Trauma Informed Community Building Evaluation: A Formative Evaluation of the TICB Model and its Implementation in Potrero Hill

This formative evaluation of the TICB model and its implementation in the PTA public housing community was conducted between September 2014 and July 2015 by an evaluation team from the HOPE SF Learning Center. This evaluation was designed to support the further development of the TICB model as well as inform efforts to implement the model in Potrero Terrace and Annex and other communities. This evaluation seeks to examine the implementation and impact of the TICB model at PTA in order to: * Understand the impact of ongoing TICB-informed programming through analysis of outputs and outcomes prioritized by stakeholder partners [see Appendix A]. * Identify facilitators and barriers to implementation of the TICB model in community-building work within PTA and the surrounding Potrero Hill neighborhood. * Inform BRIDGE Housing's work to improve programming, and guide future program priorities and structures. * Generate information to better understand the impact of the financial investment in helping to build community with and between public housing residents and residents of the surrounding neighborhood. * Assess implications for replicability/reproducibility at other public housing communities, including the additional HOPE SF sites, and beyond

Democratic Economic Participation and Humane Urban Development

Humane economics, democratic economic participation, and democratic economic control are words not often combined and terms rarely used by traditional economic developers and urban planners, especially when addressing inner-city redevelopment. Most often, discussions about economic development and the elimination of poverty focus on job creation, workforce development, and access to job opportunities - promoting the corporate model of growth and fortifying big business\u27s penetration into and control of community economics. Income receives a bit of attention, in the peripheral discussions about living wages\u27 or family-supporting wages and good jobs. However, concepts such as a guaranteed income or payment for the social reproduction responsibilities mostly shouldered by women (paid household or women\u27s work ) are accorded little if any credibility. Moreover, control over income, especially for women, is not a part of the mainstream vocabulary

Best Practices for Member Outreach and Engagement: How Effective ACOs Build Understanding and Respect

Targeted strategies and sustained efforts at member outreach and engagement are helping Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and their Community Partners (CPs) achieve their shared goals for delivering patient-centered care. The most successful organizations focus on activities designed to create a stronger connection with their members, building trust and a better understanding of individuals’ characteristics and care needs. Positive results of these efforts include successful person-centered care planning, improved compliance with care plans and prescriptions, and implementation of recommended lifestyle changes — changes that help support independent living, reduce medical costs and complications, and drive improvements in member satisfaction

Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in the Treatment of Systemic Sclerosis: The Difficulty in Interpreting Proof-of-Concept Studies

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have emerged as a targeted therapy of interest for the treatment of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Recently, several groups have performed pilot or “proof-of-concept” studies to determine the feasibility of this approach for the treatment of the cutaneous and pulmonary manifestations of this multisystem disease. The conclusions drawn by these different studies have been conflicting, and some controversy has arisen as to whether tyrosine kinase inhibition is a treatment approach worthy of continued study. This paper summarizes this research to date with emphasis on the challenges in interpreting proof-of-concept studies in this patient group

A local perspective on basal cell carcinoma : frequency of subsequent skin tumours

Background: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the commonest skin malignancy with a significant risk of recurrence and new primaries. The major risk factor is ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is relevant to Malta, where the UV index is high for most of the year. Objective: The aim of this study was to follow up a group of patients diagnosed with BCC and analyse the occurrence of subsequent malignant and pre-malignant skin tumours, to obtain a local perspective and aid screening methods and follow-up protocols. Method: All patients registered with BCC in the Malta National Cancer Registry in 2007 were included in our study. This cohort was followed up by searching for histology results showing subsequent skin tumours until the end of 2014. Results: A total of 382 patients were diagnosed with BCC in 2007. The majority of patients were males older than 60. Almost one third of these patients (30.1%) had at least another skin tumour biopsied on follow up; 71.7% of these tumours were BCCs. Squamous cell carcinomas and actinic keratoses were also commonly biopsied. Nine patients developed malignant melanoma. The commonest location for BCCs and other non-melanoma skin tumours was the face. Males and the elderly had significantly higher risks to develop further skin tumours, reflected by the Chi^2 test for Independence and hazard ratios. Conclusion: Our results are consistent with most international data. Since BCC fulfils most criteria for screening, regular follow-up in high risk patients is recommended.peer-reviewe