{"616037":{"#nid":"616037","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Flu Vaccine Supply Gaps Can Intensify Flu Seasons, Make Pandemics Deadlier","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMore than 50 million people died in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/info.thelancet.com\/pandemic-flu-100?utm_campaign=pandemicflu100\u0026amp;utm_source=email\u0026amp;utm_content=etocalerts\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpanish flu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;pandemic of 1918-19. Its\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/info.thelancet.com\/pandemic-flu-100?utm_campaign=pandemicflu100\u0026amp;utm_source=email\u0026amp;utm_content=etocalerts\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E100th anniversary\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;this flu season serves as a reminder to close flu vaccine supply gaps that may be costing hundred to thousands of lives now and could cost many more when\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2017\/04\/07\/health\/flu-pandemic-sanjay-gupta\/index.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe next \u0026ldquo;big one\u0026rdquo; strikes\u003C\/a\u003E, researchers say.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EU.S. flu vaccine distribution logistics could use an update, according to Pinar Keskinocak. The researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article\/comments?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0206293\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eco-led a recent study\u003C\/a\u003E that compared the current approach with a proposed allocation method calculated to save many more lives in a pandemic or similarly intense influenza outbreak that taxes vaccine supplies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study\u0026#39;s recommendations, which apply to resupplying vaccine stocks during a running outbreak, boil\u0026nbsp;down to this: To put a bigger dent in the spread of flu, replenish vaccine stocks in regions where they are being used up and don\u0026#39;t replenish them in areas where vaccines are just sitting on shelves, because few people are getting flu shots there.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA simple tweak\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe tweak in the supply chain could also save thousands of lives\u0026nbsp;annually in regular flu seasons in the U.S., which can be plenty deadly. A flu season can take more lives than murders in the same time period.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Even seasonal flu \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/flu\/about\/burden\/index.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ekills\u0026nbsp;tens of thousands\u0026nbsp;of people\u003C\/a\u003E each year, so we would benefit immediately,\u0026rdquo; said Keskinocak, who is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/pinar-keskinocak\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWilliam W. George Chair and Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Director for the Center of Health and Humanitarian Systems\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In a pandemic, nearly no one would have natural immunity, so the death toll could be significantly high if we don\u0026rsquo;t improve vaccine coverage.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat makes a pandemic a pandemic? The flu virus represents a mutation that human immune systems have not had a chance to build prior resistance to, thus the lack of natural immunity. When the next one strikes, in addition to the many lives saved, the researchers\u0026rsquo; recommendations could massively prevent\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/flu\/about\/burden\/index.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eflu infections, secondary infections like bronchitis, hospitalizations, and unnecessarily high medical costs\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKeskinocak, co-principal investigator \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ise.ncsu.edu\/people\/jlswann\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJulie Swann\u003C\/a\u003E from North Carolina State University, and first author Zihao Li of Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article\/comments?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0206293\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epublished their results in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EPlos One\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ein October 2018, around the start of the 2018-19 flu season. The research was supported by the Harold R. and Mary Anne Nash Junior Faculty Endowment Fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA logic breakdown\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen a pandemic hits, or a flu season that taxes the vaccine stocks, vaccine supply may become limited but then catch up over time. When that happens, the vaccine distributors commonly take what\u0026rsquo;s called the population-based approach.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Areas with larger populations get more vaccine, proportional to the population. It\u0026rsquo;s a straightforward approach that seems fair,\u0026rdquo; Swann said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs more vaccine becomes available over time, restocking follows the same principle, and that is where distribution logic breaks down. In some regions, few people get vaccinated, but under population-based allocation, resupply stocks go there anyway and may go to waste. Meanwhile, restocking may fall short of demand elsewhere, where people are lining up for inoculations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA mathematical fix\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, in a pandemic, people eager for a vaccination might not get one despite adequate vaccine production, and the resulting additional unvaccinated people are more likely to get the flu and also spread it to others. That intensifies the outbreak for the entire population.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe wasted vaccine stocks also drain medical finances, and the new model would releave some of that strain even in regular flu seasons.