ITHS Community Engagement Program

Activities

ITHS administers networks.

• We maintain clinical research networks within primary care clinical practices, clinical research centers in hospitals, health systems, and universities in the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) states.

ITHS makes collaborations happen.

• We create research partnerships with investigators, clinicians, communities and patients

ITHS searches out priorities.

• We ask communities, patients, clinicians and clinical organizations what health and research priorities are of the most interest and importance to them.

ITHS builds tools.

• We collaborate locally, regionally, and nationally with our partners to (1) identify gaps in the science of community engagement and dissemination and implementation, and (2) to build innovative tools, develop new methodologies, and create strategies to improve health.

ITHS mentors and trains.

• We integrate coaching and mentoring into our matching processes and develop training aligned with the needs of investigators and communities.

ITHS spreads the word.

• We leverage our expertise in dissemination and implementation sciences to enable investigators to scale up and spread their health innovations into practice
• We help clinics develop and implement strategies to ensure their patients receive the evidence-based care they need

Faculty & Staff for Community Engagement and Participant & Clinical Interactions programs

Laura-Mae Baldwin, MD, MPH

Laura-Mae Baldwin, MD, MPH, was formerly the Director of the Coommunity Engagement Program and now serves as a senior faculty advisor. She is a Professor Emeritus in the UW Department of Family Medicine, an investigator in the Washington Wyoming Alaska Montana Idaho (WWAMI) Rural Health Research Center, and a practicing family physician. Dr. Baldwin’s research has largely been focused on racial/ethnic and rural‐urban health disparities, and cancer prevention and treatment, all with an eye towards ensuring equitable access to high quality health services across U.S. She brings particular expertise in research collaborations with clinicians and clinical organizations and in the use of electronic health record and administrative data to examine the quality and outcomes of clinical care.

As Faculty Director of the ITHS’ Regional Research Collaborations Program, Dr. Baldwin developed a primary care practice‐based research network, the WWAMI region Practice and Research Network (WPRN), which includes a subset of practices participating in Data QUEST, a data sharing network drawing from diverse electronic health records. Using the WPRN as a model, Dr. Baldwin also developed a network of university- and community‐based clinical research centers across the five‐state region – the Regional Clinical Research Center (RC2) Network. Dr. Baldwin works with these networks and with other academic researchers to disseminate effective health interventions into practice and to develop and test tools that promote clinical engagement and collaboration in translational research. [CE, WPRN]

Sonia Bishop, BS

Ms. Bishop is a Research Scientist in the Department of Health Services and Population Health and the Institute of Translational Health Sciences at the University of Washington (UW), and a member of a multicultural team in the School of Public Health. With over 20 years of experience developing close relationships with community-based organizations serving immigrant and underserved populations, Ms. Bishop is a community-based participatory research expert whose work focuses on improving the health of Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander populations. Ms. Bishop leads recruitment and engagement efforts and administers community advisory boards for research initiatives such as the UW Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) Outreach Recruitment and Engagement Core. Ms. Bishop is the co-developer of the Community Voices Program, which enables community-based organizations to strengthen the robustness of projects such as needs assessments and program evaluation by matching with academic research advisors. Outside of work, Ms. Bishop spends time with her family. She has two sons, one in high school, and the other in the United States Army. She enjoys running, swimming, and mountain biking. [CE, PEP]

Dani Blackburn, MSBA, CCLS

Dani Blackburn is a data analyst with Seattle Children’s Research Institute. She started her career in pediatrics working as a Certified Child Life Specialist, helping kids cope with hospitalization and procedures, where she quickly developed a passion for research, quality improvement, and evidence-based practice. She earned a Master of Science in Business Analytics in 2018 from the University of Utah and has been working as a data analyst at children’s hospitals ever since. Dani’s technical experience spans the data lifecycle, from querying and preparing data for analysis to creating data dashboards with a focus on end-user experience. She stays connected to the field of child life by teaching Research Methodologies to child life students at the University of California Santa Barbara. Dani is new to supporting ITHS, but excited by the mission and ready to contribute to the team! [PCI]

Robert H. Coker, PhD, FACSM, FTOS

Dr. Coker received his PhD in Exercise Science from the University of Mississippi and completed research fellowships in Molecular Physiology and Clinical Physiology at Vanderbilt University and Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, respectively. He began his academic career at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, later joining the University of Alaska Fairbanks to establish a program in translational biomedicine. He co-founded Essential Blends, LLC in 2013, and acquired several Small Business grants from the National Institutes of Health that led to successful commercialization (https://aminoco.com). Dr. Coker is now Deputy Director/Research Professor, Montana Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism at the University of Montana where he has secured multiple grants from the Department of Defense largely focused on the maintenance of metabolic resilience under austere circumstances. A long-time advocate of health equity, he continues to serve as Chair, Steering Committee for the NW PCI network and actively works with ITHS to enhance diversity. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and The Obesity Society and was inducted into the Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame in 2020. With any spare time, you will find him and his family in the mountains. [PCI]

