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Jacqueline Ortiz Honored for Increasing Patient Access to Interpreter Services
Fifty-eight years ago, a young man from Argentina wound up in surgery at a California hospital after stomach pains turned out to be peritonitis, a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal wall. He was discharged to his wife’s care, with one problem — neither the man nor his wife had any idea how to care for the open wound in his abdomen. Jacqueline Ortiz The couple did not understand the lengthy instructions delivered in English, and there was no interpreter to explain to them in their native Spanish what to expect. So, when the man tried to take a bath and discovered the gauze was stuck to his wound, he didn’t know what to do. Fear and uncertainty compounded an already stressful time. Jacqueline Ortiz wasn’t yet born when her father’s health care emergency took place, but growing up she heard the story over and over. It was more than family lore for Ortiz — it was a lesson. Ortiz said she wanted her mother, pictured with her at the DVTA event, to see the growing number of people working as interpreters to ensure people get the information they need in the language they understand. Ortiz, now the vice president for Health Equity and Cultural Competence at ChristianaCare, saw firsthand how the experience left her parents terrified of the medical environment. Removing barriers to good health Years later, Ortiz is a leader in advocating for patients to have access to qualified, culturally responsive medical interpreting services to remove communication barriers with providers and ensure the best possible care and outcomes. “Language access is what fills my heart and soul,” Ortiz said. Her pioneering efforts and enthusiasm for promoting the use of trained interpreters in health care earned Ortiz the inaugural Making an Impact Award from the Delaware Valley Translators Association (DVTA) during an event Sept. 9 at Widener University. In her role at ChristianaCare, she builds the organization’s capacity to reduce the incidence of disease and improve health outcomes, advance equitable health care services, and reduce health disparities for identified conditions and target populations through culturally competent care, including providing health care in patients’ native languages. She has over 20 years of experience researching, teaching and working in cultural competence and health equity, social networks, and economic sociology. “Language access is what fills my heart and soul,” Ortiz said. A vision for serving everyone Eliane Sfeir-Markus, CHI, president of the DVTA, said the award recognizes the efforts of those working to make interpreting and translation more available to people with limited English proficiency, and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Ortiz’s pioneering work to expand language services for patients and implement comprehensive cultural competence training at ChristianaCare have set a standard for caring for patients in their native languages. “Jaki’s vision for a health care system that truly serves everyone, regardless of their cultural or linguistic background, is inspiring,” Sfeir-Markus said. “We as patients deserve someone who knows our culture to take care of us.” ChristianaCare has more than 20 health care interpreters and over 100 caregivers who have undergone additional training to provide interpreting services when needed. ChristianaCare has more than 20 health care interpreters — who wear eggplant-colored uniforms — and over 100 bilingual caregivers who have undergone special training to serve as interpreters in some settings. “Jaki is a well-known name in the field of interpreting and translation because she has advocated for education and professionalization of interpreters in health care,” said Claudia Reyes-Hull, MArch, CMI, CHI, manager of Cultural and Linguistic Programs at ChristianaCare. “Thanks to her advocacy, more health care systems are recognizing the need to have trained interpreters for their patients.” In accepting the award, Ortiz said interpreters play a critical role in health care by making it possible for patients — and their families — to take an active role in their own care and decrease the anxiety over visiting a health care provider. She credited the success of ChristianaCare’s interpreting and translations services and its continued growth to the collaborative spirit and camaraderie among its team of caregivers, particularly Reyes-Hull. Ortiz said her family’s personal experience with a lack of interpreting services during a hospital stay made them anxious about health care for years. “Probably all of us in this room have walked into a courtroom or a lawyer’s office or a hospital room or a clinic and introduced ourselves and seen that immediate response and relaxation in the person we were speaking with,” Ortiz said to the translators at the DVTA event. “You make those interactions within our legal, educational and health care systems so much better.”
Expert Q & A: What led to the Hamas attack on Israel and what role will the United States play?
