decrease in Medication Errors Using IV Pump Electronic Health Record (EHR) Integration, Jackson Kondak and Alice Vrsan RN-BC, MSN (Poster)
Identifying Opportunities for Improved Postoperative Orthopedic Patient Care in Dickson City, Victoria Libretti; Carissa Hrichak MBA, BSN, RN; and Kathryn Paone (Poster)
Genetic Referrals, Appointments and Testing for BRCA Mutation in Ovarian Cancer Patients from 2019 to 2022, Julia Mandarino; Melissa Kratz RN, MSN, AOCN; Samantha Carr MS, LGCG; Savitri Skandan MD; and Christine H. Kim MD (Poster)
An Audio-Visual Distraction Technique for a Burn Surgical Patient, Gwendolyn Minogue and Jill Krystofinski MSN, CRNA (Poster)
Identification of LGBTQ+ Knowledgeable Clinicians in the OB-GYN Department at Lehigh Valley Health Network, Mitchell Mondschein and Judith Sabino MPH, CDP (Poster)
Qualitative Exploration of Impacting Cervical Cancer Disparities in Hispanic Women in Hot Spots of the Lehigh Valley (Third Place), Narena N. Nerahoo and Autumn Kieber-Emmons MD, MPH (Poster)
Antibiotic Treatment of Acute Otitis Media (AOM), Corinne O'Connor; Tibisay Villalobos MD; and Kristin M. Held Wheatley PharmD, BCOP (Poster)
Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on a Medium-Sized Travel Medicine Clinic in Eastern Pennsylvania, Pravallika Palwai; Mark Knouse MD; Sowmya R. Rao PhD; Marcelo Gareca MD; and Regina C. Larocque MD, MPH (Poster)
Assessment of Ongoing Challenges with the Parental Nutrition Ordering Processes Within the Lehigh Valley Health Network, Victoria Rosado; Kimberly Cephas MS, RD, CNSC; Rachael Geosits MS, RDN, CNSC, LDN; Courtney Kalamar RD, CNSC, LDN; Melissa Faura RD, LDN; and Ann Flickinger MS, RD, LDN (Poster)
Provider Support of Parental Nutrition Management by Registered Dietitians, Victoria Rosado; Kimberly Cephas MS, RD, CNSC; Rachel Geosits MS, RDN, CNSC, LDN; Courtney Kalamar RD, CNSC, LDN; Melissa Faura RD, LDN; and Ann Flickinger MS, RD, LDN (Poster)
Automating the Data Analysis Process Used by Performance Improvement to Generate Impactful Results, Riddhi Shelat and Will Salton MBA (Poster)
COVID-19 infection and pregnancy at LVHN: pregnancy outcomes by trimester of diagnosis, Divya Sirdeshpande; Joanne Quiñones MD, MSCE; Kay Young MSN, RN; Amanda B. Flicker MD; Michael Young MD; Jessica Davis; and Shreyas Kudrimoti (Poster)
A Decade of Skeletal Surveys: What have we learned?, Olivia Stevenson and Hamed Amani MD (Poster)
Federal Pricing Transparency: Reimagine Patient Estimates, Christine Stock and Jacqueline Nelms (Poster)
Cell Yield and Viability of Spray-On Skin Suspensions in Various Age Groups, Caitlin Stoudt, Jacob Orrico, and Sigrid A. Blome-Eberwein MD (Poster)
COVID-19 Death Rate Comparison within Hospitals in the Tri-State Area, Emily Vaughan; Danielle Weaver; and Kenneth Miller MEd, RRT-NPS (Poster)
Assessment of Different Etiologies of Patients Mechanically Ventilated with COVID-19 from 7/1/2022 to 6/31/2023, Emily Vaughn; Danielle Weaver; and Kenneth Miller MEd, RRT-NPS (Poster)
Improving Efficiency and Patient Experience In Emergency Medicine With a Virtual Physician In Triage, Christian Voloshen and Eric W. Bean DO (Poster)
MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound for Essential Tremor Business Review: Fleming Neuroscience Institute, Riley Wehr and Brian Leader (Poster)
2022
Risk Factors in Traumatic Injury with Periprosthetic Fracture, Michael Andres, Lauern Ladehoff, Victor Shen, Clara Freedman, Robert P Wessel MD, and Matthew D. Painter MD (Poster)
An Analysis of the State of Urological Care in Rural Communities, Kevin Detrick; Meliya Hart; and Jatin P. Gupta DO, MS (Poster)
Student Journeys: Recruitment, Engagement, and Retention in Healthcare, Rylee Donaldson; Kerri Green MS, MEd.; and Nicole Wiswesser RN (Poster)
Knowledge is Power: Using an Instructional Video Library to Provide Continuous Education in the NICU, Leyna Fleischaker; Marybeth Browne MD; and Dolores T. Suzansky MSN, RNC-NIC (Poster)
Enhancing LGBTQ+ Care Provision at LVHN, Anne Glowacki and Judith Sabino MPH, CDP (Poster)
Impacting Cervical Cancer Disparities in Hispanic Women in the Lehigh Valley, Jaskaran Grewal and Autumn Kieber-Emmons MD, MPH (Poster)
Remaining Open about the Recurrence of Pediatric Pilonidal Disease: Setting the New Standard, Olivia Hoening; Carly Miller; Marybeth Browne MD; and Mary Fragassi CRNP, MSN (Poster)
Impact of Embedded Cross-Reactivity Alert for Penicillin-Allergic Patients, Brianna Holumzer, Amy Slenker MD, Eric Young MD, Kathryn Zaffiri MPH, and Jarrod W. Kile RPhD (Poster)
Duration of Empiric Antibiotic Therapy in Young Febrile Infants, Emma Kelly; Tibisay Villalobos MD; and Kristin M. Held Wheatley PharmD, BCOP (Poster)
Mid-Term Outcome of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) in Patients with Renal Failure on Hemodialysis, Ibrahim Khalil, Sakshi Patel, Mary McFarland, Puja Patel MD, Alexander Makkinejad, and James K. Wu MD (Poster)
Outcomes of lytic therapy on empyema and loculated pleural effusion, Mary McFarland; Sakshi Patel; Ibrahim Khalil; Katherine M. Penetar DNP, CRNP; Sanjay M. Mehta MD; and James K. Wu MD (Poster)
Gynecologic Preventative Care of Women with Disabilities: What Are We Missing?, Caroline McGrath and Sweety Jain MD (Poster)