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Research and Scholarly Activity

Lawrence Family Medicine Residency, the nation’s first Teaching Health Center founded in 1994, is committed to providing residents not only strong clinical experience but also an academic environment that encourages the creation and dissemination of new knowledge. Our culture of innovation and our strong connections and integration with the community actually offer superior opportunities to produce community and primary care-oriented research. We do not see “Scholarly Activity” as an ACGME requirement to check-off but rather an obligation to our community and our residents to strive for excellence.

For family medicine, a Teaching Health Center organizational structure provides a great foundation for scholarly activity. With EHRs, research is increasingly becoming more easily “doable” in community health centers like ours (with 65,000 patients, over 270,000 visits annually) rather than exclusively academic health center environments that often do not mirror a family medicine-served patient population.

Our residency is engaged with multiple national medical education research endeavors through our specialty’s Length of Training national demonstration study, the CAFM Education Research Alliance (CERA) Surveys, and work with the ABFM Research Division. Our two affiliated medical schools (UMass and Tufts) offer additional academic resources besides the Research Division we have built over the years here in Lawrence.

Our residency remains one of the country’s most active participants in academic presentations at national family medicine education meetings; both residents and faculty are strongly encouraged to regularly present their work outside of Lawrence, at national, regional, and statewide family medicine meetings.

Research Projects

Research and scholarly activity have always been important elements of faculty development and residency life. Understanding how to ask and answer clinical questions including producing your own evidence creates a superb clinician. Recent changes in residency requirements for research and scholarly activity have encouraged and motivated residents to explore and execute these principles. The idea of “putting a puzzle together” for the patients’ well-being has been a powerful stimulus to learn the principles of research and evidence-based medicine. Lawrence FMR faculty and residents work together on numerous research and quality improvement projects. Many projects lead to presentations at regional and national conferences as well as publication.

Lawrence Family Medicine Residency is committed to research and provides assistance with project planning, research design, implementation and manuscript preparation. A list of resident publications and presentations at state and national meetings is available from the residency office.

A monthly Research Meeting is scheduled for residents and faculty and supplements the Evidence-Based Medicine and Health Systems Management didactic curricula. The usual agenda for these meetings includes progress reports about research in progress, brainstorming new ideas, how to move beyond roadblocks in research, as well as core epidemiologic and statistical principles.

If assistance is desired for statistics or design of projects, faculty are available to help. Additionally, the statistics department at Tufts School of Medicine has been generous with its time for resident studies. The IRB at TUSM also offers a weekly help line for questions regarding “exemptions,” vulnerable populations, and the mechanics of form-filling. Note: if residents desire to engage in research involving human subjects, they should be CITI® certified before starting.

Examples of Current Research Projects by Faculty and Residents include:

  • Medical Education Evaluation Research – National Family Medicine Program Director Surveys, Addiction Medicine curriculum, Transgender Health curriculum
  • Food Insecurity
  • Screening and Developing Office Based Interventions for Social Determinants of Health
  • Evaluation of Centering Pregnancy and Centering Parenting
  • Antimicrobial stewardship
  • Evaluation of Hepatitis C Screening and Treatment in a CHC
  • Emergency contraceptive use and BMI
  • Videoconference support of Breast feeding in a LatinX population
Publications

Nohria, R., Xiao, N., Guardado, R., Drainoni, ML., Smith, C., Nokes, K., & Bhyoff, E. Implementing Health Related Social Needs Screening in an Outpatient Clinic. Journal of Primary Care and Community Health. Volume 13 (online). 2022 Aug 17.

De La Rosa, K., Somers, J., & Valdini, A. Virtual Balint Groups During COVID-19: Exploring Race and Equity in a CHC-Based Family Medicine Residency Program. Int J Psychiatry Med. 2022 Nov;57(6):547-553. doi: 10.1177/00912174221122862. Epub 2022 Aug 21. PMID: 35989618; PMCID: PMC9393622.

