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“As a NYC RING intern, I have really enjoyed working on the HPV Self Swab Study, where I have been recruiting patients in person at FHC and conducting interviews. Through this experience I have been able to connect personally with patients and hear their concerns and/or excitement when it comes to the new self collection HPV test. I learned about the barriers that exist with the current testing methods, which are crucial to consider when it comes to implementing this new test. So far, one common difficulty patients face is a long wait time for a gynecology appointment for their preferred provider. Every perspective is unique and insightful, and I am really excited to see how these insights are used to give a better experience and address the difficulties patients face when it comes to HPV testing. Most of all I have really valued working alongside and learning from Hernidia, Dr. Jonathon Ross and Dr. Andrew Telzak! This is definitely an experience I will carry with me as a further my journey to becoming a primary care physician!”
- Juana Merino-Lopez
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During her 12-month internship, Juana gained valuable hands-on experience in community-engaged and practice-based research. She co-created the protocol for the HPV Self-Swab Screening for Cervical Cancer Prevention in Primary Care study and played a key role in waiting room recruitment and conducting patient and provider interviews at Fordham Health Center (FHC) to better understand experiences, attitudes, and preferences for cervical cancer screening. Beyond the project, Juana took on the leadership role in volunteer management and supported the 2026 Community Engagement and Primary Care Convocation alongside her fellow BxCHL members. Her contributions helped to make Convocation a memorable experience for all who attended and participated.
Thank you, Juana, for all your hard work and dedication to supporting NYC RING. We are incredibly proud of everything you accomplished during your internship! We wish you all the best in her future endeavors and know your future is very bright.
| | NYC RING PILOT GRANT PROGRAM | | Congratulations to both winners of our inaugural NYC RING Pilot Grant program made possible by the support of an anonymous donor and the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR)! The goal of the pilot program is to support new, innovative lines of research seeking to answer questions relevant to primary care practice. | | “Physician Wellbeing and Burnout in Primary Care Clinics With and Without Community Health Worker Support” | | Dr. Hemen Muleta is a pediatric hospitalist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Montefiore–Einstein, where she oversees the inpatient health-related social needs (HRSN) screening and referral program at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM). Her research focuses on integrating social care into clinical practice to improve health outcomes for children and families. Through her work leading inpatient HRSN screening and collaborating closely with Community Health Workers (CHWs), Dr. Muleta has seen firsthand the impact that unmet social needs have on patients and the challenges clinicians face in addressing them within busy clinical workflows. Those experiences inspired her to explore how better supporting clinicians in addressing patients' social needs could improve both physician well-being and patient care. | | | Dr. Muleta's NYC RING Pilot Project is a multidisciplinary collaboration across the Departments of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Family Medicine at Montefiore–Einstein. The study will evaluate whether integrating Community Health Worker's into primary care clinics is associated with lower physician burnout and greater perceived capacity to address patients' health-related social needs. By examining how team-based models of care influence both clinician well-being and the delivery of social care, the project aims to generate evidence that can inform more sustainable, patient-centered approaches to primary care while supporting the health care workforce. | | | “Improving Access to Treatment for Binge/Purge Eating Disorders in Primary Care: Development of Cognitive Behavioral Intervention ” | | Catherine Drury, PhD, MSSW is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and an attending psychologist in the Eating Disorders Program at Montefiore Medical Center. Dr. Drury’s research focuses on improving eating disorder treatment access and effectiveness for at-risk and underserved communities. Prior to her doctoral training, Dr. Drury worked for eight years as a clinical social worker in clinic, hospital, and agency settings across New York City, including three years as a primary care social worker at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center. Through these experiences, Dr. Drury observed firsthand the barriers young people face in accessing evidence-based eating disorder care, particularly those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. This work shapes her ongoing research into integrated behavioral health as a means of addressing health inequities in eating disorders. | | | Dr. Drury’s NYC RING pilot study examines the feasibility of adapting and implementing evidence-based interventions for emerging adults with non-underweight binge/purge eating disorders within the primary care setting. Despite their high prevalence, these conditions frequently go undiagnosed and untreated for extended periods of time, due in part to a shortage of specialist mental health providers and limited insurance coverage of eating disorder services. In collaboration with Co-Investigator Sara Lederman, MD, MPH, as well as primary care providers and patients, Dr. Drury's research team is identifying barriers and facilitators to managing non-underweight binge/purge eating disorders in primary care and developing a primary care-based adaptation of enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy for eating disorders, with the goal of increasing early detection and treatment access within a stepped-care model. | | | In partnership with Principal Investigator Dr. Elliot Israel of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, NYC RING is exciting to begin recruitment for the Improving the Quality of Care for Asthma Patients at Risk of Asthma Exacerbations (iCARE) study. The iCARE study will compare two known effective asthma strategies, MART (Maintenance and Reliever Therapy) and PARTICS (Patient-activated Reliever-Triggered ICS), to better understand how both approaches can help improve asthma care, reduce the risk of severe asthma exacerbations, and decrease missed days off from work or school. Recruitment will begin in early October and will take place across all Montefiore Medical Group health centers. We are currently finalizing plans for recruitment, enrollment, and study implementation by obtaining input from PCPs and site administrators across MMG. To learn more about the study visit the iCARE website at: https://icareasthma.org/ | | New York City Research Improvement Networking Group, NYC RING | 1300 Morris Park Avenue | Bronx, NY 10461 US | | | | |
