Research
Overview
UCSF Fresno Department of Family & Community Medicine has made a special commitment to the development of community-based primary care research. The research team conducts original research, guides and supports the research interests of clinical faculty, fellows, and residents, and implements formal evidence-based medicine (EBM) curriculum for residents.
EBM
The EBM curriculum is focused on the practical applications of using electronic information and critically appraising the evidence on which clinical decisions are made. Residents and faculty submit clinical questions, receive training in literature search skills to find answers to those questions, discuss evidence pertaining to their questions and apply scientific evidence to improve diagnosis and treatment of patients. This innovative approach is designed to teach residents the skills they need to become life-long and self-directed learners.
Scholarly Activities
During the three-year residency program, residents complete two scholarly projects: a research project in a topic of interest and a quality improvement project based on their clinic continuity patients. Residents receive extensive support, encouragement, and specialized training for their projects from the research team.
Research Faculty
The Research Director is Susan Hughes, MS, whose training in biostatistics is utilized on many research projects. She is responsible for overseeing research activities and working with, residents, fellows, and faculty in the department. Ms. Hughes won the UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program Faculty Research Award in June 2009 based in part on her publication about trends in rural and urban births in California.
Other members of the research team include M. Shoaib Khan, MD, Mehak Kaur, MA, and Bousaba Torres, BA. Dr. Khan is the clinical expert of the team. He is an academic family physician with extensive experience in public health, clinical and outcomes research. He has been an active researcher for the past 15 years, with work that encompasses multiple specialties across several prestigious research institutions in the United States and abroad, as evidenced by his diverse publication and presentation portfolio. His research interests include clinical topics in adult and pediatric medicine, obstetrical care, underserved care, global health, and clinical outcomes. He established a specialty primary care clinic at one of our residency training sites in an FQHC for treating patients with HIV, chronic HCV/HBV infections, and addiction care including medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Mehak has a background in research methods and psychology. She works with the residents on their quality improvement projects as well as their scholarly activities. She also coordinates the objective structured clinical/teaching experiences in the department. Bousaba is the Program Assistant and provides direct administrative support to the research team.
Other faculty members conduct research activities as well. Family Medicine faculty have been awarded the UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program Faculty Research Award six times. Research and other scholarly activities are ongoing in such areas as diabetes, congestive heart failure, faculty development, palliative care, addiction, and maternal child health.
Khan, MS. (May 5, 2022) Show and Tell: Addressing the opioid epidemic with a harm reduction clinic curriculum. California Academy of Family Physicians post available at: https://www.familydocs.org/show-and-tell-addressing-the-opioid-epidemic-with-a-harm-reduction-clinic-curriculum/
Winnie K, Jackson JT. Reply to “Are Meeting Presentations a Springboard to Publication?”. Fam Med. 2022 Mar;54(3):238. doi: 10.22454/FamMed.2022.752944. PMID: 35303310.
Ettinger S, Long A, Ganti A, Mortimer RB, Chiang W, Spano S. Search and Rescue in the Pacific West States. Wilderness Environ Med. 2022 Mar;33(1):43-49. doi: 10.1016/j.wem.2021.11.003. Epub 2021 Dec 24. PMID: 34955362.
Winnie K, Jackson JT. Imposter Syndrome and the Peer-Review Crisis. PRiMER. 2021 Nov 23;5:46. doi: 10.22454/PRiMER.2021.584691. PMID: 35178508; PMCID: PMC8842813.
Macmillan P, Frye J, Bunnalai T, et al. (November 17, 2021) Crisis Standards of Care Guidelines for the COVID-19 Pandemic: Fresno Resource Allocation Guide (FRAG). Cureus 13(11): e19662. DOI 10.7759/cureus.19662.
Winnie K, Saultz J. Reply to “It’s Time For Advocacy”. Fam Med. 2021 Oct;53(9):812-813. doi: 10.22454/FamMed.2021.740935. PMID: 34624132.