The conflict between Israel and Palestine dates back many years, but the recent escalation can be attributed to issues centering around Palestinian rights and access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to Craig Albert, PhD, program director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Pamplin College of Arts Humanities, and Social Sciences at Augusta University. Albert, who is a leading expert on relations in the Middle East and American interests in the region, also notes that Hamas has been fighting against what it believes is unwarranted and illegal Israeli settlements being extended into Palestinian territory, while Israel has had a serious blockade on the Gaza Strip for over a decade. Hamas views this as state-oppression and thus, when combined, led to this horrific attack. Q: Now that Israel is declaring war, what should we expect to see in the upcoming days/weeks? A: We should expect more attacks by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as Hezbollah from Lebanon. This means that there is a serious possibility of a two front war for Israel as it strikes towards the Gaza Strip near the sea, and more north into Lebanon. Concerning the State of Israel, look for a massive air bombardment over the next few days until the conditions on the ground are satisfactory, according to Israeli intelligence, to send in massive ground forces. One can expect a full infantry onslaught with all that entails within the Gaza Strip and perhaps other areas as well. We could also seem so strikes against Iran, especially cyber in nature, but perhaps, much more kinetic than we can imagine given the emotions being felt by the Israeli security council. Unfortunately, we can expect massive civilian casualties on both sides as this continues especially when Israel invades with its heavy ground forces. Q: What role does the U.S. play in all of this? A: The United States is already sending in a carrier fleet to show support for Israel; but one can imagine a scenario where Israel and Iran get into a serious confrontation, resulting in direct action by the U.S. on the side of Israel. The U.S. is also already supplying munitions and intelligence to the Israelis, and we should expect to see more in this area over the coming weeks and months. Note that the U.S. might have to take drastic actions itself as its war materials are being dramatically reduced because of arming the Ukrainians against Russia, and now, looking to arm heavily Israel. It is quite possible that the U.S. could be pulled into this in a direct way but currently, it just does not have the war material to conduct massive military operations if called to do so. This is quite a dramatic situation for the U.S., and of course for Israel. Looking to know more or connect with Dr. Albert for an interview? Dr. Albert is available to speak with media – simply click on his name to arrange an interview today.
One of the most extensive ways humans modify the planet is through agricultural practices. At the University of Delaware, assistant professor Kyle Davis has been conducting research on sustainable agricultural food systems on a global scale for many years, thinking about how these systems, because of their vast impact, can also act as a catalyst for addressing issues related to sustainability. This research, as well as the mentoring of graduate students and the research they are conducting in his lab, earned Davis a 2023 Global Environmental Change Early Career Award from the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Davis, an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences and the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, as well as a resident faculty member with UD’s Data Science Institute, said he was honored and humbled to receive the award and that he feels deeply fortunate to get to do research he loves and to work on new science with students from across the university. “One of the greatest joys of the job is being able to mentor graduate students,” Davis said. “I feel really lucky to get to work with a group of incredibly talented and enthusiastic graduate students who come from all over the world.” Davis said that, in a lot of ways, the research he conducts has grown through working with graduate students, coming up with ideas and exploring those ideas together. “So much of my research is the result of their passion, abilities, drive, and creativity,” Davis said. The Davis Lab conducts research on a global scale and also has a key focus on four main countries: the United States, China, India and Nigeria. The research in those areas takes on different forms and looks at different questions. In the U.S., for instance, the research is primarily focused on addressing questions related to water scarcity and food production in the West. The research in Nigeria concentrates on addressing agricultural data and information needs across the country, while the work in India and China is focused on questions related to crop production, nutrition, farmer livelihoods and water sustainability. “We look at the nutritional supply and climate resilience of different crops and their associated water, energy, fertilizer and pesticide needs and try to find opportunities to improve all of these outcomes simultaneously,” Davis said.
