PRC

Evaluation Programs

Morehouse School of Medicine Evaluation & Institutional Assessment Unit
Evaluation Services by Funded Projects

Leadership | Evaluation Programs

CURRENT EVALUATIONS : RESEARCH/RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE

Center for Translational Research in Health Disparities (U54) (NIH, NIMHHD), 2019-2024

This project was developed to bring the expertise of the RCMI Program Cores, with Community and Clinical researchers and partners to build Multidisciplinary Translational Teams across the T spectrum targeted at more rapid translation of health disparities (e.g., Cancer, Stroke, Infectious Diseases, Cardiometabolic Disease, Reproductive Health) by expanding the baseline research infrastructure established by Morehouse School of Medicine. The primary objectives are to build those teams through research projects targeted at health disparities, and to develop a pipeline of developing research teams at MSM, and to increase the level of involvement of investigators in conducting MDTT research at MSM.

Georgia Clinical Translational Service Award- (Georgia CTSA) (NIH), 2017-2022

Evaluation identifies 1) detailed formative guidance to assess initial and ongoing project activities and provide for mid-course corrections, and 2) summative evidence of program effectiveness, and impacts in reaching its stated specific aims and objectives.

Georgia CTSA, Community Engagement Component Evaluation, (NIH), 2017-2022

Intra-institutional evaluation assessing efforts to create and sustain programs/projects that translate research from the bench to community-based clinical settings and to communities, create a continuous community involvement process that reaches out to communities and community practitioners and facilitate collaboration to train Georgia CTSA investigators in the principles and practice of community-based participatory research.

Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Center (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 2019-2024

The Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center is one of a network of 26 academic research centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The theme of the PRC is: Risk Reduction and Early Detection in African American and Other Minority Community-Coalitions for Prevention Research. This center’s research infrastructure is designed to conduct multi-interdisciplinary community-based research initiatives, train community-based researchers and public health practitioners, demonstrate the value of community coalitions in conducting research and communicate and disseminate research findings and public health information widely to advance public health practice and improve health outcomes in communities. The Center’s core research project is entitled: Project Take Charge. The proposed research is a collaborative effort between Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and their surrounding communities to address the burdens of HIV/AIDS, STIs and Substance Use among African American young adults ages 18-24. Take Charge seeks to these health conditions among young adults by implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs including HIV testing, condom distribution, educational workshops) at four MSIs in Georgia - Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Atlanta Metropolitan State College and Albany State University. MSIs, particularly Historically Black Colleges and Universities, can serve as important collaborators with public health institutions to address the high rates of HIV in their surrounding communities.

TRAINING

Georgia-Alabama Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, (GA-AL- LSAMP), National Science Foundation through Clark Atlanta University, 2018-2023

This project is an effort to increase the number of minority students in science, mathematics, technology and engineering majors. Evaluation will provide an objective assessment of the outcomes and impact of the project along with project recommendations.

Morehouse College National Minority Undergraduate Student Coordination Center (SCC) in collaboration with Morehouse School of Medicine, (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 2017-2022

The SCC aims to 1) identify and document emerging best practices in student internship placement, 2) enhance and facilitate the process of grantee program implementation, monitoring, and tracking and 3) support the exposure and entry of underrepresented minorities to public health and biomedical science careers. Evaluation will provide program technical assistance, training, leadership and monitoring to assess the extent to which the program has attained established goals and objectives through processes that can be replicated and sustained over time.

Preventive Medicine Residency Program (HRSA), 2018-2021

Evaluation of the Morehouse School of Medicine Public Health and Preventive Medicine (MSM PHPM) Residency Program, which seeks to increase the number and improve training of preventive medicine physicians, incorporate integrative health care training into the existing preventive medicine training program, and provide inter- professional integrative medicine training for primary care physicians, primary care residents, community health workers, and medical students.

Morehouse School of Medicine RISE: Educating Tomorrow’s Biomedical Workforce (NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences), 2019-2024

The evaluation of the RISE Program was implemented to determine the extent to which the program had attained proposed measures of success based on established goals. The RISE Program seeks to actively involve students in biomedical research by providing research training, mentoring, and exposure to high quality research by MSM faculty.

