Health Outcomes & Prevention

The Center for Health Outcomes and Prevention Research (CHOPR) has 4 divisions: Health Disparities, Methodology and Data Analysis, Evaluation Services, and Women's Health. The CHOPR specializes in population, translational, and clinical research, as well as in the design and methodology surrounding such studies. Our primary research involves many different areas including infant mortality, childhood obesity, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, childhood cancer, teen pregnancy, and infertility. The methodological component of our research involves bias analysis and providing support for all types of investigations including clinical trials and program evaluation. Our faculty have a broad range of expertise, specializing in public health, medicine, psychology, reproductive endocrinology, pediatrics, epidemiology, nutrition, and biostatistics. A number of our research studies involve engagement and partnerships with American Indian communities and community-based organizations. As a center, we are committed to improving health through education and research in prevention and health outcomes in our local communities and the population at large. 

Center for Health Outcomes and Prevention News 

Grants:

Amy Elliott, PhD, received funding from the NIH for a grant entitled, “Sanford Research/USD Science Educator Pediatric Health & Research Fellowship.” This funding will be used to create novel pediatric research and professional development opportunities for science educators, to improve student cognition and motivation in STEM areas, thereby promoting economic prosperity across rural communities of the Northern Plaines by inspiring the workforce of future generations.

Dr. Amy Elliott was awarded funding from the NIH for a grant entitled, “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Epidemiology Research (FASER).” Funding from this grant, which is a subaward from the University of New Mexico, will be used to conduct a population-based study of the prevalence and characteristics of FASD in mainstream U.S. populations. 

Dr. Victoria Grey Owl received funding from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the South Dakota Department of Health for a grant entitled, “Outreach to two tribal communities to conduct needs assessments.” This funding, which is a subaward from Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Health (GPTCHB), is aimed to conduct a needs assessment, and implement and evaluate an evidence-based, culturally-appropriate childhood obesity prevention program.

Awards/Recognition:

On March 6 at the University of Iowa, Jessica Hanson successfully defended her dissertation entitled “Perceived Behavioral Control among Non-Pregnant-Women: A Study of Two Behaviors Related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.” 

In January, Dr. DenYelle Kenyon was nominated for the Sanford Quarterly Cornerstone for FAMILY.

Publications:

Puumala SE, Nelson HH, Ross JA, Nguyen RH, Damario MA, Spector LG. Similar DNA methylation levels in specific imprinting control regions in children conceived with and without assisted reproductive technology: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatrics. 2012 Mar 20;12(1):33.  

Shuya Chen, Steven L. Wolf, Qin Zhang, Paul A. Thompson and Carolee J. Winstein (2012). Minimal Detectable Change of the Actual Amount of Use Test and the Motor Activity Log: The EXCITETrial. Neurorehabil Neural Repair, DOI: 10.1177/1545968311425048. 

Vicente E. Torres, Arlene B. Chapman, Ronald D. Perrone, K. Ty Bae, Kaleab Z. Abebe, James E. Bost, Dana C. Miskulin, Theodore I. Steinman, William E. Braun, Franz T. Winklhofer, Marie C. Hogan, Frederic R. Oskoui, Cass Kelleher, Amirali Masoumi, James Glockner, Neil J. Halin, Diego R. Martin, Erick Remer, Nayana Patel, Ivan Pedrosa, Louis H. Wetzel, Paul A. Thompson, J. Philip Miller, Catherine M. Meyers and Robert W. Schrier, for the HALT PKD Study Group. Analysis of baseline parameters in the HALT polycystic kidney disease trials (2012). Kidney International, 81, 577–585; doi:10.1038/ki.2011.411

Presentations:

Jessica Hanson presented at the 11th Annual Native Women & Men's Wellness Conference in San Diego, March 18-22.  My presentation was titled “Successful Collaborative Efforts in the Prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.”  I co-presented with Susan Pourier of the Oglala Sioux Tribe Health Administration. 

Dr. Paul Thompson presented an ethics seminar, “Killing Your Career: Current Trends in Misconduct” to Sanford Research in March 2012. 

Outreach:

Jennifer Prasek & Tracey McMahon coordinated and presented at the 2nd Annual Rosebud Healthcare Careers Day in Mission, SD on March 2nd. 

Dr. Susan Puumala was a guest speaker for the USD class HSC 110: “The Interdisciplinary Health Team” in March, 2012.  Her presentation was entitled “Introduction to Public Health and Public Health Careers”. 

Dr. Susan Puumala and Katherine Burgessgave a presentation about infectious diseases and public health to students at New Tech High in Sioux Falls in March, 2012  

Dr. Susan Puumala, Ashley Miller, and Katherine Burgess traveled to Pierre to meet with the South Dakota Department of Health in March, 2012  

Dr. Paul Thompson and Dr. Susan Puumala met with the Sanford School of Medicine Scholarship Pathways students to assist them with the planning and design of their studies.

Meetings:

Dr. Susan Puumala was the South Dakota representative at the National Birth Defects Prevention Network Meeting in Arlington, Virginia in February, 2012. 

On March 12, Jessica Hanson, Jennifer Prasek, Dr. DenYelle Kenyon, and Dr. Victoria Grey Owl met with the staff at the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute in Fargo, ND to discuss potential collaborations between the Center for Health Outcomes and Prevention Research.  

On March 13, Jessica Hanson, Jennifer Prasek, Dr. DenYelle Kenyon, and Dr. Victoria Grey Owl met with representatives from Bemidji State University, Sanford Health-Bemidji, the Northern Dental Access Center, Beltrami County, and Greater Bemidji to discuss potential collaborations between the Center for Health Outcomes and Prevention Research and these organizations.