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Production, storage, and delivery of vaccine are costly, and unused inventory can\u0026rsquo;t just be thrown away. It costs money to dispose of,\u0026rdquo; Keskinocak said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERestocking doses where they are actually being used would benefit the entire population by boosting the total number of vaccinated individuals, who would then be less likely to get sick and to infect other people. That would tamp down the flu wave for everybody.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA data dearth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELeftover inventory could be slashed to about 20 percent of current levels, saving considerable costs, and the data about which areas were not resupplied could be used to identify areas where more\u0026nbsp;people need encouragement to get vaccinated.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The data would tell you where you need continued education about the importance of vaccination, and some of the money saved from unnecessary resupplying could be invested in public health campaigns,\u0026rdquo; said Swann, who collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/h1n1flu\/cdcresponse.htm\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E2009-10 H1N1 Swine flu pandemic.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the needed data is missing at present in the U.S. vaccine distribution system.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Surprisingly few states have systems in place that tell them how much vaccine has been administered where and how much is still left in inventory at provider locations,\u0026rdquo; Swann said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe next \u0026ldquo;big one\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe next \u0026ldquo;big one\u0026rdquo; flu pandemic will sneak up on humanity someday.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, the best way to cut its death toll by more than half and save possibly hundreds of thousands of lives will be for virtually everyone to get vaccinated against influenza annually. Currently,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/flu\/fluvaxview\/coverage-1617estimates.htm\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efewer than 50 percent\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;of Americans do.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe 1918-19 outbreak, which may have consisted of multiple concurrent influenzas, killed 678,000 people in the U.S. Other \u0026ldquo;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/flu\/pandemic-resources\/basics\/past-pandemics.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ebig ones\u003C\/a\u003E:\u0026rdquo; The 1957 \u0026ldquo;Asian flu\u0026rdquo; killed 116,000 in the U.S.; the 1968 \u0026ldquo;Hong Kong flu\u0026rdquo; killed 100,000. The 2009 bird flu pandemic, which was a less contagious virus, killed 12,500 people in the U.S. and hospitalized some 275,000.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso Read:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/600252\/want-beat-antibiotic-resistant-superbugs-rethink-strep-throat-remedies\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWant to beat antibiotic-resistant superbugs? Rethink that strep throat remedy.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/2019\/02\/06\/fda-taps-georgia-tech-help-reduce-cost-making-antibiotics\u0022\u003EFDA Taps Georgia Tech to Help Reduce Cost of Making Antibiotics\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThinking about grad school?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe study was supported by the Harold R. and Mary Anne Nash Junior Faculty Endowment Fund, and by the following Georgia Tech benefactors: William W. George, Andrea Laliberte, Joseph C. Mello, Richard \u0026ldquo;Rick\u0026rdquo; E. and Charlene Zalesky. Any findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the author(s) and not necessarily of the funders.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia relations assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 660-1408\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu?subject=Clownfish%20anemone%20story\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGaps in the logic of how we restock flu vaccines may be costing hundreds of lives, or more. A new model to tweak the gaps\u0026nbsp;could save hundreds to hundreds-of-thousands of people and millions to multiple millions of dollars in medical costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A tweak to our flu vaccine resupply logistics could save thousands of lives"}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-01-07 20:57:53","changed_gmt":"2019-12-09 12:46:01","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-01-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2019-01-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"616014":{"id":"616014","type":"image","title":"1918-19 Spanish flu ambulance","body":null,"created":"1546890643","gmt_created":"2019-01-07 19:50:43","changed":"1546890643","gmt_changed":"2019-01-07 19:50:43","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234480","name":"st-louis-ambulance-panemic-flu.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/st-louis-ambulance-panemic-flu.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/st-louis-ambulance-panemic-flu.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":182559,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/st-louis-ambulance-panemic-flu.jpg?itok=Xjz-AdoE"}},"616022":{"id":"616022","type":"image","title":"1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic tent clinic","body":null,"created":"1546891700","gmt_created":"2019-01-07 20:08:20","changed":"1585150419","gmt_changed":"2020-03-25 15:33:39","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234485","name":"flu camp cots.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/flu%20camp%20cots.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/flu%20camp%20cots.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":912502,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/flu%20camp%20cots.jpg?itok=dsbJIo-I"}},"616023":{"id":"616023","type":"image","title":"1918-19 Spanish flu Red Cross","body":null,"created":"1546891906","gmt_created":"2019-01-07 20:11:46","changed":"1546891906","gmt_changed":"2019-01-07 20:11:46","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234486","name":"Flu Red Cross Boston.