Morehouse School of Medicine Undergraduate Health Sciences Academy (UHSA), (Kaiser Permanente), 2016-2021

The evaluation of the UHSA is designed to assess whether the program meets its goal to add to Georgia’s healthcare workforce while also diversifying that workforce in the state and nation. The objectives of the UHSA are to improve students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills, enhance standardized test preparation, and provide science-enriched coursework to foster new interest in medicine and health professions.

COMMUNITY-BASED ASSESSMENT

Peer Prevention Navigation for Black Youth and Young Adults, 16-24 (2020-2025)

Morehouse School of Medicine, ANIZ, Inc, and Odyssey Family Counseling Center will collaborate to implement a comprehensive culturally appropriate approach to provide HIV and Viral testing, and prevention navigation services. The priority populations include youth and young adults between 16 and 24 (men, women, LGBTQ) in Fulton County, GA. Navigation services will be provided for those diagnosed with HIV and/or a substance misuse disorder. MSM PRC faculty and staff lead or support this effort.

Garnering Effective Outreach and Research in Georgia for Impact Alliance Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities (GEORGIA CEAL) (2020-2021)

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed striking morbidity and mortality disparities among racial and ethnic minority communities, and populations who are medically and socially vulnerable to COVID-19 exposure and infection. This has underscored the urgency for multipronged, and community-engaged strategies to reduce these inequities. Disparities are amplified by community mistrust and misinformation, and policy-influenced on mitigation behaviors. Georgia CEAL will leverage and capitalize upon existing community partners, leaders, and knowledge holders, community resources, and local service delivery settings to enhance education, awareness, access, and inclusion of underserved communities in research and outreach designed to advance the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and reduce disease disparities. The overall goal of Georgia CEAL is to understand factors that contribute to the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 in underserved communities and establish effective, community-engaged research and outreach response.

The National COVID-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN): Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 on Vulnerable Populations (2020-2023)

To mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority, rural, and socially vulnerable populations The NCRN COVID-19 national dissemination platform will consist of six foundational areas in which the network will: 1) Identify and engage vulnerable communities through local, state, and national partners. 2) Nurture existing and develop new partnerships to address the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure the NCRN is an active information dissemination network with whom to collaborate; 3) Partner with vulnerable communities and national, state, local, and government organizations to provide and disseminate culturally and linguistically appropriate information throughout states, territories, and tribes; 4) Use technology to link members of the priority vulnerable communities to community health workers, COVID-19 healthcare and social services, including testing, vaccinations, behavioral health counseling, and links to primary care practices; 5) Monitor and evaluate the success of the services and measure outcomes using process improvement methods to improve the quality of the overall program. The initiative is designed to work with community-based organizations across the nation to deliver education and information on resources to help fight the pandemic. The information network will strengthen efforts to link communities to COVID-19 testing, healthcare and social services and to best share and implement effective response, recovery and resilience strategies. MSM PRC affiliated faculty lead or advise efforts related to community engagement, community health worker leadership or health communication for this effort.

Toolkit to Guide Academic Researchers in Effective Community Engagement in Human Genome Research (2019-2020)

The goal of the project is to partner with the National Institutes of Health National Human Genome Research Institute (NIH-NHGRI), local, state and national community leaders to develop and disseminate a tool kit designed by community residents and leaders for researchers guide effective engagement of community residents and patients in human genome research.

Kessler Foundation-Morehouse School of Medicine Collaboration (2020-2021)

The MSM PRC is one of institutional centers working on the Kessler Foundation Phase 1 activities. The MSM PRC component consists of two phases. Phase 1 includes the conduct a systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis of the existing peer-reviewed and grey literature to identify and characterize studies related to perceptions of, attitudes towards, knowledge of and experiences with medicinal cannabis by health disparity populations (characterized by geography, sexual orientation/identify, socioeconomic status, among others) 65 years and over with respect to treatment of clinical indications. The study will also evaluate interventions and identify barriers and facilitators to access these medicinal cannabis interventions. The findings will inform the development of a central repository of the literature that will be synthesized through white papers, reports, and peer review publications. It will serve as global evidence-base to inform medicinal cannabis research and evaluation related to cannabis and older adults (particularly those from health disparity population. Phase 2 will strategically engage health disparity populations through focus groups and key informant interviews. The purpose of this phase will be to identify perceptions, attitudes and recommendations to best position implementation approaches of the Center and funded research studies in addition to other components of the MSM Kessler Foundation.