Rauch, Simon; Strapazzon, Giacomo; Brugger, Hermann; Pasquier, Mathieu; Mortimer, RB; Skaiaa, Sven Christjar; Lechner, Raimund; Paal, Peter. ICAR Med Comm recommendations, 0036 2021. http://mountainemergencymedicine.com/.cm4all/uproc.php/0/Recos/Current%20Recos/MED%20REC%200036%202021%20Suspension%20Syndrome.pdf?cdp=a&_=17776668430
Ellerton J, Brugger H, Rauch S, Brink B, Skaiaa SC, Chahal AM, Mortimer R, Zachau M, Pasquier M, Paal P, Strapazzon G. Letter to the editor in response to Drew, R. (2020). Suspension Trauma: The silent killer. Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing. https://doi.org/10.29173/cjen18. Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing. Vol. 44, No. 1, Spring 2021. Available at: https://cjen.ca/index.php/cjen/article/view/122/120.
Steinhorn DM, Din J, BA, Macmillan PJ. Integrative Palliative Care: Transpersonal Medicine for the Dying. J Altern Complement Med. 2021 Apr 27. doi: 10.1089/acm.2020.0040. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33902309.
Soteras I, Donlagic L, Strapazzon G, Mortimer RB. Caving Accidents, in Mountain Emergency Medicine. Brugger H, Zafren K, Festi L, Paal P, Strappazon G, eds. Edra, Palm Beach Gardens, FL. 2021; 25: 317-34.
Voskertchian A, Milanes L. Letter to the editor of American Family Physician “Case Report: DKA with Lower-than-Expected Blood Glucose in the Setting of SGLT2 Inhibitor Use.” February 15, 2021. Available at: https://www.aafp.org/afp/2021/0215/afp20210215p200a.pdf
Naing S, Ramesh G, Garcha J, Poliyedath A, Khandelwal S, Mills PK. Is the stepping‐down approach a better option than multiple daily injections in obese patients with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes on advanced insulin therapy? Endocrinol Diab Metab. 2020; 00:e00204. https://doi.org/10.1002/edm2.204. PMID: 33855207
Mortimer RB, Zafren K. Evidence -Based Versus Myth-Based Treatment of Suspension Syndrome. Wilderness Environ Med. 2020 Jun;31(2):202-203. doi: 10.1016/j.wem.2020.04.004. Epub 2020 May 30. PMID: 32482518
McGregor I, Ramirez G. Predicting length of stay in the emergency department with deep learning. The 2021 North American Primary Care Research Group Annual Virtual Conference. November 19 – 23, 2021. Abstract SRFP079 available at: https://napcrg.org/conferences/annualpastmeetingarchives/
Cavanagh SL, Gurusinghe D, Laico R, Hughes S, Macmillan PJ, Soleimani Fard A, Quinn C. Comparison of Healthcare Utilization, Quality of Life, and Survival Among Patients Referred to Palliative Medicine Versus Standard Oncologic Care. Coalition for Compassionate Care of California 2021 Virtual Palliative Care Summit. Available at: https://ccccsummit.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/07-AbstractProposal_Cavanagh-et-Al..pdf.
Lu K, Jamasian Morbarakeh B, Chalfin B, Macmillan PJ, Laico R, Hughes S, Price I, Kirkley K. The Hybrid Physician: Impact of a Palliative Care-Trained Emergency Medicine Physician Embedded in the Emergency Department. Coalition for Compassionate Care of California 2021 Virtual Palliative Care Summit. Available at: https://ccccsummit.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/08-Abstract_Lu_UCSF-Fresno.pdf.
Balachandran B, Hughes S, Price I, Martinez M, Garcha J. Investigating socioeconomic associations among children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder within the United States. 2021 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Virtual Annual Conference, May 3-6, 2021. Available at: https://www.stfm.org/conferences/1020/sessions/6666.
Ng M, Chau C, Hsiao L, Hughes S, Price I, Venturina A. Effect of treatment on prediabetic patients in Fresno County. 2021 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Virtual Annual Conference, May 3-6, 2021. Available at: https://www.stfm.org/conferences/1020/sessions/6590.
