Public Health is an interdisciplinary field of study and practice with three primary goals: address pressing and emerging threats to health and well-being; prevent illness, disease and injury; and promote and protect human health.
In achieving these goals, public health emphasizes social justice, supports human rights and respects the dignity of individuals and the integrity of communities.
The Jefferson College of Population Health (JCPH) offers a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree, which is nationally accredited through the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Students develop competencies in several key public health areas: health behavior and social sciences, biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, policy and advocacy, program planning, implementation and evaluation, and others. The interdisciplinary curriculum stresses leadership skills, systems thinking, health communication, global health, and cultural humility and competency.
Learn more about the program here.
Submissions from 2015
Whole Person Orientation in Primary Care: Understanding Priorities and Assessing Performance, Shannon Doyle
Pharmacy-Based Vaccinations for Adolescents: A Review of Barriers, Laws and Policies in Pennsylvania, Punit M. Hinsu, PharmD, MBA
Low-Income African American Women's Perceptions of Primary Care Physician Weight Loss Counseling: A Positive Deviance Study, Elaine Seaton Banerjee, MD
Identifying Factors Associated with Weight Loss in African-American Women, Neil Shah
The Association of Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Cars and Homes and Depressive Symptoms Among California Youth, Amber Bowie MPH student
Healthcare Personnel (HCP) Influenza Vaccination Organizational Program Policy Review, Aimee H. Dashkiwsky
#Lookwho'stalking: A Visual Analysis of Tweets about HPV Vaccination, Elizabeth deArmas
Informed Decision Making in Lung Cancer Screening: Patient Views on Accomplishing Decision Counseling in a Primary Care Setting, Kristen Isaac
Analyzing Informed Consent in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery at Teaching Centers, Jonathan Rajkumar
Ser Mamá Inmigrante: Mexican Mothers Perceptions of Parenting in a New Culture, Caitlin Billingham
Assessment of Food Insecurity in an Academic Family Medicine Practice, Nancy Brisbon
An Oral Health Policy Analysis: Improving Dental Care for Pennsylvania's Adult Medicaid Recipients, Renee Dixon
Oral HPV Cancer Risk Assessment by Oral Health Care Providers, Mannat Dogra
Factors Associated with Immunization Completion Among Infants of the Vaccines for Children Program, Amar Joshi
Policy Review and Analysis of Chaperoning Intimate Medical Examinations Legal Mandates, Amanda Kay
Addressing the Legal Needs of Refugee Health Partners’ (RHP) Patient Populations: Creating a Roadmap for Establishing a Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP), Phylicia McFaddin
Stakeholder Perspectives on the Evolution of Hypertension Care Under the Patient Centered Medical Home, Alison O'Donnell
Understanding the Experience of Parents of Young Children with Obesity: Parental Perception of and Self-Efficacy Managing Child Obesity-Related Behaviors, Thao-Ly Tam Phan, MD
Assessing the Barriers to Replacement Eyeglasses for Children on Medicaid in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Lindsay Waqar
Changes in BMI Percentiles of Refugee Children Resettled in Philadelphia, PA, Priyanka Yadav, MD
Evaluating the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act: An Assessment on Di (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate in Drinking Water, Aquiera Halsey
An Assessment of Community-based Service Needs of Elderly Iraqi and Bhutanese Refugees Living in Philadelphia, Nicole Matteucci
Case Study Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk and Self-Collected Indoor Particulate Matter For Marcellus Shale Residents In Pennsylvania, Martha Stefaniak
Addressing Hispanic Adolescent Mental Health in the Texas Border Region: A Policy Analysis, Brian Zepka
Submissions from 2014
The Impact of Psychosocial Stress on Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Gay, Bisexual and Questioning Male Adolescents, Joshua Milber
A Policy Analysis of Legislation Regulating Indoor Tanning Salons, Yelena Spector
Accrual Barriers in Cancer Clinical Trials: A Strategy Assessment, Ariane Varlotta
Hotspotting: Using TJUH Data to Understand Super Utilizers, Brittany Divito
The Impact of Adverse Childhood Events on Super-Utilization in Camden, New Jersey, Brent Troy
Assessment of Health Policy Literacy Curricula in Physician Assistant Programs, Kristen Cellary
Assessment of the Utilization and Satisfaction of Educational Material in the Postpartum Weight Management Study, Alexandra Lambert
Examination of Non-Financial Barriers and Stigma for Mental Health Care, Jessica Levy
An Assessment of Tobacco Cessation Protocol at an Urban Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, John M. McCullum
A Comparative Policy Analysis: Medicaid as a Payer for Maternity Care Services, Alison Spanier
A First-Degree Family History of Alcoholism: Effects on Clinical and Psychosocial Variables, Swarnalata Debbarma
A Quantitative Evaluation of Prior Clinic Care on Prenatal Enrollment in a Medicaid-Subsidized Population, Cheung Kim
The Factors that Affect Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Residents in Urban Food Deserts, Katherine Puskarz
Super Utilizers have more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Aileen Zimmerman
Partnership Assessment of the St. Elizabeth's Wellness Collaborative, Alex Bryan
An Analysis of Energy Balance Knowledge, Behaviors, and BMI among Adolescent SNAP-Ed Participants in The School District of Philadelphia, Katherine Halkyard
A Quantitative Assessment on Hand Hygiene Adherence Among Patients Admitted to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Leonarda Parente