COMPLETED EVALUATIONS

RESEARCH/RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE

RCMI Center of Excellence in Clinical and Translational Research (R-Center) (NIH), 2014- 2020

Enables MSM investigators to establish the research infrastructure and capacity necessary to pursue discovery science that will translate into improvements in the health status of minority communities served. Evaluation identifies quantitative and qualitative benchmarks and ongoing measures by which to assess outcomes and processes designed to strengthen Morehouse School of Medicine’s research capacity. By facilitating access to novel technologies, training and career development resources, scientific discoveries will be accelerated that will potentially lead to the elimination of health disparities.

Transdisciplinary Collaborative Centers for Health Disparities Research (TCC) (NIMHD -U54), 2012-2019

Evaluation of this program involves 1) the assessment of both the administrative and health policy functions of the Morehouse School of Medicine TCC Administrative Core, 2) track the progress of the proposed health policy research activities, and 3) monitor the relationships between key milestones and expected outcomes.

Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Translational Research Network (RTRN) [National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)], 2012-2018

Evaluation of this program, funded through the National Institutes of Health, involves activities that will provide guidance, inform decision-making to assess stated goals and objectives, and facilitate regular feedback to RTRN staff and designated partners to ensure established and sustained quality. Evaluation reports will provide RTRN Leadership with information about key strengths and weakness that will be used to drive activities that will address ways to increase publications, collaborative research projects and proposal submissions.

Clinical Translational Service Award- Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI) (NIH), 2012-2017

NIH Clinical Translational Service Award, Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Community Engagement and Research Program Core Evaluation, (CERP) 2012-2017

Intra-institutional evaluation assessing efforts to create and sustain programs/projects that translate research from the bench to community-based clinical settings and to communities, create a continuous community involvement process that reaches out to communities and community practitioners and facilitate collaboration to train Atlanta-CTSI investigators in the principles and practice of community-based participatory research.

Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program (G-12) (NIH), 2012-2017

Evaluation identifies quantitative and qualitative benchmarks and ongoing measures by which to assess outcomes and processes designed to strengthen Morehouse School of Medicine’s research capacity. By facilitating access to novel technologies, training and career development resources, scientific discoveries will be accelerated that will potentially lead to the elimination of health disparities.

Exploratory Center of Excellence-Reducing Health Disparities in Vulnerable African American Families and Communities (NIMHD P-20), 2012-2017

Through an established collaboration between the institution and community, the proposed evaluation will assess the Center’s aims to build on long term objectives of the Centers of Excellence on Health Disparities (CEHD) in efforts to elucidate etiology of health disparities and develop research interventions that increase quality of life among underserved populations in Metropolitan Atlanta.

Southeastern United States Center for the Elimination of Health Disparities, (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 2007-2012

The Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center (MSM PRC) established a Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities (CEED) known as the Southeastern US Collaborative CEED, or “SUCCEED”. The MSM PRC collaborated with partners in the three-state region of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina to provide training, technical assistance and funding to support agencies and organizations in evidence-based strategies to increase breast and cervical cancer screening among African-Americans. This evaluation will assessed SUCCEED processes and outcomes centered on the overarching goal of creating a regional center that will function as a model and a national leader in the elimination of disparities in breast and cervical cancer incidence and mortality among African-American women.

Building Collaborative Research Capacity Community Engagement and Research Program, (NIH, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Administrative Supplement), 2009-2011

Conducted process and outcome evaluation that documented the impact of a model designed to strengthen collaborative research capacities in Atlanta and rural Southwest Georgia. Activities assessed included mini-grant funding, training and the facilitation of community engaged research partnerships for community-based organizations and faculty at Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology. The project involved a collaborative through the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Community Engagement and Research Program, co-led by the Emory and Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Centers.

National Children’s Study, Emory University, Battelle, Morehouse School of Medicine and the University of Chattanooga Study Center - Community Engagement Assessment, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Centers for Disease Control & Prevention; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), 2010-2011

The National Children’s Study is the largest study of child and human development ever conducted in the United States. The multi-year research study examined the effects of environmental influences on the health and development of more than 100,000 children across the United States, following them from before birth until age 21. Emory University, Battelle, Morehouse School of Medicine and the University of Chattanooga were the study center partners in Baldwin County, Georgia area. The Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center (PRC) participated in evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of community engagement strategies employed to recruit women in Baldwin County, GA.