Career expert offers tips for spotting the warning signs in job listings
Great salary? Check. Amazing benefits? Check. So what's the catch? It's right there in the job listing – you're just missing it. Jill Gugino Panté, director of the Lerner Career Services Center at the University of Delaware, has helped more than a few job seekers navigate the rough waters of career sites. She lists three of the most common warning signs to look for in a listings: Vagueness. A good job description should outline specific responsibilities, projects and programs you’ll be working on, teams you’ll be interacting with, etc. I’ve seen job descriptions that have simple bullet points with few words or generic phrases like “customer service” but don’t outline what the actual duties include. This could signal that the role is unstructured and/or the company is unfocused. Too many roles. Watch out for a listing if it looks like there's multiple jobs rolled into one. For example, IT/Admin/Client Relationship Manager. These should be three separate jobs and not under one job. That could mean that the job is not clearly defined or they are so short staffed, they don’t have enough people to do the work needed which could signal a super stressful job. Too many questions. Overall, after reading a job description, if you have too many questions or don’t have a general understanding of the skills required, it might be best to move on. To set up an interview with Panté, simply click on her profile and click the contact button. You will reach her and a member of the UD media relations team who can get you connected quickly.
It's only been since January, but the cannabis industry in Connecticut is already a hit among consumers. There was initial worry that the quick expansion of stores and dispensaries could potentially blunt the long-term success of the retail aspect of the product in the state, but according to UConn's Fred Carstensen concerns about the oversupply seen in neighboring states is not a worry. “It’ll take three to four years to see how the market develops,” said Carstensen, a professor at University of Connecticut and the director of the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis. In an article that goes into great detail, Carsten told the Stamford Advocate about the many factors and influences that can impact what has been a volatile market in some states since legalization became the trend. And as the state government checks the expansion of Connecticut’s adult-use cannabis market, Carstensen said local governments do the same. He said it wouldn’t matter if Connecticut’s retail cannabis scene was over-licensed, under-licensed, or just right. “Every municipality has the right to say yea or nay (to retailers),” Carstensen said. But he said an estimated 69 cannabis retailers in the Nutmeg State’s pipeline will make the bigger picture clearer. “(Then) it's pretty much available to everybody on a relatively short-travel basis,” Carstensen said. “Then we'll actually know what the market is.” Regulation and observation will be key to measure the success or failure of the market. Carstensen said that as the Nutmeg State’s market matures, retailers will “pull that business back into Connecticut when we become more competitively priced.” Peake agreed that “as (more Connecticut retailers) open up, we can probably expect the vast majority of those folks to be buying cannabis in Connecticut.” And Carstensen said that as much as interstate cannabis purchases skew understanding Connecticut’s market, it also serves as a check on oversaturating the Nutmeg State’s cannabis economy... And, Carstensen said, if there were too many cannabis dispensaries, "the market will tell us." "They’ll close,” the economics professor said. If you're a journalist looking to know more about this emerging industry in Connecticut and beyond, let us help. Fred Carstensen is a University of Connecticut professor and director of the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis. He is a renowned an expert in the areas of public policy, economic history, and economics. Simply click on his icon now to arrange a time to talk today.
Devastation beyond the storm: Hurricane Ian the latest disaster to cause increase in suicides
This week marks one year since Hurricane Ian decimated towns along Florida's Gulf Coast, erasing whole neighborhoods and claiming 160 lives. Recent research found that the toll could continue to rise. The Tampa Bay Times reported that six people have taken their lives since the Category 5 storm moved on from the area. Increases in the number of suicides after a disaster is sadly not an uncommon occurrence, according to research by the University of Delaware's Jennifer Horney, professor founding director of UD's epidemiology program. According to a study led by Horney in The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, suicide rates increased 23% when comparing the three-year period preceding a disaster to three years after an event. For all disaster types combined as well as individually for severe storms, flooding and ice storms, researchers found the suicide rate increased in both the first and second year following a disaster, then declined in the third year. Flooding saw suicide rates increase by nearly 18% the first year and 61% the second year before declining to the baseline rate after that. By contrast, the suicide rate following hurricanes rose in the first year — jumping 26% — then returned to the baseline in the second year. “Counties impacted by hurricanes saw the biggest increase in the rate of suicide in the first year, which makes sense because it's the most widespread type of disaster among those we examined,” Horney said. Horney's research focuses on the impacts of natural disasters on public health, as well as linkages between disaster planning and the actions communities and individuals take to prepare, respond and recover. To request an interview, click on her profile and use the contact button to connect with the researcher.
