Research

Welcome to the NC Research Department

NewCourtland is proud to announce that we have officially established an embedded research department. The embedded research department is integral to the organization’s mission and supports all ongoing and planned activities.

Our mix of programs and services provides a unique opportunity to investigate issues of concern to practice, policy, and research across a broad spectrum of topics.  For us, the presence of a research program offers support for efforts to establish new initiatives and to assist with continuous quality improvement.  Further, through relationships established with researchers at other institutions, we can draw on expertise in many areas relevant to NewCourtland’s efforts.

Who Are We?

Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD is the Director of Clinical Care Research at NewCourtland. Dr. Ritter’s research and practice integrate clinical knowledge, health policy, and data to improve care delivery for adults with complex medical and social needs. In this role, she works with researchers, health professionals, and other stakeholders to build and test novel models of care and implement best practices into the standard of care. Her research is informed by her extensive experience delivering care as a nurse across care settings. She is an adult gerontologic nurse practitioner, specializing in care coordination during transitions in care settings and health status. She has worked closely with economists, lawyers, physicians, engineers, nursing assistants, executives, social workers, and maintenance professionals to design practice-informed research and the translation of knowledge to practice.  She has led the implementation of national health system initiatives, including the Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders, also known as the NICHE program. Her work has been funded by Veterans Affairs, the National Institute on Aging, and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. Her work has been featured in Nursing Outlook, The Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, and JAMA Health Forum. Dr. Ritter completed her PhD at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholar. She completed her postdoctoral training in the National Clinician Scholars Program at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2020, she was awarded the Young Alumni Award of Merit from the University of Pennsylvania for her extensive contributions to public health and steadfast support for students and alumni. She is an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.  aritter@NewCourtland.org. Dr. Ritter was recently inducted as a Fellow to The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Click here to read the full press release.

Allen Glicksman, Ph.D. serves as Embedded Scientist.  Dr. Glicksman holds a Ph.D. in sociology.  For most of his career, he has worked in practice settings including both facility and community-based long-term care service agencies.   His primary fields of research are the impact of the environment on health and well-being of older adults and the needs of older persons with limited English proficiency.  His work includes assisting in developing policies and procedures for persons working in long term care as well as contributing to the scientific literature.  Dr. Glicksman’s work has been funded by NIH and private foundations.   He is an elected Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, and has received awards from the Director of the NIH, Eastern Pennsylvania Geriatrics Society and United Way of Greater Philadelphia.  He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.  His email address is:  aglicksman@NewCourtland.org

Luke Hoban is a research assistant at NewCourtland, working in the research department. He graduated from Penn with a degree in Science, Technology, and Society in 2017. In 2021, he graduated from Temple with a Master’s degree in Urban Bioethics. He wrote his Master’s thesis on narratives during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they have affected society’s treatment of disabled people. He has also been an advocate for rare disease research and improved patient care. lhoban@NewCourtland.org

What Do We Do?

Our research concentrates on three areas :

To learn more about the projects we are working on in each area, click on the image below:

 

Papers and Presentations:

Below is a list of clickable links to studies and papers our team has worked on

“Implementation of a Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Condition of Employment in a Community Nursing Home” The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine 

Dear Pandemic: Nurses as key partners in fighting the COVID-19 infodemic” Public Health Nursing 

Stemming the Rising Toll of People Living with Complex Care Needs” JAMA Health Forum

Younger Individuals Increase Their Use of Nursing Homes Following ACA Medicaid Expansion” The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine 

“Outcomes of post-acute care in skilled nursing facilities in Medicare beneficiaries with and without a diagnosis of dementia” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 

Postacute care outcomes in home health or skilled nursing facilities in patients with a diagnosis of dementia” Health Services Research  

Fight Like a Nerdy Girl: The Dear Pandemic Playbook for Combating Health Misinformation” American Journal of Health Promotion

Employers Grapple With Fear, Uncertainty and Vaccine Mandates” Tradeoffs Podcast

From Personalized Medicine to Personalized Aging Services” Innovation in Aging

“Use of Post-Acute Care by Medicare Beneficiaries With a Diagnosis of Dementia” Journal of the American Medical Directors Association