Victoria Kontor will present on her work at the Women's Law Project, a public interest law center devoted to the rights of women and girls. She is creating an aggregate data set that summarizes the demographics of girls aged 10-17 in Philadelphia with an emphasis on those in the juvenile justice system. The data set will be used in projects to work toward improved quality of life for girls in Philadelphia, especially those in the juvenile justice system, which include writing a policy agenda and briefing for the Health Commissioner and updating a previous publication called "Through the Lens of Equality: Eliminating Sex Bias to Improve the Health of Pennsylvania's Women" to include girls, and attempting to reorganize a Girls Coalition in Philadelphia.

 

Kevin Smith will present on his work at Mercy Hospital in West Philadelphia on a project to decrease the incidence of infectious disease within the hospital, specifically Clostridium Difficile (C. Diff). This project includes data collection to determine trends - tracking patients with a C. Diff diagnosis, tracking the amount of antibiotics prescribed to patients, analyzing how well patient rooms are cleaned between discharge and a new admittance, and tracking healthcare provider compliance with proper hand hygiene and personal protective equipment guidelines. This hospital is an important resource in the community, including nearby residents who feel a lack of access to primary care facilities and depend on the hospital for a wide variety of needs.

 

The Brown Bag Lunch Series discussion sessions and presentations will feature UHC work and research-in-progress presented by UHC affiliates, trainees, students, awardees, and local partners. Attendees are welcome to bring their lunch to eat during this time.