Murdoch's shocking retirement: Expert predicts minimal change in Fox's stance or approach
Despite the fact that he was 92, Rupert Murdoch's retirement as chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp. came as a shock. Many observers see the passing of the torch from right-wing Rupert to more right-wing son Lachlan as a potentially seismic shift in the media landscape. Danilo Yanich, professor of public policy and administration at the University of Delaware, can discuss the changing of the guard at Fox, which he believes won't alter the network's approach all that much. Yanich doesn't think anything will change from the media side of the equation – coverage won't be any more right wing than it was before. "Lachlan has been running the day-to-day activities for some time now." Also, Yanich said, whether Rupert is "retired" or not does not take him out of the picture. "He still owns the company." Yanich noted that there has been commentary regarding the implications his retirement has for the power arrangements within the company. "That is probably true, but I do not see any change in how Fox approaches its media activities." Yanich's research centers on the media and its intersection with citizenship, public policy and crime, as well as media ownership. He directs the Local Television News Media Project, which examines the role of the news media in democracy and public policy. Yanich was awarded presidential fellowships at two Salzberg Seminars (Salzburg, Austria), both focused on ethics and the news media. To set up an interview with Yanich, simply click on this profile below.
From Sci-Fi to Reality: Nanoscale Materials Pave the Way for High Precision Disease Treatment
Imagine being able to create something smaller than the size of a single strand of hair that can help treat cancer at the cellular level. Sounds like something out of a science fiction novel or movie, right? Wrong. Emily Day, with the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Delaware is doing just that. Her lab innovates nanomaterials (materials with single units measuring between 1 and 100 nanometers) that enable more high precision treatment of cancer, blood disorders and other diseases. She also studies how these nanoparticle interact with with our bodies on both the subcellular-level and whole-organism level. Day has been recognized with an NSF CAREER Award along with dozens of other awards and grant honors. She is available to talk about her research and can be contacted by clicking her profile.
The power of streaks: How apps like Snapchat and Wordle keep users hooked
There's a reason why kids and adults alike become hooked on apps like Snapchat and Wordle: The irresistible pull of the streak. There's also a reason why so many apps are successful in hooking users: According to recent research co-authored by Jackie Silverman, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Delaware, the streak is as important as the app or activity itself. In her collection of studies, "On or Off Track: How (Broken) Streaks Affect Consumer Decisions," published in April in the Journal of Consumer Research, Silverman found that: Companies now can track consumers' behaviors on their platforms, and in turn tell consumers about their past behaviors. I study how one apparent pattern shown through such tracking - a streak, or 3+ consecutive behaviors - affects consumer decisions. Highlighting streaks can create a new source of motivation; people are more likely to continue a behavior when they are told they have a streak, versus not. On the flip side, highlighted broken streaks are especially demotivating and decrease engagement in the behavior. These effects occur because consumers have a goal of keeping their streaks (as highlighted on these platforms) alive. To help mitigate the negative effects of broken streaks, companies can de-emphasize broken streaks or allow for consumers to do an action to repair their streaks. To quickly arrange an interview to speak with Silverman, simply click on the "contact" button on her profile.
Potential health crisis in the wake of deadly storm and flooding in Derna, Libya
The number of fatalities and missing persons continue to mount after a storm caused massive flooding in the town of Derna, located in the northeast region of Libya. While search and rescue will remain the most urgent priority in the near term, addressing acute health needs will be a major factor in the wake of this disaster, said Jennifer Horney, founder and director of the epidemiology program at the University of Delaware. The collapse of two dams are likely to cause long-term water borne diseases of all types. With little existing health infrastructure in the area, treating and managing health will be extremely difficult. Safe food and water will be scarce. There is a strong possibility of infectious disease outbreaks and the spread of communicable disease. Other experts from UD's Disaster Research Center who can comment on the flooding in Libya: Tricia Wachtendorf: Disaster relief and donations, and alignment post-disaster – i.e., making sure donations that aren't needed don't flood the supply chain. Wachtendorf can also discuss evacuation decision-making, volunteer efforts, disaster response and coordination. Sarah DeYoung: Dealing with unsolicited infant formula donations, and infant and maternal health. Can also discuss pets in emergencies, infant feeding in disasters and decision-making in evacuation. Jennifer Trivedi: Long-term recovery and challenges for people with disabilities during disaster.
