Renée Cassidy, MD, West Chester, Pa.
Award amount: $33,368
Funding will support education and collaboration activities for the Regional Overdose Prevention Coalition, which addresses the opioid crisis in southeastern Pennsylvania. The coalition is comprised of individuals representing public health, health care, law enforcement, and the community.
Kimberly Legg-Corba, DO, Allentown, Pa.
Award amount: $33,368
Funding will be used to grow the newly formed Pennsylvania Direct Primary Care Association. This non-profit aims to raise awareness and develop education about the direct primary care practice model, where patients pay a flat monthly fee (instead of using health insurance) to receive more time with their family physicians.
Gwendolyn Poles, DO, Harrisburg, Pa., South Central PA Sickle Cell Council
Award amount: $33,368
Funding will be used to improve patient outcomes in south central Pennsylvania for patients with Sickle Cell disease. By hiring additional staff, the organization can help increase patient adherence to medication and reduce emergency department visits and in-patient hospitalizations for this mostly Medicaid-insured population. The organization sees patients in 26 counties.
Arvind Venkat, MD, and Jesse Pines, MD, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Health Network Research Institute
Award amount: $80,000
In collaboration with U.S. Acute Care Solutions, funding will be used to implement a software solution to address 1) lack of systematic assessment of communication and treatment in the acute care setting and 2) under what circumstances patient problems occur after being discharged from an emergency department.