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Center for Health Policy Researchers Accepted to Present at World Rural Conference in Czech Republic

Center for Health Policy (CHP) researchers, Dr. David Schmitz, Dr. Ed Baker, Dr. Barb Dody, and Dr. Ted Epperly, had a research paper accepted and Dr. Schmitz will be presenting in Prague, Czech Republic in June “A Recruitment Tool for Rural Family Physicians: The Community Apgar Project” at the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians (WONCA) World Rural Conference.

Elsa Howard, a graduate research assistant at the CHP and a Master of Health Science student, received her first peer-reviewed publication in the journal Psychology’s special issue on applied psychology. Dr. Tedd McDonald, senior researcher for the CHP and director of the Master of Health Science Program, is the first author of the published article titled “The Impact of Volunteering on Seniors’ Health and Quality of Life: An Assessment of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.” Other authors include Erica L. Chown, Jordan E. Tabb, and Amy K. Schaeffer.

Additionally, the CHP assisted Dr. Mike Rush, Executive Director of the Idaho State Board of Education (SBOE), with an update of the medical education plans for the Idaho SBOE by organizing and providing undergraduate and graduate students in association with the Public Policy department to work on the Idaho SBOE Medical Education Study.

Dr. Baker and Dr. Schmitz will also present “Comparing Critical Access Hospital Physician Recruitment Factors Across Five States” at the 36th Annual National Rural Health Association Conference, which will be held in May in Louisville, Ky.

Researcher Profile:

Sandina Begic recently received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Clark University in Massachusetts. Dr. Begic is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Community and Environmental Health. She has been at the Center for Health Policy over two years, involved in a number of research projects with an emphasis on mental health and substance abuse problems in at-risk youth. In addition, she works studying the effects of home visiting as an early intervention strategy in promoting maternal, infant, and early childhood health and development. Dr. Begic’s expertise and extensive research knowledge, along with her ability to work with members of multiple constituencies, makes her an asset to numerous CHP projects.