Allison Cole, MD, MPH (She/Her) 

Dr. Cole is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine.  She is also a family physician and researcher at the University of Washington. Dr. Cole directs the WWAMI region Practice and Research Network and leads a research program focused on implementing evidence-based interventions in primary care settings and rural health.  She completed her medical school and residency training in Family Medicine at the University of Iowa and remains a devoted Hawkeye fan. [CE, WPRN, RHI, D&I]

Laurie Hassell (She/Her) 

Ms. Hassell is the Director of Community Engagement at the Institute of Translational Health Sciences and works to promote and support translational research collaboration between investigators and clinicians throughout the WWAMI region. She is the operations lead for the ITHS Community Engagement and Participant & Clinical Interactions Programs, and Co-Founder and Coordinator of the Northwest Participant & Clinical Interactions Network, a network of WWAMI region clinical and translational research centers. Ensuring regional representation and alignment of ITHS programs and services with regional research priorities, and connecting investigators with research resources available through the ITHS are integral elements of her work. Ms. Hassell has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Oregon State University. Before joining the ITHS in 2010, Ms. Hassell served as the Regional Manager for the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research and co‐founded a biotechnology training company. Ms. Hassell lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with her husband Jay. [CE, PCI, PEP, WPRN, RHL]

Erika Holden

Erika Holden is a project manager at the Kaiser Permanente Health Research Institute and has been conducting health systems research for the past 20 years, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. She manages multiple research studies focusing on firearm suicide and injury prevention, women’s health, a Dissemination and Implementation training program and the use of predictive analytics to address social determinants of health in healthcare. Erika holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from the University of Colorado in Boulder. [CE, D&I]

Linda Ko, PhD, MPH, MS

Dr. Linda Ko is Professor and Associate Chair for Research in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health at the University of Washington (UW) School of Public Health. She has a broad background in behavioral science with specific training and experience in behavioral interventions, dissemination and implementation science, and community-based participatory research. Dr. Ko collaborates with different sectors of the community to translate research innovation into the real world, including federally qualified health centers, faith-based organizations, schools, and local and state public health departments in both rural and urban geographic areas. [CE, CHC]

Allison Lambert, MD, MHS

Dr. Lambert is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington. She is a pulmonologist and clinical researcher within the Providence Medical Research Center. Dr. Lambert’s research focuses on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and other pulmonary disorders, including COVID-19. She is the Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Program and Therapeutic Development Network site at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane WA. In these roles, she determines strategic direction, oversees daily operations and program evaluations, and conducts clinical trials.

A graduate of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, NY and of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY and her fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Lambert is the Co-Director of the Northwest Participant and Clinical Interactions Network and serves on the Regional Executive Committee and REMOTECH Steering Committee for the University of Washington Institute for Translational Health Sciences. She is dedicated to increasing access to clinical and translational research for rural and remote dwelling populations. [PCI]

Paula Lozano, MD, MPH

Senior Investigator Paula Lozano, MD, MPH, is a pediatrician and medical director for research and translation at the Washington Permanente Medical Group. She also co-directs the Center for Accelerating Care Transformation (ACT Center) at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI). Dr. Lozano’s work focuses on helping Kaiser Permanente Washington succeed as a learning health system, where research informs practice and practice informs research.

Kelly McGrath, MD, MS

Dr. Kelly McGrath is the regional Co-Director of ITHS Community Engagement. He is a physician with St. Mary’s Health & Clearwater Health in Idaho. He joined the CVHC staff in 1994. His hobbies include mountain biking & hiking and spending time with his family.

[RHI]

James Probus (He/Him)

Mr. Probus is a Project Coordinator with the UW’s Institute of Translational Health Sciences. He works with the Community Engagement core and primarily supports the WWAMI Practice and Research Network (WPRN) and the NW Participant and Clinical Interactions Network. [CE, PCI, WPRN, PEP]

Kari Stephens, PhD (She/Her) 

Dr. Kari Stephens is Helen D. Cohen Endowed Professor, Research Section Head, Director of Clinical Research Informatics, and Professor in Family Medicine and Adjunct Associate Professor in Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education at the UW School of Medicine. Dr. Stephens is a practicing clinical psychologist and biomedical informaticist conducting research focused on health equity, integrated behavioral health, chronic pain, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, substance use, cancer, long COVID, and informatics data sharing, particularly in primary care settings. Dr. Stephens currently conducts clinical research and leads informatics and innovations in data sharing as Director of Data QUEST, overseeing a regional electronic health record systems based primary care data sharing network, which has supported over $100M in grant funded projects, as an Associate Director with the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center, and as an executive faculty member within the Institute of Translational Health Science’s Biomedical Informatics Core. [CE, Data QUEST]

Sebastian Tong, MD, MPH (He/Him)