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Flu%20Red%20Cross%20Boston.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Flu%20Red%20Cross%20Boston.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":564789,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Flu%20Red%20Cross%20Boston.jpg?itok=aqRQjYux"}},"616025":{"id":"616025","type":"image","title":"1918-19 Spanish flu police with masks","body":null,"created":"1546892049","gmt_created":"2019-01-07 20:14:09","changed":"1546892049","gmt_changed":"2019-01-07 20:14:09","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234487","name":"Police Seattle flu.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Police%20Seattle%20flu.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Police%20Seattle%20flu.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":517901,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Police%20Seattle%20flu.jpg?itok=p701y57X"}},"616029":{"id":"616029","type":"image","title":"Pinar Keskinocak","body":null,"created":"1546892325","gmt_created":"2019-01-07 20:18:45","changed":"1546892396","gmt_changed":"2019-01-07 20:19:56","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234488","name":"Pinar.portrait.sm_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Pinar.portrait.sm_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Pinar.portrait.sm_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3037618,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Pinar.portrait.sm_.jpg?itok=F4eIPXOP"}},"612826":{"id":"612826","type":"image","title":"Pinar Keskinocak, William W. George Chair and Professor in ISyE, College of Engineering ADVANCE Professor, and the Director of the Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems","body":null,"created":"1539714389","gmt_created":"2018-10-16 18:26:29","changed":"1539714389","gmt_changed":"2018-10-16 18:26:29","alt":"Pinar Keskinocak, William W. George Chair and Professor in ISyE, College of Engineering ADVANCE Professor, and the Director of the Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems","file":{"fid":"233302","name":"Pinar head shot Best_Square.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Pinar%20head%20shot%20Best_Square_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Pinar%20head%20shot%20Best_Square_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":948595,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Pinar%20head%20shot%20Best_Square_0.jpg?itok=a7Yam21Z"}}},"media_ids":["616014","616022","616023","616025","616029","612826"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"763","name":"vaccine"},{"id":"7360","name":"vaccination"},{"id":"180050","name":"Vaccinated"},{"id":"180051","name":"vaccination clinics"},{"id":"180052","name":"Vaccination Compliance"},{"id":"296","name":"Flu"},{"id":"180053","name":"flu deaths"},{"id":"139621","name":"hospitalization"},{"id":"180054","name":"Hospitalization Costs"},{"id":"180055","name":"Hospitalization Rates"},{"id":"180056","name":"Inoculation"},{"id":"180057","name":"inoculant"},{"id":"180058","name":"Spanish Flu"},{"id":"729","name":"pandemic"},{"id":"180059","name":"Pandemic Flu"},{"id":"180060","name":"Pandemic Influenza"},{"id":"180061","name":"Pandemic Flu Drill"},{"id":"167074","name":"Supply Chain"},{"id":"180062","name":"Supply Chain \u0026 Logistics Management"},{"id":"167240","name":"Supply Chain Management"},{"id":"180063","name":"Supply Chain Operations"},{"id":"180064","name":"vaccine delivery"},{"id":"180065","name":"Vaccine Allocation"},{"id":"180066","name":"Vaccine and Infectious Disease"},{"id":"1431","name":"industrial and systems engineering"},{"id":"180067","name":"Medical Costs"},{"id":"180068","name":"reducing medical care costs"},{"id":"180069","name":"reducing health disparities"},{"id":"180070","name":"Centers for Disease Control \u0026 Prevention"},{"id":"123","name":"CDC"},{"id":"180071","name":"data acquisition"},{"id":"180072","name":"data analysis for social good"},{"id":"33301","name":"data analytics"},{"id":"180073","name":"lack of data"},{"id":"294","name":"H1N1"},{"id":"180074","name":"H2N3"},{"id":"4618","name":"bird flu"},{"id":"180075","name":"bird flu vaccine"},{"id":"170960","name":"swine flu"},{"id":"180076","name":"Swine Flu vaccine"},{"id":"180077","name":"Asian Flu"},{"id":"180078","name":"Hong Kong Flu"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"},{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"111931":{"#nid":"111931","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Engineers Use Computer Models to Help Resource-Poor Nations Improve Allocation of Limited Health Care Resources","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the developing world, allocating limited health care resources as effectively and equitably as possible is a top priority.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo address that need, systems engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are using computer models to help resource-poor nations improve supply chain decisions related to the distribution of breast milk and non-pharmaceutical interventions for malaria. They are also forecasting what health care services would be available in the event of natural disasters in Caribbean nations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are using mathematical models implemented in user-friendly tools like Microsoft Excel to improve the allocation of limited resources across a network, especially in resource-poor settings,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/profile.php?entry=js228\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJulie Swann\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESwann reported on three global health case studies designed to improve the allocation of limited health care resources on Feb. 19, 2012 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Vancouver, Canada.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the first project, Swann and a group of graduate students created models to strategically determine how a nongovernmental organization (NGO) in South Africa should expand its breast milk donation and distribution network to the whole country. In the network, healthy mothers donate breast milk, which is stored in a local repository, transferred to a milk bank to be processed and then distributed to neonatal units where mothers cannot provide it themselves because of disease status or physical inability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe wanted to determine how we could provide breast milk to the most people while also being geographically equitable in terms of access,\u201d explained Swann, who holds the Harold R. and Mary Ann Nash chair at Georgia Tech. \u201cWe looked at the cost of equity and how that changed the distribution design.