Development of a University-Government Partnership for Public Health Response and Workforce Development in the State of Oregon.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated a public health workforce shortage and national strategies have called for the development of clear occupational pathways for students to enter the public health workforce and meaningful public health careers. In response to the immediate need for public health workers during the pandemic, several universities and academic hospitals rapidly mobilized students and employees and partnered with local or state health departments. However, many of those partnerships were based on short-term volunteer effort to support critical COVID-19 public health efforts. In this article, we document the development of Oregon's Public Health Practice Team, a student, staff, and faculty workforce developed at the Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University (OHSU-PSU) School of Public Health in close collaboration with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). This project contributed significant effort to several phases of Oregon's statewide public health response to COVID-19, and over time developed into a lasting, multi-purpose, inter-agency collaborative public health practice program. Health equity has been centered at every stage of this work. We describe the phases of the partnership development, the current team structure and operations, and highlight key challenges and lessons learned. This provides a case-study of how an innovative and flexible university-government partnership can contribute to immediate pandemic response needs, and also support ongoing public health responses to emerging needs, while contributing to the development of a skilled and diverse public health workforce.

Left atrial strain is reduced following trastuzumab in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The effect of trastuzumab therapy on left atrial (LA) function remains largely unknown. Our aim was to assess the changes in LA strain parameters longitudinally in patients treated with trastuzumab. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 170 patients with stage I-IV HER2+ breast cancer. All patients had baseline echocardiograms and repeat echocardiograms at 3 months and after 1 year. We measured LA strain at all three time points. Changes in LA strain and strain rate (sr) parameters were evaluated using repeated-measures mixed-effects models. The cohort was stratified according to development of cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) during follow-up. RESULTS: The mean age was 52.7 ± 13.8 years, 25.3% had hypertension and 16.0% had metastatic disease. Multiple LA strain parameters (predicted delta value, [95%CI]) showed statistically significant declines in patients who developed CTRCD from baseline to the 3-month follow-up after multivariable adjustment; LA reservoir strain (LAεres ): -4.7%; [-8.1% to -1.3%], p = .007; LA conduit strain (LAεcon ): -2.8%; [-5.3% to -.4%], p = .021); and LAεres sr: -.2/s; [-.3/s to -.09/s], p < .001). In patients who did not develop CTRCD, LA strain parameters declined significantly but to a smaller degree than in the CTRCD group (LAεres : -1.7%; [-3.1% to -.3%], p = .020, LAεcon : -2.2%; [-3.3% to -1.1%], p < .001, and LA booster pump strain : -2.4%; [-3.5% to -1.4%], p < .001). LA strain rates did not decline significantly in the non-CTRCD group. CONCLUSION: Trastuzumab treatment was associated with declines in LA strain parameters in patients with breast cancer. The largest declines were observed in patients who developed CTRCD during treatment.

Safety of Same-Day Hospital Discharge Post Patent Foramen Ovale Closure: Findings from a Multicenter Study.

Transcatheter patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure is indicated for patients with cryptogenic stroke. Although procedural safety is well established, there are limited data on the safety of same-day (SD) discharge. We aimed to review the outcomes of PFO closure with SD. Patients who underwent transcatheter PFO closure between January 2011 and May 2022 at 4 large US hospitals were retrospectively analyzed, comparing outcomes of SD versus delayed discharge (DD). The primary end point was a composite of access-site complication, stroke, device embolization, atrial arrhythmia, and bleeding. Secondary analysis comparing imaging modality and outcomes was performed. 554 patients (49.2% female) were analyzed (382 discharged SD). Average age was 54.3 ± 15. Baseline characteristics in both groups were broadly similar. Previous stroke (78.0% SD vs 76.2% DD, p = 0.32) was the commonest indication for PFO closure. In the SD group, there was less general anesthesia use (5.5% vs 16.9%, p <0.001). Intraprocedural intracardiac echocardiography was used more frequently in SD cases (95.0% vs 81.4%, p <0.001). In the DD group, median stay was 1 night, and 34.9% stayed beyond 1 night. At 30 days, there was no difference in the primary composite end point (14.9% vs 11.6%, p = 0.15). There was no inter-group difference in individual adverse events (all p >0.05). When comparing imaging modality and outcomes, there was no difference in composite end points between transesophageal and intracardiac echocardiography (6.5% vs 14.7%, p = 0.063). In conclusion, SD discharge after transcatheter PFO closure appears safe. This efficient approach may be advantageous in optimizing workflow and minimizing hospital occupancy.

Associations of leptin and adiponectin with incident type 2 diabetes and interactions among African Americans: the Jackson heart study.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests that leptin is critical for glycemic control. Impaired leptin signaling may also contribute to low adiponectin expression in obese individuals. We assessed the association of leptin and adiponectin with incident type 2 diabetes (T2D), their interactions with sex and obesity status, and mediation by insulin resistance. METHODS: We included study participants from the Jackson Heart Study, a prospective cohort of adult African Americans in Jackson, Mississippi, that were free of T2D at the baseline Exam 1. Incident T2D was defined as new cases at Exam 2 or Exam 3. We created separate Cox regression models (hazard ratios per log-transformed ng/mL of leptin and adiponectin) with and without insulin resistance, HOMA-IR. Mediation by insulin resistance was analyzed. Several interactions were assessed, including by sex, HbA1c, and obesity. RESULTS: Among our 3363 participants (mean age 53 years, 63% women), 584 developed incident T2D. Leptin was directly associated with incident T2D when modeled without HOMA-IR (HR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.05-1.58). This direct association between leptin and T2D was significant among men (HR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.05-1.69), but nonsignificant among women (HR = 1.24, 95% CI = 0.94-1.64); statistical interaction with sex was nonsignificant (p = 0.65). The associations in all participants and in men were nullified by HOMA-IR (HR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.80-1.22; HR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.78-1.28, respectively), indicating mediation through insulin resistance (proportion mediated: 1.04), and were not observed in abdominally obese participants. Adiponectin was inversely associated with T2D even after adjustment for HOMA-IR in women (HR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.55-0.84), but not in men (HR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.62-1.04). The inverse association was present only among abdominally obese participants, and persisted after adjustment for HOMA-IR. CONCLUSIONS: Among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study the association of leptin with incident type 2 diabetes was mediated by insulin resistance. This association was present only among abdominally non-obese participants. Differences by sex appeared: men showed a significant association mediated by insulin resistance. Among abdominally obese participants, adiponectin was inversely associated with incident T2D even after adjustment for HOMA-IR. Our results should inform future clinical trials that aim to reduce the burden of type 2 diabetes through the modification of serum levels of leptin and adiponectin.