Happenings: News & Research

GEORGE WEHBY TO LEAD DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH MANAGEMENT AND POLICY

Dr. George Wehby has been named head of the University of Iowa Department of Health Management and Policy. His appointment begins July 1, 2022.

His research examines social, economic, and policy impacts on health, especially among children. From 2015 to 2019, he served as the PhD program director for the Department of Health Management and Policy before becoming director of graduate studies in 2019. He was awarded the CPH Faculty Teaching Award in 2013.

George Wehby

Wehby earned a Master of Public Health degree from American University of Beirut, followed by a PhD in health management and policy with a concentration in health economics from the University of Iowa in 2006. He joined the College of Public Health faculty in 2008 and attained the rank of full professor with tenure in 2017.

He will succeed Dr. Keith Mueller, Gerhard Hartman Professor of Health Management and Policy, who has served as department head since 2010. Mueller will remain on the faculty and will continue to direct the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI).

“Dr. Wehby is a distinguished academic leader with a sustained record of achievement as a researcher, teacher, and mentor,” says Edith Parker, dean of the College of Public Health. “His dedication to students and to the excellence of our educational programs, his diverse portfolio of national and international research, and his vision for future growth and development will ensure the continued success and national prominence of our outstanding Department of Health Management and Policy.”

Kristin Wilson named director of Master of Health Administration Program

The University of Iowa Department of Health Management and Policy is pleased to welcome Dr. Kristin Wilson as the director of its Master of Health Administration (MHA) Program effective July 1, 2022. Wilson will be appointed as an associate professor in the clinical track.

Kristin Wilson

Wilson earned a PhD in public health sciences with a concentration in health management and policy in 2008 from St. Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice. She earned an MHA degree from the same institution in 1993.

Wilson joined the St. Louis University (SLU) faculty in 2005 and was promoted to associate professor in 2015. She directed the SLU Health Management and Policy Master of Public Health degree program from 2013 to 2017, and she directed the MHA degree program from 2016 to 2018. During her time as MHA director, she led the program through the accreditation process with the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education and maintained the program’s No. 7 national ranking.

Wilson brings a wide variety of academic and practical leadership experience in health administration, including her current role as the executive director of the Heartland Center for Population Health and Community System Development at St. Louis University. In addition, since 2018 she has been the principal investigator of the Missouri subcontract to the HRSA-funded Midwestern Public Health Training Center for Workforce Development.

Wilson will succeed Dan Shane, associate professor of health management and policy, who has served as MHA program director for two years. Shane will continue as a member of the faculty.

Torner recognized with Faculty Excellence Award

Jim Torner, professor of epidemiology, was one of six UI faculty members honored by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, with a 2022 Faculty Excellence Award. The award recognizes exceptional contributions and a sustained record of excellence. Each recipient received $1,000 and will be honored at a special awards celebration in the fall.

UI College of Public Health ranks among 2023 ‘Best Graduate Schools’

The University of Iowa College of Public Health is the No. 19 school of public health in the nation, according to the 2023 Best Graduate School rankings from U.S. News & World Report. Among publicly supported schools, the college ranks No. 10.

For the first time, U.S. News published a ranking of the Best Biostatistics Programs. The UI College of Public Health’s Department of Biostatistics is No. 20 in the nation.

Although it was not assessed this year, the college’s Department of Health Management and Policy was most recently ranked at No. 8 among health care management programs.

College Names Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients

The University of Iowa College of Public Health has named Brett Faine and Kenneth Saag the recipients of its 2022 Outstanding Alumni Awards.

Faine received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2007 from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and a Master of Science degree in epidemiology from the UI College of Public Health in 2016. He is currently a clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice and emergency medicine at the University of Iowa.

Saag earned a Master of Science degree from the UI Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health (now part of the Department of Epidemiology in the UI College of Public Health) in 1993. He also received an MD degree from Northwestern University in 1986. He is currently the Jane Knight Lowe Endowed Chair in the Department of Medicine and professor of clinical immunology and rheumatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The award recognizes College of Public Health alumni who have made distinguished contributions to the field of public health and demonstrated a strong interest and commitment to the mission, vision, and values of the college. The recipients will be honored at an event this fall.

Iowa study examines TikTok videos that promote e-cigarette culture

A new study led by College of Public Health students examines the role that usergenerated content on the social media platform TikTok plays in promoting Puff Bar culture. Puff Bar is a brand of disposable e-cigarette available in flavors that appeal to youth.

