Teresa Niblett

TidalHealth Research Symposium, Salisbury University

Factors Predicting Place of Death of Adult Patients Served by a Community-Based Primary Care Program
Background:
Aging and dying in place are increasingly recognized as indicators of high-quality, goal-concordant end-of-life care. Although most adults in the United States report a preference to die at home, actual place of death varies, reflecting disparities in access, caregiver support, and end-of-life services. Community-based, home-based primary care programs may help bridge these gaps, yet factors influencing place of death among patients receiving such care remain underexplored.
Objective:
To identify demographic, clinical, and social factors associated with place of death among adult patients served by a community-based mobile primary care program.
Methods:
A retrospective chart review was conducted of 118 deceased adult patients who received home-based primary care services from a not-for-profit mobile clinic. Deidentified data included age, gender, race, marital status, and insurance status. Descriptive statistics summarized patient characteristics. Associations between patient variables and place of death (home, hospital, hospice) were examined using chi-square tests with Monte Carlo simulation. Firth’s penalized logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of place of death while reducing small-sample bias. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results:
The sample was predominantly female (64.4%) and Hispanic (49.2%), with a mean age of 83.2 years. Over half of patients (51.7%) died at home, 24.6% in hospice, and 16.1% in hospital settings. While chi-square analyses did not reveal significant associations between demographic variables and overall place of death, penalized logistic regression identified race as a significant predictor. Black patients and patients of other races had significantly higher odds of hospital death compared to White patients, while patients of other races had significantly lower odds of hospice death.
Conclusion:
Home-based primary care appears to support aging and dying in place; however, racial disparities in place of death persist even within community-based care models. These findings highlight the need for further investigation into social, cultural, and systemic factors influencing end-of-life care utilization. Future studies using larger and more diverse datasets are warranted to inform equitable end-of-life care strategies.

16th Annual SU Teaching and Learning Conference, SU

Faculty orientations generally include key topics and campus resources that faculty need to be aware of as they begin their career at a new academic institution. There is a gap at times between those expereinced in their respective field and their experience or knowledge of curriculum development, instruction or student assessment. Some universities address this need by offering faculty orientation programs that include instruction on teaching and learning.
This presentation will address how Ignite went from an idea to a reality by covering the development process, implementation phase and collection of outcomes data. Additionally, participants and an IDD representative will be present as panelists along with Dr. Nicole Hall to share experiences and lessons learned.
The development process included determing what is provided to new faculty via internal mechanisms. External input to guide structure and content offerings included a review of articles, ten Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and ten new faculty programs offered at other universities. The Teaching in Higher Education podcast and National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity webinars were leveraged along with knowledge from personal teaching experience, conferences, webinars and books.
Ignite was held in August 2025, as a two day in person introduction to teaching, where the first day was focused on understanding learning and the learner, and day two focused on teaching. Twelve persons attended all or part of Ignite and 50% of those completed the pre and post survey. 84% were satisfied or very satisfied that the workshop helped them learn teaching strategies. 67% were satisfied or very satisfied that the workshop helped prepare them for challenges they may encounter during the semester
There is support to continue offering Ignite for new faculty hires. Next date is planned for August 2026.