Rural Scholar is awarded a Department of Medicine Innovation Grant

Jessica Thayer, M.D., a WVU Internal Medicine PGY-2 resident and Rural Scholar, was awarded a Department of Medicine Innovation Grant to pilot a follow-up routine for selected high-risk, rural patients with special medicine and social needs. These recently discharged patients will be reached through a mix of telemedicine and remote device monitoring, in addition to in-person visits in the Transitions of Care clinic, as part of an effort to improve patient outcomes and alleviate the relative financial burden of requiring multiple sub-specialist care.

The director of the WVU Internal Medicine Residency’s Programs Rural Health Track, Jenna Sizemore, M.D., who has been closely mentoring Dr. Thayer, will be leading an intensive interprofessional educational program (IPE) with different disciplines, including pharmacy, physical and occupational therapy, public health, and dentistry, to assess how standardized IPE can impact patient care.