Dear Friends,

Before we approach the home stretch of 2022, it’s with great joy that we look back on the summer. The pillars of Health Affairs – discover, teach, heal – are never more meaningful than when we can celebrate the success of our UCI community who, indeed, are exemplars.

In May, we announced that University Hospitals (UH) Connor Whole Health and Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute (SSIHI) have joined together to lead BraveNet — the first and largest integrative medicine, practice-based research network in the United States. BraveNet is a nationwide consortium comprised of academic health systems conducting evidence-based research on therapies used in integrative medicine, which is now more often known as whole health. Together, these 17 research-based institutions offer whole health services to more than 100,000 patients a year. We look forward to SSIHI’s role in BraveNet and the valuable insight it will surely foster.

UCI researchers have also been busy delineating some fascinating findings on mental health and serious weather conditions. Published in JAMA Network Open, researcher DanaRose Garfin, assistant adjunct professor of nursing and public health, and colleagues showed repeated exposure to the threat of catastrophic hurricanes — whether direct, indirect or media-based — is linked to adverse psychological symptoms. The team found that repeated exposure to the storms is associated with symptoms of post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety and ongoing fear and worry. In turn, these psychological symptoms were associated with greater social- and work-related impairment.

And early this summer, a UCI research team was awarded a grant from the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) to evaluate the satisfaction of ethnic minority cancer patients’ care from oncology pharmacists at Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, our National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. The team, led by Alexandre Chan, chair and professor of clinical pharmacy practice, will use an innovative strategy to integrate real-time analytics of patient-reported outcomes into personalized pharmacy education for ethnic minority patients who are newly diagnosed with cancer and undergoing treatment. Chan hopes his research team can engage oncology pharmacists using real-time analytic data to improve early recognition of problems that impact patient care and exacerbate health disparities. The findings of this study will be a step toward improving health outcomes among ethnic minority cancer patients and illuminating the vital role of oncology pharmacists in a cancer patient’s healthcare team.

We are so proud of the efforts of our UCI family and grateful for their dedication to making an impact in Orange Country and well beyond.

I hope you enjoy our summer newsletter. Please do not hesitate to reach out or explore related resources on our website.

Wishing you a healthy, safe and prosperous fall.