Gurusinghe D, Howard R, Laico R, Ali M, Hughes S, Santz N, Jernick N, Macmillan P, Soleimani Fard A. Comparison of Healthcare Utilization, Quality of Life, and Survival Among Patients Referred to Palliative Medicine Versus Standard Oncologic Care. Coalition for Compassionate Care of California 12th Annual Summit. Available at: https://coalitionccc.org/poster-comparison-of-healthcare-utilization-quality-of-life-an-survival-among-patients-referred-to-palliative-medicine-versus-standard-oncologic-care/
Bi M, Dong Y, SantaMaria M, Hughes S, Laico R, Macmillan PJ. Impacts of opioid regulations on patients being treated for cancer related pain. Poster presented at the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California 2022 Palliative Care Summit. May 4, 2022. San Francisco, CA.
Maas DS, Hughes S, Macmillan PJ, Rodriguez Carranza L. Physician perceptions and beliefs regarding end-of-life care. Poster presented at the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California 2022 Palliative Care Summit. May 4, 2022. San Francisco, CA.
Cavanagh SL, Gurusinghe D, Laico R, Hughes S, Macmillan PJ, Soleimani Fard A, Quinn C. Comparison of Healthcare Utilization, Quality of Life, and Survival Among Patients Referred to Palliative Medicine Versus Standard Oncologic Care. [Poster]. Coalition for Compassionate Care of California 2021 Virtual Palliative Care Summit. June 22-23, 2021.
Lu K, Jamasian Morbarakeh B, Chalfin B, Macmillan PJ, Laico R, Hughes S, Price I, Kirkley K. The Hybrid Physician: Impact of a Palliative Care-Trained Emergency Medicine Physician Embedded in the Emergency Department. [Poster]. Coalition for Compassionate Care of California 2021 Virtual Palliative Care Summit. June 22-23, 2021.
Mora‐Roman Jr R, Hughes S. Physicians’ infectious disease screening practices for obstetric patients in Fresno County. [Lecture Discussion]. UCSF Family & Community Medicine Virtual 17th Annual Jack Rodnick Memorial Colloquium, May 27, 2021.
Ho JL, Roytman MM. The other jaundice: Carotenemia following thyroid cancer. [Poster]. Northern California Society for Clinical Gastroenterology 6th Annual Virtual Liver Symposium, January 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021.
Gurusinghe D, Howard R, Laico R, Ali M, Hughes S, Santz N, Jernick N, Macmillan P, Soleimani Fard A. Comparison of Healthcare Utilization, Quality of Life, and Survival Among Patients Referred to Palliative Medicine Versus Standard Oncologic Care [Poster]. Coalition for Compassionate Care of California Virtual 12th Annual Summit. August 24-25, 2020.
Heyn A, Hughes S, Price I. Attitudes towards pregnancy and knowledge of contraception in Fresno County Hispanic male and female teenagers [Poster cancelled]. 2020 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Virtual Annual Conference, August 24-27, 2020.
Marino J, Rongkavilit C, Price I, Hughes S. Coccidioidomycosis: knowledge and practices among primary care providers in California’s Fresno, Kings, and Madera Counties. Poster presented at the UCSF Family & Community Medicine 18th Annual Jack Rodnick Memorial Colloquium, May 26, 2022. San Francisco, CA.
Bahrani M, Block P, Mori V, Price I, Hughes S. Mentors in Medicine: Improving Health Education. Poster presented at the 2022 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 25th Annual Expo. February 17, 2022.
Echaverry M, Mortimer R, Hughes S, Price I. Transcutaneous bilirubin of Hispanic newborns in the Central Valley Fresno region. Poster presented at the 2022 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 25th Annual Expo. February 17, 2022.
Fleming W, Joshi S, Hughes S. School-based program to empower adolescents against tobacco use and specifically E-cigarette use. Poster presented at the 2022 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 25th Annual Expo. February 17, 2022.
Mudunuri S, Campbell J, Hughes S, Price I, Xiao D. Rates of Congestive Heart Failure Readmission among patients when English is not their primary language. Poster presented at the 2022 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 25th Annual Expo. February 17, 2022.