Published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the study revealed seven genres of Puff Bar-related video content on TikTok: skits and stories, shared vaper experiences, product reviews, product unboxing, promotion of Puff Bar, videos to show off, and crafts. By classifying this content, the researchers hope that the information will be used by prevention organizations to better understand youth e-cigarette use and trends.

“I think it will be beneficial for these organizations to see what young e-cigarette users are saying about the nicotine products they use and develop subsequent messaging from it,” says Makayla Morales, an undergraduate public health student and lead author of the paper.

Lexi Fahrion, a Master of Public Health student and co-author of the study, says that there were some surprises that emerged from the study. “Many e-cigarette users seemed to express their awareness of the potential dangers of e-cigarette use in their videos, but ultimately didn’t let that stop them from vaping,” she says. “I had previously assumed that more people would be unaware of potential risks.” Fahrion also noted the lack of regulation of e-cigarette content on TikTok, despite the community guidelines on substance use.

Shannon Lea Watkins, assistant professor of community and behavioral health, served as senior author of the study. The research was funded by the American Cancer Society, administered through the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa and by the University of Iowa College of Public Health.

CORREA AWARDED FULBRIGHT TO INDIA

Anna Correa (22MPH) was awarded a Fulbright study/research grant in public health to India for 2022-23. Working with colleagues at St. John’s Medical College, she will facilitate interviews and focus groups with migrant workers in Bangalore, India.

“This research will help us explore the mental health landscape and needs of the migrant laborer community that faces many systematic challenges to daily life, overall health, and mental well-being,” Correa says. “The goal is that this study helps inform future educational campaigns, health programming, and policy changes to support migrant worker mental health.”

Expanding public coverage of dental care reduces disparities

A research team led by George Wehby, professor of health management and policy, found that expanding public coverage of dental care was linked to narrowed racial and ethnic disparities in use of dental services. The NIDCRfunded research was published in Health Affairs.

The 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded eligibility for Medicaid. As a result, many people became newly eligible for medical and dental coverage in states that

adopted Medicaid expansions in 2014. To find out if the eligibility changes affected disparities in dental care, the scientists analyzed responses from a nationally representative survey that asks U.S. adults about their health care, including their use of dental services. Among those adults who became newly eligible for Medicaid in 2014 based on income, the researchers compared responses from the three-year period before (2011-2013) and the five-year period after (2014-2018) states broadened eligibility.

Based on survey responses from about 5,700 adults in states that expanded Medicaid eligibility and offered extensive dental benefits (coverage of at least 100 dental procedures), rates of dental visits by Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black adults increased from 14% to 21% and from 20% to 26%, respectively, while rates among non-Hispanic white adults remained unchanged at about 30%. The researchers found a similar narrowing in disparities in these states for use of preventive services like oral exams and teeth cleaning, and for dental treatments like fillings and root canals. But survey responses from a separate group of about 3,500 adults indicated that disparities did not diminish in states that expanded Medicaid coverage yet offered more limited dental benefits.

Despite the improvements, the authors noted that use of dental services remained low across all three racial and ethnic groups, regardless of states’ expansion status or the extent of dental benefits offered.

“Insurance coverage is only one factor that affects access to care,” Wehby says. “There are many factors that are important for increasing access, enabling adequate use of services, and meeting dental care needs, particularly among low-income populations.”

College Welcomes New Associate Dean

Diane Rohlman has been named associate dean for research in the University of Iowa College of Public Health. Her appointment began March 1, 2022.

Rohlman is a professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health where she is the Endowed Chair in Rural Health and Safety. She directs the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest and leads the Agricultural Safety and Health Training Program within the Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety.

Diane Rohlman

Rohlman’s research interests include occupational and environmental exposures and their impact on neurobehavioral function, and the development of safety and health interventions to prevent workplace exposures, reduce injuries, and promote healthy behaviors. Her research has focused on vulnerable populations, including children, young workers, and those working in hazardous industries, which often include immigrant workers.

As associate dean for research, Rohlman will be responsible for providing leadership to establish and nurture interdisciplinary research collaboration within and outside the College of Public Health. The role includes identifying and promoting funding sources to support research and training programs, shaping the college’s research policies and practices, sustaining research standards, and developing effective working relationships with the college and the university in support of research success. Rohlman also will collaborate with department heads and faculty to promote new research initiatives, promote career development opportunities, and succession planning within CPH research centers.