Dr. Tong is a practicing family physician and addiction medicine specialist. He is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle where he also serves as the Associate Director of the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho region Practice and Research Network. He practices outpatient family medicine and addiction medicine at the Harborview Family Medicine Clinic. He conducts research in practice-based research, substance use, behavioral health, and chronic pain, and has received funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute of Nursing Research and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. He is one of the National Academy of Medicine’s 2023-2025 James C. Puffer/American Board of Family Medicine Fellows. He completed medical school at Boston University School of Medicine, received a Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health, and finished his residency training in family medicine at the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center. [CE, WPRN]

Katherine R. Tuttle, MD, FASN, FACP, FNKF

Katherine R. Tuttle, MD, FASN, FACP, FNKF, is Executive Director for Research at Providence Inland Northwest Health, Regional Principal Investigator of the Institute of Translational Health Sciences and Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington. Dr. Tuttle earned her medical degree and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. She was a fellow in Metabolism and Endocrinology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Her Nephrology fellowship training was performed at University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Dr. Tuttle’s major research interests are in diabetes and chronic kidney disease. She has published over 350 original articles and served as Associate Editor for the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and the American Journal of Kidney Disease. Dr. Tuttle has received many honors and awards including the John P. Peters Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Nephrology, Medal of Excellence from the American Association of Kidney Patients, Garabed Eknoyan Award from the National Kidney Foundation, the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award in Science, and two Outstanding Clinical Faculty Awards at the University of Washington. Dr. Tuttle is currently Chair of the Diabetic Kidney Disease Collaborative Task Force for the American Society of Nephrology. She served on the inaugural Board of Directors for the Kidney Health Initiative and has chaired numerous other working groups and committees for organizations including the NIDDK/NIH, the National Kidney Foundation, the American Society of Nephrology, the International Society of Nephrology, and the American Diabetes Association. {PCI]

Maggie Ramirez, PhD, MS

Maggie Ramirez, PhD, MS, is the William L. Dowling Endowed Professor in Health Administration and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health. She has an interdisciplinary background in industrial and systems engineering as well as health policy and management. Her research focuses on designing technology-enabled solutions to improve health equity, particularly among Latino populations.

Dillon van Rensburg, MPH, MCHES (He/Him)

Mr. van Rensburg is a Research Scientist at the University of Washington’s Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS). He is part of the Community Engagement core at ITHS, where he supports a variety of community-engaged research studies. He also supports training on the science of community engagement in translational research and provides coordination for investigator-community matching programs. Mr. van Rensburg serves on the Coordinating Center for the WWAMI region Practice and Research Network (WPRN) and is the current Treasurer for the Washington Rural Health Association. He holds a Master of Public Health degree in Health Services from the University of Washington and is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES). With a strong focus on rural and underserved populations, he is committed to improving health outcomes through innovative, community-driven approaches. [CE, WPRN, PCI]

Deana Williams, PhD, MPH

Dr. Deana Williams is a qualitative Research Investigator at the MultiCare Institute for Research and Innovation. Dr. Williams uses intersectionality as a core framework to advance health equity among LGBTQ+ populations, with an emphasis on the health and wellbeing of racially and ethnically diverse queer and bisexual women. In 2023, she founded the Health Equity Research Program within her research institute which aims to reduce health disparities and structural injustice; expand knowledge to inform and create health and healthcare resources, practices, and programs rooted in cultural humility; and improve healthcare access, delivery, and quality so communities thrive in their wellbeing. Her current research focuses on perinatal and reproductive health and healthcare, reproductive justice, anti-racism in medicine, and improving access to and the delivery of gender-affirming healthcare. Dr. Williams is leading a two-year NIH Diversity Supplement through ITHS to investigate bisexual women of color’s perinatal healthcare experiences. She is also the Principal Investigator of two studies funded by the Andy Hill Care Fund that will pilot and test interventions to increase the engagement of communities of color and queer women in cancer clinical trials. Dr. Williams holds a Master of Public Health and a doctorate in Health Behavior from Indiana University.

Monica Zigman Suchsland, PhD(c), MPH (She/Her) 

Ms. Zigman Suchsland is a Research Scientist in the UW Medicine Department of Family Medicine and a PhD candidate in the UW School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology. Her primary role as a research scientist is split between managing the WWAMI region practice and Research Network and managing the Cognition in Primary Care (CPC) Program (Cognition-PrimaryCare.org). In the past, she has worked extensively managing health research projects ranging from field studies to clinical trials. Her research interests include diagnostics, screening, and data driven methods in primary care. Her dissertation research aims to improve understanding of the clinical course of concussion and time to recovery after a concussion injury. [CE, WPRN]

Fees

The first two hours of consultation are free with an additional 10 hours if Community Engagement personnel will be included in grant applications. Consultation costs and effort percentages are negotiable and are subject to the availability of personnel and resources.

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