Faculty Research – Who’s Who in SOD Ms Kim T. Isringhausen
Ms Isringhausen’s research career started when pursuing her MPH degree where her dissertation looked at the factors that influence preventative dental behaviors. For a while her administrative responsibilities and to a certain extent her fear of the unknown kept her from developing her own independent research programs. However, in 2012 Ms Isringhausen submitted her first grant proposals for funding. Her approach was to steer away from large grants such as those funded by the NIH and instead to cut her teeth on smaller grants from niche funding organizations. Out of four proposals submitted, two were funded – one by the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (VHWDA) provided under the federal Affordable Care Act State Health Care Workforce Development Implementation Grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration and the other by US Department of Health and Human Services. Ms Isringhausen attributes her 50% success rate to her niche approach, her research mentor Dr Alison Vanderbilt and to her own commitment to fulfill the research mission of the Department of Oral Health Promotion and Community Outreach
The VHWDA grant is to develop a model for dental and dental hygiene community service programs with underserved community partners and schools. The purpose of the work is to benefit underserved communities and inner-city school students with a shared mission of education and service in oral health. The educational program will educate dental professional students, patients and inner-city school students; increase oral health literacy; improve health outcomes; and ultimately increase the workforce for future dental professionals. The outcomes of this work should show improved awareness of oral health encourages people to access oral healthcare where possible. Future outcomes evaluation of this work may lead to recommendations on how to improve oral health literacy and access to oral health care.
The HSS grant looks at oral health education for older women. This involved providing three on-site visits in each of three different care settings, a care home, a day care center and a life-long learning institute. On each visit students educated the women on age, lifestyle and prescription drug implications for oral health care. Once the three visits on each site are completed the impact of this educational program on the oral health of the women will be evaluated.
Looking to the future Ms Isringhausen would like to increase the research activities within her department and progress to obtaining larger research grants from organizations such as the NIH. One area rich for research and evaluation is the school of dentistry activity in the Missions of Mercy project (MOM). The MOM project provides dental services in identified underserved areas of Virginia where there are not enough dental practitioners to adequately address the oral health needs of the community. The project was started in 2000 and Ms Isringhausen plans to develop research programs to evaluate the outcomes and the impact the school of dentistry has made to the Mom project since it started. She anticipates seeing positive outcomes in the areas of improved oral health, improved uptake of oral health for patients and in improved perception by dentists of providing treatment to underserved or uninsured populations.
When asked what advice she would give to anybody wishing to develop their own research area she said “Find something you feel passionate about, find a funder who feels just as passionately, find a mentor who shares your enthusiasm and don’t be afraid to start writing and submitting grants. Some of your grants will be rejected but the excitement and delight of receiving a grant award far exceeds the effort in writing it and really validates your research and what you have chosen to do”
Categories Research