Differences in HIV Testing Patterns and Risk Factors Between the Francophone and Anglophone African Immigrants in Philadelphia, Nkeiruka Jennifer Ezenduka
WAVE: Water in Akarambi and Village Engagement: A Needs Assessment and Proposal for Water Infrastructure Development in Akarambi Village, Rulindo District, North Province, Rwanda, Kathryn Mitchell-Healey
Evaluation of the Behavioral Health Screen-Emergency Department (BHS-ED): Pearls and Pitfalls of an Audio-Computer Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) Tool, Jeffrey A. Nafash
Knowledge and Attitudes of Emergency Department (ED) Healthcare providers and patients regarding Hepatitis C & Hepatitis C screening in the ED., Róisín A. O'Donnell, MD
Submissions from 2013
Partner Support During Pregnancy and Its influence on Maternal Health Behaviors, Mazvita Nyamukapa
An Analysis of Intermediate DISH Outcomes using EMR Data Abstraction and HLM Trajectory Analysis, Viraj Patel
Organic Food Consumption Intent Among Thomas Jefferson University Students, Ushta Aryan, MD, PhD, CPH, CHES
Perceptions of Neighborhood Factors and Their Influence on Rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Frances Abigail (Abby) Cabrera
Endgame for Polio Eradication? A Policy Analysis, Pavan Ganapathiraju
Development of a Physician Resource Packet to Assist with Advance Care Planning in an Ambulatory Primary Care Setting, Leslie Peterson
Defining and Measuring Empowerment at the Maternity Care Coalition, Rachel Thomas
Patient Characteristics in an Ophthalmology-only Emergency Room: Opportunities for Prevention in Eye Trauma, Steven Wang
Program Evaluation of a Youth-Led Workforce Development Community Garden Program: Teens4Good, Katelyn Hurley
Weight Loss Apps: To What Extent Are They Grounded in Behavior Change Theory?, Michelle Porter
Rates of Cancer Screening Among Individuals with Chronic Diseases, Usha Prasad
Utilizing Hair Stylists as Lay Health Educators for Cardiovascular Disease, Neesee Brown
Choose Healthier Initiative: Design, Implementation and Effects of a Color-Coded Labeling Intervention on Vending Machines at an Urban Academic Medical Center., Ranita Chakrabarti
Knowledge and Attitudes Assessment of Out-of-Hospital Emergency Physicians in Yerevan, Armenia, Aline Baghdassarian, MD
Smoking Mediates the Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the BRFSS Data, Andrew Messersmith
The Effect of the Sphere Standards on the Incidence of Communicable and Infectious diseases in a Complex Humanitarian Emergency, Masashi Rotte
Emergency Department Utilization: An Analysis of the Thomas Jefferson Community Benefit Areas in North Philadelphia, Bettina Berman
Emergency Department Utilization Among South Philadelphia Residents and Frequent Users in the Jefferson Community Benefit Area, Melissa McCarey
Patient-Centered Cardiac Risk Communication in Primary Care: A Pilot Study, Neethu Tharu
Philadelphia Toxic Community Risk Assessment, Jeffrey Turner
Youth Building Roots Photovoice Project: A Youth Perspective on Where Food Comes From, Samantha Davis
A Policy Analysis to Improve Healthcare Access For Restaurant Workers in Philadelphia, Jonathan Musyt, MD
Hepatitis C Knowledge, Barriers To Care, And Program Preferences Among Individuals in a Syringe Exchange Program: A Qualitative Assessment, Molly O'Rourke
Assessment & Plan for Patient-Centered Medical Home Implementation at Project H.O.M.E. Wellness Center, Jennifer Robertshaw
Exploring the Barriers to Exclusive Breastfeeding in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties: Promoting Mother-to-Mother Support, Martina Westcott
Health Behaviors Associated with Chronic Disease Development and Management among Iraqi Refugees, Ikram Youssef
Impact of Personalized Mail and Telephone Interventions to Improve Follow-up to Vision Care in Patients with Diabetes: Results from Two Randomized Prospective Trials, Camila Zangalli, MD
HELP-HF (How elderly live with pain in heart failure): Public Health Significance, Apurva Dineshbhai Patel
Barriers to the use of PPE to Prevent Pertussis Exposures in the Pediatric Primary Care Network, Julie Fierro
Assessing the Effects of Female Adolescent Risky Sexual Behavior on HPV Vaccine Uptake, TK Rodgers
Type II Diabetes and Dietary Preferences in a Rapidly Urbanizing Region of West Africa, Megan Doherty
Development and Evaluation of the Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Geriatric Education Center’s (EPaD GEC) Geriatric Oncology Online Toolkit, Mariana R. Kuperman
Do Smoking Cessation Programs Tailored to Specific Audiences Improve Cessation Outcomes?, Neh Molyneaux
The Effects of a Standardized Patient Education Program on Self-Management Outcomes in Patients with HIV, Jason J. Schafer
Submissions from 2012
Root Cause Analysis Heart Failure Readmissions at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Moazzum N. Bajwa
An Urban Gardening Evaluation in Philadelphia: How a Garden Affects Social Capital, Health and Community, Julian Barkan
The Low Enrollment into the Affordable Care Act's Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, Preet K. Bassi, JD
Error-Choice Tests of Stigma Surrounding Mental Health at Thomas Jefferson University, Esther D. Moberg
Improving Medical Student Education about Preventive Services, David Skhirtladze, MD
Putting Something of Value at Risk - Assessing Problem Gambling in the Five-County Philadelphia Area, Katie Cranston
The Green Pursuit: Seeking Grant Dollars to Fund the Urban Farming and Environmental Education Program (UFEED), Janet Milliman
Cigarette Smoking and Ovarian Cancer Risk, Disease Severity, and Survival, Oluwatosin Odunsi
Assessing the Barriers and Knowledge of Patients Regarding Non-Emergent Emergency Department Utilization, Colleen Payton
Blood Pressure Screenings at a Farmers' Market: A Pilot Study, Amy Potts