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo determine where the organization should expand its network and the best way to do so, the team used operations research to examine the existing and proposed locations in the network as well as what type of transportation would work best to cover the increased geographic area. The model recognized that breast milk supply increases with higher income and education levels and low HIV prevalence, while breast milk demand increases with lower income and education levels and high HIV prevalence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers recently recommended locations for expansion to the NGO and advised the organization to pay a courier service to carry the milk to the neonatal units, in order to balance cost and reliability and improve efficiency. Volunteers, who are inherently less reliable, were driving the milk from one location to another.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn another project, done in collaboration with the World Health Organization, Swann and a team of undergraduate and graduate students used models to optimize the distribution of non-pharmaceutical interventions for malaria, such as nets or sprays, with pilot data from a country in Africa called Swaziland.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir models provided a time-based deployment plan for the country, including details on what geographic zones to target for spraying, when to deploy in each zone, how many people can be protected in each zone, what resources should be located at the distribution centers, and the opening and closing dates of the distribution centers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers showed that using a systems approach to examine allocation decisions could increase the number of people covered with the same amount of funding by more than 25 percent. The team worked with \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/profile.php?entry=pk50\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPinar Keskinocak\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, to develop a teaching game based on the work. The game has been used worldwide in classes of humanitarian students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the third project, Swann and a team of graduate students are using technology to estimate the performance of disaster preparedness plans in advance of an event. The project is part of the Caribbean Hazard Assessment Mitigation and Preparedness (CHAMP) initiative, which is supported by a Georgia Tech alumnus and led by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/891\/overview\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EReginald DesRoches\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Puerto Rico, Swann\u2019s team evaluated the existing hospital networks and other health care provider locations described in the island\u2019s emergency preparedness plans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo forecast the country\u2019s ability to provide health services following an earthquake, we took population data and overlaid it with projections of earthquake locations and severity to estimate the capacities and amount of congestion that would result at health care facilities,\u201d said Swann.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers recently presented the initial results of their study to the Puerto Rico Department of Health and made recommendations for health care resources and hospital capacities based on predicted bottlenecks in the system. They are currently examining Belize\u2019s hurricane evacuation plans. Keskinocak and Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering associate professor \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/profile.php?entry=oe5\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOzlem Ergun\u003C\/a\u003E and visiting assistant professor \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/profile.php?entry=pp80\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPelin Pekgun-Cakmak\u003C\/a\u003E are also contributing to the CHAMP initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have found that technology innovations like mathematical models can help to solve problems in global and public health, such as the allocation of limited health care resources,\u201d noted Swann.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech systems engineers are using computer models to help resource-poor nations improve distribution of breast milk and non-pharmaceutical interventions for malaria. They are also forecasting what health care services would be available in the event of natural disasters in Caribbean nations.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech systems engineers are using computer models to help resource-poor nations improve distribution of breast milk and non-pharmaceutical interventions for malaria."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2012-02-23 13:26:46","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:44","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"111941":{"id":"111941","type":"image","title":"Breast milk supply-demand South Africa","body":null,"created":"1449178213","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:30:13","changed":"1475894731","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:31","alt":"Breast milk supply-demand South Africa","file":{"fid":"194135","name":"swann_breast_milk_supply-demand.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/swann_breast_milk_supply-demand_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/swann_breast_milk_supply-demand_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":259975,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/swann_breast_milk_supply-demand_0.jpg?itok=l5qnPZ2A"}},"111961":{"id":"111961","type":"image","title":"Spraying to prevent malaria","body":null,"created":"1449178213","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:30:13","changed":"1475894731","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:31","alt":"Spraying to prevent malaria","file":{"fid":"194137","name":"swann_malaria_spray.