Moya-Smith, T. When Wilderness Medicine Comes to You. Wilderness Medicine Magazine. 2023Jan10;40(1).

Dellafera, C. et al. Conversion between Oral and Transdermal Estradiol. GLFHC medications guides. Updated 2023 Jan 18.

Dellafera, C. et al. Testosterone Injection Formulations. GLFHC medications guides. Updated 2023 Jan 18.

Cohen-Osher, M., Lee, A.L., & Erlich, D. Revealing the Hidden Clerkship Curriculum: A Qualitative Analysis. STFM Journals, Family Medicine. 2023. 55(2):115-118. https://doi.org/10.22454/FamMed.2023.503671.

Erlich, D., Lee, A.L., Duggan, A., & Walek, K., Preparing for the End of Life: Medical Students Completing Their Own Advance Directives Described Increased Empathy for Patients. STFM Journals, Family Medicine. 2023;55(3):195-198. https://doi.org/10.22454/FamMed.2023.183324.

Bazzi, A.R., Bordeu, M., Baumgartner, K., Sproesser, D.M, Bositis, C.M., Krakower, D.S., Mimiaga, M.J., & Biello, K.B. Study protocol for an efficacy trial of the “PrEP for Health” intervention to increase HIV PrEP use among people who inject drugs. BMC Public Health. 2023 Mar 17. 23(1):513. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15429-w. PMID: 36932369; PMCID: PMC10021034.

Byhoff, E., Guardado, R., Zack, R., Nokes, K., & Tripodis, Y. A Community Partnership to Reduce Food Insecurity and Improve Patient-Reported Depression. NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery. 2023.

Moya-Smith, T., & St. Louis, J. “Stridor in Tuberculosis and COVID-19 Co-Infection: A Case Report.” Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice. 31(3):e1261. 2023 May.

LeFevre, N., St. Louis, J., Worringer, E., Younkin, M., Stahl, N., & Sorcinelli, M., The End of the X-Waiver: Excitement, Apprehension, and Opportunity. JABFM. 2023 May 25. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2023.230048R1.

Presentations

St. Louis, J. “Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy.” American Academy of Family Physicians National Conference, Kansas City, MO, 2022 Jul.

Barr, W., & Nokes, K. “Do’s and Don’ts of Residency Interviewing.” American Academy of Family Physicians National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Students. Kansas City, MO. 2022 Jul 28-29.

Nokes, K. “Leadership for Health Justice.” Student National Medical Association, Region VII, Regional Leadership Institute. Boston, MA. 2022 Aug 13.

Sommers, J., Lautzenhiser, T., Velez-Alicea, A., Valdini, A., & Ramirez, B. “Why do Patients Attend Virtual Lactation Support Groups?” Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. 27th Annual International Meeting. Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 2022 Sept 15-18.

Rhodes, A., Barbati, Z., & St. Louis, J. “Knowledge and Perceived Competence with Sexual and Gender Minority Healthcare Topics among Medical Students and Faculty.” 40th GLMA Annual Conference on LGBTQ Health, San Francisco, 2022 Oct.

Lee, A.L. Conondrums in Journal Reviewing: getting to best practices that value equity, diversity, inclusion, and expertise. NAPCRG. Phoenix, AZ. 2022 Nov.

Lee, A.L. Become a Peer Review Rock Star: Top Ten Tips for Peer Review of Medical Education Research. STFM MSE. New Orleans, LA. 2023 Jan.

Lee, A.L. “Food for Thought: Teaching Students How to Interview and Counsel Patients on Nutrition.” STFM MSE. New Orleans, LA. 2023 Jan.

Lee, A.L. “Revealing the hidden clerkship curriculum: a qualitative analysis.” STFM MSE. New Orlenas, 2023 Jan.

Bora, S., & Velasquez, G. “Integrative Health: More than Just an Alternative.” LGH Grand Rounds. Lawrence, MA. 2023 Feb 21.

