Cynthia Persily, PhD

Completed Projects - (4)
Publications - (8)

Completed Projects - (4)

Environmental Workforce Characteristics in the Rural Public Health Sector
Environmental risks to rural populations are understudied relative to urban areas despite increasing recognition that rural populations are potentially exposed to these risks from agricultural, mining, industrial or other sources. This project analyzes the environmental workforce characteristics of the rural public health sector to inform policy relative to coordination of rural environmental health services.
Research center: West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Environmental and agricultural health, Public health
Key Environmental Competencies for Rural Primary Care Providers
This study will develop, from existing single discipline standards, a competency guide that will address competencies that are essential for providing environmentally conscious care. The study will then systematically evaluate content validity, completeness and clarity of the competencies.
Research center: West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Environmental and agricultural health, Public health
Promotion and Protection of Rural Miner Health: Are the Resources in Place?
Miners are exposed to various potentially harmful agents and dangerous work conditions, and may have difficulty accessing care in some rural settings. The study aims to 1) Locate and map mining communities in the US and rural safety net providers (RHCs, FQHCs and Critical Access Hospitals) in those communities; and 2) Identify environmental health competencies (specifically related to miner health) in rural primary care providers practicing in identified mining communities.
Research center: West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Environmental and agricultural health, Health services, Public health
Rural H1N1 Experience
This project aims to describe the rural H1N1 experience, including comparisons of rural vs. urban H1N1 vaccination rates, and describe rural H1N1 incidence, care patterns, and mortality. Additionally, through key stakeholder interviews, we will describe the rural needs in decisions relative to H1N1 vaccine distribution.
Research center: West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Topic: Public health

Publications - (8)

2013

Rates of Black Lung Disease in Relationship to Black Lung Treatment Centers (Full Report)
West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Date: 08/2013
This report investigates the rates of black lung disease among active miners in relationship to the location of Black Lung Clinics.
Promotion and Protection of Rural Miner Health: Are the Resources in Place? (Final Report)
West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Date: 06/2013
This report shows that mining areas in the United States, compared to non-mining areas, have on average better supplies of safety net providers, hospitals, and practicing primary care physicians. However, the study results support the need to examine the availability of safety net provider types in selected geographic areas where mining is done.
The Rural H1N1 Experience: Lessons Learned for Future Pandemics
West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Date: 06/2013
This report describes the rural H1N1 experience, including comparisons of rural versus urban H1N1 vaccination rates, and describes rural H1N1 incidence, care patterns, and mortality.
Agricultural Health Training for Rural America
West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2013
This report locates agricultural health programs and courses and describes collaborations that exist between clinicians and agriculture-related agencies.

2011

Environmental Workforce Characteristics in the Rural Public Health Sector
Policy Brief
West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2011
This project analyzed the environmental workforce characteristics of the rural public health sector to inform policy relative to coordination of rural environmental health services.
Environmental Workforce Characteristics in the Rural Public Health Sector (Final Report)
West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2011
This project analyzed the environmental workforce characteristics of the rural public health sector to inform policy relative to coordination of rural environmental health services.

2010

Key Environmental Health Competencies for Rural Primary Care Providers
Policy Brief
West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2010
Providing healthcare that considers environmental determinants of health, environmental impact on health, and outcomes attributed to environmental issues is complex because of the need for providers to be competent not only in social and health sciences, but also in environmental health concepts.
Key Environmental Health Competencies for Rural Primary Care Providers (Final Report)
West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2010
The purpose of this study was to develop a set of basic environmental health competencies that are needed by all rural primary care providers to direct healthcare and education policy.