TRAINING

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities National Resource Center for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Infrastructure Development, (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), 2006-2018

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities National Resource Center for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Infrastructure Development was developed and established within the Morehouse School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences in 2005. Evaluation of the Center was designed to assist, in the establishment, implementation and evaluation of measurable objectives centered on the following overarching goals: 1) to establish a national network of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); 2) to facilitate collaboration; 3) to support culturally appropriate mental health and substance abuse prevention need on HBCU campuses; and 4) to facilitate the design of accredited courses; and 5) encourage student interest in substance abuse and mental health.

Stellenbosch University (SU) Area Health Education Centre (AHEC) Evaluation (HRSA), 2012-2016.

SU AHEC is a pipeline program that recruits and positions youth from underserved communities into medicine and other health professions. The AHEC grant enabled SU to put the first part of the pipeline in place, reaching out to primary and secondary schools in rural Western Cape Province and helping to strengthen math and science curricula there. The MSM Evaluation and Institutional Assessment unit is responsible for the external evaluation of the program.

Maximizing Impact of Disparities Data to Drive Community Action and Enable Improvements in Health Equity (NORC) (Office of Minority Health), 2014-2015

Among the goals of this grant are to have under‐represented minority (URM) physicians, faculty and fellows (post-doctoral fellows) participate in longitudinal or executive faculty development. The EIA is central to the development of tools to assessment processes, outcomes and impacts.

Department of Veterans Affairs in collaboration with Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center’s (VAMC) Patient-Centered Specialty Care Education in Women’s Health (WCOE-SC), 2011- 2014

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Academic Affiliations has supported the Atlanta VAMC’s Patient-Centered Specialty Care Education in Women’s Health (WCOE-SC) Program in collaboration with its affiliates, Morehouse School of Medicine and Emory University School of Medicine, to incorporate system-level change in medical education through interdisciplinary and inter-professional clinical training in a patient-centered care model across specialties. The overall goal of the evaluation plan for the WCOE-SC is to determine the extent to which interdisciplinary and interprofessional medical education and training (i.e., medical residents, physician assistant, and nursing students) and implementation of a patient-centered care model achieve project goals and objectives and reach targeted outcomes.

COMMUNITY-BASED

Community Safety Pilot Project Initiative, (Annie E Casey Foundation/Tides), 2019

Implement a community-based participatory approach to plan the evaluation of community-based (NPU V) violence prevention pilot projects.

Morehouse School of Medicine Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Health Initiative, (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 2014- 2018

Evaluation of evidence-based, culturally tailored interventions and policy, systems and environmental changes in the neighborhood planning units served by our Community Coalition Board to reduce health disparities for at least 75% of residents in this area.

Morehouse School of Medicine, Project LEAD (Leadership, Equity, and Advancing Discovery), (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), 2016-2018

Evaluation of the adaptation of three (3) successful signature Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) leadership programs – Community Health Leadership Program (CHLP), Smart & Secure Children Quality Parent Leadership Program (SSC), and Mayors for a Healthy Future Leadership Program (MFHF) – and the MSM-Tuskegee Academy CONNECT Mentoring Program. The goals are to enhance parents’ leadership skills and reduce parental stress, improve leadership skills of teachers, school administrators, and community health advocates, and to increase children’s exposure to health science.

Partnerships to Improve Community Health, (PICH) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 2014-2017

Evaluation of this program, funded through the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness, to assess the implementation of evidence- and practice-based strategies that address tobacco use and exposure, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and lack of access to chronic disease prevention, risk reduction and management in Fulton County.

Campus Community HIV Addiction Prevention Program, (C-CHAP) (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), 2013-2016

Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) in partnership with Recovery Consultants of Atlanta

(RCA) a community-based service organization will plan and execute an HIV Testing and

Substance Use prevention initiative to serve students in the Atlanta University Center (AUC) and community residents surrounding the AUC, in response to the alarming and debilitating prevalence and incidence rates of HIV in this urban area of Georgia. The population to be served includes individuals at-risk for substance abuse and risky sexual behaviors based on recent state health department findings and reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 4000 participants will be reached during the 36 month initiative. The core strategies of Project CCHAP will include HIV testing, Linkage to Care, Evidenced-Based Prevention Education, and Media as one environmental approach.

United Health, (Optum), 2014-2015

This partnership with MSM’s Department of Family medicine encompasses a comprehensive, community-based participatory approach integrating practice partners, community partners and intervention administration in the planning, implementation, evaluation and subsequent action-oriented quality improvement. Evaluation findings will result in strengthened collaborative structures and expanded program impact in the East Point community.