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/swann_malaria_spray_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/swann_malaria_spray_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1594883,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/swann_malaria_spray_0.jpg?itok=HBkYMn_c"}},"111951":{"id":"111951","type":"image","title":"Puerto Rico hospital congestion","body":null,"created":"1449178213","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:30:13","changed":"1475894731","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:31","alt":"Puerto Rico hospital congestion","file":{"fid":"194136","name":"swann_puerto_rico_hospital_congestion.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/swann_puerto_rico_hospital_congestion_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/swann_puerto_rico_hospital_congestion_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":146084,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/swann_puerto_rico_hospital_congestion_0.jpg?itok=lab-Ft_J"}}},"media_ids":["111941","111961","111951"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"861","name":"Africa"},{"id":"24931","name":"Belize"},{"id":"24891","name":"Breast Milk"},{"id":"1723","name":"caribbean"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"24971","name":"Disaster Preparedness"},{"id":"3843","name":"distribution"},{"id":"24951","name":"Distribution Center"},{"id":"24961","name":"distribution management"},{"id":"5770","name":"Earthquake"},{"id":"14886","name":"global health"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E Research News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 404-385-3364\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"173761":{"#nid":"173761","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Online Tool Creates Catch-Up Immunization Schedules for Missed Childhood Vaccinations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChildren obtain protection against certain diseases by receiving vaccinations, but they commonly miss recommended times to receive these immunizations. Once a child falls behind, health care professionals typically have to construct a unique, personalized catch-up schedule for each child \u2013 often while the child waits in the treatment room.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new online tool takes the guesswork out of developing individualized catch-up immunization schedules by allowing parents and health care providers to easily create a schedule that ensures missed vaccines and future vaccines are administered according to approved guidelines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe immunization schedule is complex,\u201d said Larry Pickering, executive secretary of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a collaborator on the project. \u201cBy using the online immunization scheduler, parents can ensure that their children stay current on all recommended vaccines, and they can also obtain useful information about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe online catch-up immunization scheduling tool, which was developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is available at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.vacscheduler.org\/\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.vacscheduler.org\/\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.vacscheduler.org\/\u003C\/a\u003E. Since the new tool launched in January 2012, the site has recorded nearly 63,000 visits, 22 percent of them repeat visitors. Nearly half of the visitors identified themselves as health care providers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new online tool replaced a downloadable software program that was released by Georgia Tech and the CDC in 2008. The original software was designed by Professor Pinar Keskinocak and former graduate student Faramroze Engineer from the Georgia Tech Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Researchers in the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) converted the software program into the new online tool and adapted it to show different views tailored for parents and health care professionals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve resolved several issues that existed with the downloadable catch-up immunization scheduling program by creating the online tool,\u201d explained Keskinocak. \u201cFor instance, some physicians told us that they were not able to download the original software program to their work computers because of information technology security restrictions and some users expressed concern because the program had to be downloaded again whenever updates to the vaccination rules were issued.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe online tool removes the challenging task of simultaneously considering complex rules, guidelines and discretionary considerations when creating a catch-up schedule. A physician or caregiver simply inputs a child\u2019s date of birth and previous immunization dates, and selects whether to administer the vaccines as soon as possible or to administer the vaccines when recommended. Then the program displays a personalized schedule of the recommended dates to administer all future vaccines, which can be saved to the user\u2019s computer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI have found the online scheduling tools to be very user friendly and helpful,\u201d said Thomas J. Steiner, the pediatric lead physician with Kaiser Permanente Gwinnett, in Duluth, Ga. \u201cOne of the most useful aspects is the fact that after the patient\u2019s immunizations are entered, you can print a \u2018catch up\u2019 schedule which can be given to the patient and scanned into the patient\u2019s chart.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVaccines included in the scheduler are those required between birth and six years of age: Hepatitis A and B, Rotavirus, Diphtheria\/Tetanus\/Pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Pneumococcal, Polio, Measles\/Mumps\/Rubella, Varicella (Chickenpox).