Nguyen J, Yu E, Doshi K, Naeni I. An approach to chronic pain: assessing the impact of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) as an adjunctive treatment modality. Poster presented at the 2022 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 25th Annual Expo. February 17, 2022.
Wentworth B, Venturina A. Male contraception education and its relationship with unintended pregnancy. Poster presented at the 2022 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 25th Annual Expo. February 17, 2022.
McGregor I, Ramirez G. Predicting length of stay in the emergency department with deep learning. Poster presented at the 2021 North American Primary Care Research Group Annual Virtual Conference. November 19 – 23, 2021.
Ghavami B, Bassali M, Milanes L, No-show rates before and after start of COVID pandemic. [Poster]. UCSF Family & Community Medicine Virtual 17th Annual Jack Rodnick Memorial Colloquium, May 27, 2021.
Ng M, Chau C, Hsiao L, Hughes S, Price I, Venturina A. Effect of treatment on prediabetic patients in Fresno County. [Lecture Discussion]. UCSF Family & Community Medicine Virtual 17th Annual Jack Rodnick Memorial Colloquium, May 27, 2021.
Balachandran B, Hughes S, Price I, Martinez M, Garcha J. Investigating socioeconomic associations among children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder within the United States. [Poster]. 2021 California Academy of Family Physicians Virtual Annual Conference, May 22-23, 2021.
Ng M, Chau C, Hsiao L, Hughes S, Price I, Venturina A. Effect of treatment on prediabetic patients in Fresno County. [Poster]. 2021 California Academy of Family Physicians Virtual Annual Conference, May 22-23, 2021.
Balachandran B, Hughes S, Price I, Martinez M, Garcha J. Investigating socioeconomic associations among children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder within the United States. [Poster presented orally]. 2021 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Virtual Annual Conference, May 3-6, 2021.
Ng M, Chau C, Hsiao L, Hughes S, Price I, Venturina A. Effect of treatment on prediabetic patients in Fresno County. [Poster]. 2021 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Virtual Annual Conference, May 3-6, 2021.
Balachandran B, Hughes S, Price I, Martinez M, Garcha J. Investigating socioeconomic associations among children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder within the United States. Poster presented at the 2020 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 24th Annual Virtual Expo. December 17, 2020.
Bassali M, Ghavami B, Milanes L, No-show rates before and after start of COVID pandemic. Poster presented at the 2020 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 24th Annual Virtual Expo. December 17, 2020.
Chau C, Hsiao L, Hughes S, Ng M, Price I, Venturina A. Effect of treatment on prediabetic patients in Fresno County. Poster presented at the 2020 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 24th Annual Virtual Expo. December 17, 2020.
Geiger M, Ruvalcaba J. Education of coaches on the signs and symptoms of heat related illness in high school student-athletes. Poster presented at the 2020 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 24th Annual Virtual Expo. December 17, 2020.
Gill V, Sandoval O, Garcha J, Neves G. Diabetes Mellitus Education. Poster presented at the 2020 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 24th Annual Virtual Expo. December 17, 2020.
Goldsworthy O, Naeni I, Yeung K. An assessment of patient knowledge and acceptance of osteopathic manipulative treatment: A survey-based study, Poster presented at the 2020 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 24th Annual Virtual Expo. December 17, 2020.
Koshkakaryan G, Conley L, Price I, Hughes S. Nutrition, and physical activity: Evaluating knowledge in 6th grade students. Poster presented at the 2020 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 24th Annual Virtual Expo. December 17, 2020.
Purewal J, Render-Teixeira, C. Assessing and investigating patient’s vaccine hesitancy in receiving annual immunizations against influenza virus. Poster presented at the 2020 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 24th Annual Virtual Expo. December 17, 2020.
Salibay C, Hughes S, Price I, Schmitz B, Talamantes A, Garcha J. Childhood vaccination concordance of clinic records and the California Immunization Registry (CAIR). Poster presented at the 2020 UCSF Fresno Family & Community Medicine 24th Annual Virtual Expo. December 17, 2020.
Nguyen A, Vu P, Price I, Martinez M. School-based program to empower adolescents against tobacco use. [Poster cancelled]. 2020 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Conference, August 24-27, 2020.