“Diane brings an impressive combination of outstanding scholarship, high-level research experience, and strategic vision to this critical collegiate leadership position,” says Edith Parker,

Rohlman received both a master’s degree and PhD in experimental psychology from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology at Oregon Health & Science University, she joined the faculty at OHSU. In 2012, she became a member of the UI faculty in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health before joining the UI Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology in 2013. In 2016, she was named the Endowed Chair in Rural Health and Safety.

Rohlman, who also chairs the college’s Global Public Health committee, has led research studies examining pesticide exposures in agricultural workers in the United States and internationally. Over the course of her career, she has been involved in research on five continents and in more than 10 countries.

“I’m excited about the new opportunities,” says Rohlman. “The college has a strong research portfolio, and I look forward to promoting the great research from our faculty, building new collaborations, and helping to support student and faculty research.”

Stephen Corbeil (84MA) honored with Hancher-Finkbine Alumni Medallion

College of Public Health Dean Edith Parker, Mary Kay Corbeil, Stephen Corbeil, and UI President Barbara Wilson at the Hancher-Finkbine Dinner.

University of Iowa students, faculty, staff, and alumni received some of the institution’s highest honors on April 12, 2022, at the 105th Hancher-Finkbine Dinner.

At the event, alumnus Stephen Corbeil was presented with a Hancher-Finkbine Medallion in recognition of his leadership, learning, and loyalty.

Corbeil is an innovative leader of hospitals and health care systems who has charted a steady course through the industry’s turbulent changes. He earned a master’s degree in hospital and health administration (now the Department of Health Management and Policy) in 1984. He remains an avid supporter of the college and generously offers his time, resources, and expertise for the enrichment of today’s students.

For more than 30 years, Corbeil successfully managed multiple health care organizations within Tenet Healthcare and Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) in numerous states. Most recently, as president of TriStar Health, a multi-billion-dollar division of HCA, he oversaw 22 hospitals, 9 ambulatory surgery centers, and over 12,000 employees in Tennessee, Georgia, and Kentucky.

After retirement in 2016, he served as a consultant with HCA engaged with its executive development program. He now serves as Executive Chairman at LucidHealth and on the Board of Trustees at Tennessee State University. He is an American College of Healthcare Executives Fellow and has served on numerous professional and community service boards.

Corbeil’s loyalty to the University of Iowa and College of Public Health has been exceptional. Throughout his career, he has been a professional and personal mentor to many students and served as preceptor for summer interns and postgraduate fellows. He served on the alumni board for the Department of Health Management and Policy from 2000-2012 and was president in 2007. He received the college’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 2011, the UI Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 2016, and is recognized as a Founding Partner for the key role he played in the inception of the College of Public Health.

In addition, Corbeil and his wife, Mary Kay, are among the college’s most generous supporters. They have established an endowed scholarship, a graduate assistant scholarship, and provided funding for a pilot program in partnership with Tennessee State University.

He is among the most active and devoted alumni of the college’s MHA program. Despite his many commitments and accolades, he has consistently maintained a high level of engagement, leveraging his own network and expertise to ensure the continued excellence of the program. Corbeil is a member of the UI Foundation’s President’s Club and has served on the CPH Campaign Committee. Though not from Iowa, the Corbeils’ strong Hawkeye ties have been carried on through their three children who all earned UI degrees.

IOWA RESEARCHERS TEAM UP TO ADDRESS IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HEALTH

A team of University of Iowa researchers will pool their talents to tackle climate change and related health concerns through a new initiative that uses a “collaboratory” approach. The project, titled “Illuminating the Nexus Between Climate Change and Public Health,” is led by Peter Thorne, professor of occupational and environmental health in the College of Public Health.

A collaboratory brings together team members from different backgrounds and disciplines within and outside the University of Iowa to solve complex problems. The Iowa Institute of Public Health Research and Policy (IIPHRP), based in the UI College of Public Health, selects and funds the interdisciplinary projects through a competitive application process.

“This project is an important initiative to help the University of Iowa respond to new funding opportunities that address climate change and public health,” says Vickie Miene, interim director of the IIPHRP.

Growing recognition of the extensive consequences of climate change has led the Biden administration to emphasize climate action and increase funding for climate change research through the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies.

“The overarching goal of this collaboratory is to assemble multidisciplinary teams of climate scientists and public health experts to develop innovative proposals that will attract new funding for research that addresses the nexus between climate change and public health, with a focus on climate challenges in the heartland,” says Thorne.