Trachtman, C., Genn, L., Smith, A. “Life Hacks: Programs, Apps, Strategies and Practical Pointers that Might Help you be a Better and More Efficient Teacher and Doctor.” Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians Spring Refresher 2023. Waltham, MA. 2023 Mar.

Kammal, R., Williams, J., de Avila, J., & St. Louis, J. “Advanced Gender Care.” Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians Spring Refresher 2023. Waltham, MA. 2023 March.

Salemme, P., Kamal, R., Banach, L., Goodier, M., & St. Louis, J. “ABCs of HIV Prevention.” Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians Spring Refresher 2023. Waltham, MA. 2023 March.

Smith, A., Moya-Smith T., & Sterling, A., “Is eating cold cuts really dangerous for my baby?” Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians Spring Refresher 2023. Waltham, MA. 2023 Mar.

O’Neil P., Shah R., Regier E., Sorcinellie M., Stahl N., Younkin M., & Lee R. “Treament of Alcohol Use Disorder” Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians Spring Refresher 2023. Waltham, MA. 2023 March.

Moya-Smith, T., & Bora, S. “Decolonizing Medicine: A Pilot Program to Understand the Value of Discussion-Based Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Curriculum.” Society of Teachers of Family Medicine National Conference 2023. Tampa, Fl. 2023 April.

Salemme, P., Barr, L., St. Louis, J., et al. “The ABCs of HIV Prevention Workshop- PrEP and PEP.” Society of Teachers of Family Medicine National Conference 2023. Tampa, FL. 2023 April.

Kassas, J., & Rex, L. “Outpatient Management of Heart Failure with Reduced and Preserved Ejection Fraction (Revision).” STFM and AFMRD Family Medicine Residency Curriculum Resource. 2023

Salemme, P., Baumgartner, K., St. Louis, J., Barr, L., & Weiner, R. “Developing Resident-Driven HIV and Addiction Medicine Consult Services to Enhance Trainees’ Clinical Interests and Education.” Society of Teachers of Family Medicine National Conference 2023. Tampa, FL. 2023 Apr.

Langenberg, C., & Gibbons, C. “Increasing pelvic floor physical therapy referrals in post-partum women” Society of Teachers of Family Medicine National Conference 2023. Tampa, FL. 2023 Apr.

Lee, AL. Digital Escape Rooms: An Interactive Group Learning Model for in-person or virtual teaching. Society of Teachers of Family Medicine National Conference 2023. Tampa, FL. 2023 Apr.

Fetter, J., Weida, N., Skariah, J., Gravel, J., Douglass, A., Hoeskzema, G., Casey, D., & Conry, C. “Advancing Innovation in Residency Education (AIRE): Using Time as a Resource to Advance Family Medicine.” Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Meeting Scholarly Roundtable. 2023 May

Roy, T., & Weida, N. “Who’s My Doctor?: Building A Safe and Effective Resident Panel Transition Process.” Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Meeting Scholarly Lecture. 2023 May.

Roy, T., Weida, N., & Lichkus, J. “Creating Superbillers: Teaching the Art of Mastering Billing.” Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Meeting Scholarly Lecture. 2023 May.

Trachtman, C., Roy, T., & Lichkus, J. “Resident-Led Panel Management to Improve Diabetes Care.” Society of Teachers of Family Medicine National Conference 2023. Tampa, Fl. 2023 Apr.

Marshall, C., Barr, W., Gravel, J., & Cole, S. “Individualized Learning Plans – The Pathway to Educating Master Adaptive Learners.” Society of Teachers of Family Medicine National Conference 2023. Tampa, Fl. 2023 Apr.

Kassas, J., Rex, L., & St. Louis, J. “Atrial Fibrillation: A Case-Based Overview, (Revision).” STFM and AFMRD Family Medicine Residency Curriculum Resource. 2023