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe scheduler follows the guidelines developed and revised each year by ACIP in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians. These guidelines include the feasible number, timing and spacing of doses of each vaccine based on the child\u2019s age, the number of doses and the age at which each dose was administered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, each dose of each vaccine has a minimum, maximum and recommended age for administration, and there are minimum and recommended gaps between doses. These gaps as well as future administrations of a particular vaccine may vary depending on the age of the child and the age at which previous doses were administered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf a child requires more than one live vaccine to be administered, there are two options: administer all live vaccines on the same day or wait 28 days between live vaccine injections. There also may be discretionary considerations such as limiting the number of simultaneous administrations a child receives or the number of visits required to complete the series for all vaccines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI researchers converted the downloadable program into software that could run online. While doing so, they added the capability to show slightly different information depending on whether the visitor was a health care professional or a parent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can have the same algorithm and recommendation rules, but the interface can vary slightly based on the audience,\u201d said Sheila Isbell, a GTRI research scientist who led the software conversion effort. \u201cIf the visitor is a parent, we can show parent-friendly footnotes instead of physician-specific ones and provide more basic information about the vaccines and the importance of completing the immunization regimes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the redesign for online operation, the researchers also separated the information that are likely to be changed and housed it in a database that would be easier to update as recommendations change. Housing the rules in a database could also allow the system to be used in other countries where vaccination schedules differ from those of the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the future, the GTRI team is creating a version that combines child and adolescent schedules to allow it to serve persons up to 18 years of age. A version designed for mobile devices is also under development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Isbell, GTRI researchers Scott Appling, Therese Boston, Josh Cothran, Moon Kim and Arya Irani also contributed to the software conversion project, which was supported by GTRI\u2019s Independent Research and Development program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond advising on vaccination schedules, the tool may also encourage interactions between parents and physicians.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy using the scheduler, parents will enhance their knowledge of vaccines and the diseases they prevent, and receive assistance in formulating questions that can be discussed with their child\u2019s physicians and nurses, resulting in more productive interactions,\u201d said Pickering, who is also a professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Lance Wallace (404-407-7280)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lance.wallace@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elance.wallace@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Abby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new online tool takes the guesswork out of developing individualized catch-up immunization schedules by allowing parents and health care providers to easily create a schedule that ensures missed vaccines and future vaccines are administered according to approved guidelines.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An online tool creates personalized vaccination schedules for children who have missed certain immunizations."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-11-28 13:48:32","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-11-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-11-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"173731":{"id":"173731","type":"image","title":"Online scheduler vaccination","body":null,"created":"1449179012","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:32","changed":"1475894814","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:54","alt":"Online scheduler vaccination","file":{"fid":"195794","name":"online-scheduler-9362.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/online-scheduler-9362_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/online-scheduler-9362_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1140726,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/online-scheduler-9362_0.jpg?itok=q591OiJA"}},"173721":{"id":"173721","type":"image","title":"Online scheduler team","body":null,"created":"1449179012","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:32","changed":"1475894814","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:54","alt":"Online scheduler team","file":{"fid":"195793","name":"online-scheduler417.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/online-scheduler417_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/online-scheduler417_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1408478,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/online-scheduler417_0.jpg?itok=ovP-FWAm"}},"173741":{"id":"173741","type":"image","title":"Online scheduler - Sheila Isbell","body":null,"created":"1449179012","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:32","changed":"1475894814","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:54","alt":"Online scheduler - Sheila Isbell","file":{"fid":"195795","name":"online-scheduler-isbell.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/online-scheduler-isbell_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/online-scheduler-isbell_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1009948,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/online-scheduler-isbell_0.jpg?itok=nHOQr4Lv"}},"173751":{"id":"173751","type":"image","title":"Online scheduler form","body":null,"created":"1449179012","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:32","changed":"1475894814","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:54","alt":"Online scheduler form","file":{"fid":"195796","name":"vaccine-scheduler-form.