United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta Strong Start Program (Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services), 2012-2014
Evaluation of this program is to assess the effectiveness of the evidence-based group prenatal care model to reduce the state’s infant mortality and low birthweight rates as well as its effectiveness in reducing costs for Medicaid recipients.

United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta Systems of Care - Clayton County, (Georgia Office for Children and Families), 2011-2014

The Systems of Care, Clayton County program will utilize the Parents as Teachers model to provide outreach and referral services to 75 families in the targeted area to improve health and developmental outcomes for children and families, particularly perinatal outcomes. The evaluation plan will focus on tailoring identified assessment measures associated with evaluating linkages to healthcare and other resources, measuring awareness of preventive services and early detection of developmental and health issues, and the overall impact of the SOCC Parents as Teachers approach with program participants.

The overall goal of this program evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of the program services to improve birth outcomes of pregnant women participating in the Centering Pregnancy Program, which seeks to change the paradigm of health services from a traditional prenatal care model to a group prenatal care model in order to improve the overall health outcomes of mothers and babies. The expected outcome of the program is a reduction in the number of preterm and low birth weight births.

The Color It Real HIV and Substance Abuse Prevention Program for Young Adults, (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), 2011-2013

Evaluation of this program, funded through the Wholistic Stress Control Institute, involves the assessment of processes and outcomes related to increased HIV and substance abuse prevention knowledge, skills, and condom use among African-American young adults, ages 18-24, that are disproportionately affected by substance abuse and the transmission of HIV.

The 2 HYPE Abstinence “A” Club Community Based Abstinence Prevention Program, (Administration for Children and Families), 2007-2012

This evaluation, funded through the Wholistic Stress Control Institute, assesses processes and outcomes of a program designed to promote abstinence until marriage through an abstinence education approach to reduce teen pregnancy, the proportion of adolescents who engage in premarital sexual activity, and the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies, among African-American youth, ages 12-18 in Metropolitan Atlanta and surrounding areas.

Atlanta Promise Neighborhood Initiative, (U.S. Department of Education), 2010-2011 
Funding Amount: $500,000

The Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center (PRC) has been engaged to partner with the Atlanta Promise Neighborhoods Initiative spearheaded by Morehouse School of Medicine, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, Atlanta Public School System, the Atlanta University Center and other community partners. This partnership seeks to improve educational and developmental outcomes for children and youth by building a holistic, community-centered education continuum that serves children and families living on the west side of Atlanta. The PRC will lead the comprehensive needs assessment effort to include data collection, management, and analysis. The PRC will also oversee the integration of findings for development of an implementation grant.

Enlightenment and Living Program, (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Health), 2009-2010

The PAATH II Drug Free Communities Support Program, (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), 2008-2009

Evaluation of this program, funded through the Wholistic Stress Control Institute, involves the assessment of community-based coalition strategies to address youth alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug, and inhalant abuse in Metropolitan Atlanta zip code 30318. Assessment centers on the community identified action areas of environmental impact, effective parenting, youth mentoring and youth alternative education.

The Pfizer Foundation Southern HIV/AIDS Prevention Initiative, (Pfizer Foundation), 2004-2007

The Pfizer Foundation developed the Southern HIV/AIDS Preventive Initiative in 2003 to increase efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States. The Initiative funded 23 community-based organizations (Initiative Grantees) in nine southern states to strengthen their capacities to provide effective HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs in multicultural, rural, and urban communities. Evaluation of the Initiative involved determining the extent to which Initiative Grantees have attained their project goals and objectives based on the Pfizer's logic model target outcomes. The evaluation plan: 1) assisted Initiative Grantees in clarifying and/or establishing measurable performance indicators for local programs, 2) assisted the Initiative Grantees in defining or enhancing their intervention implementation, and 3) assisted the Pfizer Foundation in assessing the cross-site effectiveness of the Initiative. Dissemination of evaluation processes and results through peer-reviewed manuscripts and presentations are currently underway.

Bilingual/Bicultural Service Demonstration Project, (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), 2002-2004
This evaluation assessment evaluated the cross-site delivery of perinatal services to immigrant Sub-Saharan African women at two health care delivery clinics in Metropolitan Atlanta.