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/vaccine-scheduler-form_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/vaccine-scheduler-form_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":264025,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/vaccine-scheduler-form_0.jpg?itok=FYcKy2Av"}}},"media_ids":["173731","173721","173741","173751"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"123","name":"CDC"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"764","name":"immunization"},{"id":"167669","name":"schedule"},{"id":"7360","name":"vaccination"},{"id":"763","name":"vaccine"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"671237":{"#nid":"671237","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Claims Database Will Provide Clearer Picture of Health in Georgia","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EState policymakers, health care researchers, and others will have a clearer picture of the health of Georgia citizens thanks to a new database of medical, dental, and pharmacy claims for public and private insurance plans in the state. The Georgia All-Payer Claims Database (APCD), supported by researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), will begin reporting and releasing data in early 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/apcd.georgia.gov\/\u0022\u003EAPCD\u003C\/a\u003E was established by the Georgia General Assembly (O.C.G.A. 31-53-40) by Senate Bill 482 in 2020 to address growing concerns over the cost, quality, and access to healthcare across the state. The Office of Health Strategy and Coordination (OHSC) is responsible for creating and implementing the APCD, and the APCD\u0027s administrator is GTRI\u2019s Center for Health Analytics and Informatics (CHAI).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen in full operation, the APCD will provide regular reports on Georgia health care issues and accept requests from stakeholders for other customized data. Beyond benefits to researchers and policymakers, the data will help support price transparency and drive consumer-focused tools reporting on such issues as quality, cost, and patient outcomes. The APCD\u2019s information will not include any personally identifiable information about patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe APCD will serve as a platform to help us really understand and improve the quality of health care in Georgia,\u201d said Megan Denham, a GTRI senior research associate who serves as Implementation Project Director for the system. \u201cIt will help the citizens of Georgia understand more about their care and know what to expect so they can make informed decisions. Policymakers will use the data to drive funding allocations and make interventions. For our large community of researchers, it will allow them to leverage a really broad view of health data.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDevelopment of the system will put Georgia among the more than two dozen U.S. states that are able to make critical health care decisions based on data about the specific needs of their citizens, said Jon Duke, director of GTRI\u2019s Health Emerging and Advanced Technologies (HEAT) Division.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Georgia APCD will move Georgia into the ranks of states that have a deeper understanding of their population\u2019s health, health care costs and utilization, and opportunities for improvement,\u201d Duke said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen report after report of how all-payer claims databases have led to concrete reductions in cost, improvements in care, and more informed policy-making across a wide range of topics. It will be a huge win for Georgia.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe system will initially include information for about 5.4 million Georgia citizens \u2013 more than half of the state\u2019s population \u2013 and is expected to be the largest aggregator of the state\u2019s health data. The information will include data from Medicare, Medicaid, and the state health benefit plan, along with commercial claims payers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EData will be provided in aggregate, and maintained without personally identifiable information. \u201cPrivacy and security are paramount,\u201d said Duke. \u201cThere\u2019s a huge focus on privacy protection, and we have an incredible team of collaborators across the state working to help ensure that we provide only the minimum data necessary for key use cases. The APCD will not analyze or share patient identifiers such as medical record numbers, names, or addresses.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond data on specific treatment protocols, the system will also provide information on their context. For instance, data on a knee replacement surgery could include information on imaging done, diagnostic testing, and presurgical activities leading up to the procedure, as well as physical therapy afterward \u2013 and both cost and outcome measures.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s much more than just the surgery,\u201d said Denham. \u201cWe want to look at it as a whole, and also consider the components. That gives more information about the care that people are receiving and what they can expect.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the care itself, the system will provide generalized information about patients receiving it \u2013 demographics, the symptoms that led to the diagnosis, relevant medical conditions such as arthritis and diabetes, and other claims made by the patient.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll of these things can be brought together to help understand the equation,\u201d said Duke. \u201cPeople who have had knee replacement surgery can be looked at in the aggregate so we can assess potential risk factors for poor outcomes, or conversely, factors that may support patients recovering more quickly.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECertain claims-paying entities are required by law to provide data to the APCD, while others are invited to submit information voluntarily. Beyond the value to policymakers and researchers, information about Georgia-based costs will also be helpful in understanding what consumers pay as their share of health care service costs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPrice transparency is a key goal for the APCD. While there are many factors affecting what data can be shared, in other APCD states, there are excellent tools designed to support consumer knowledge about the cost of different procedures at different locations where someone might go for a specific procedure,\u201d Duke said. \u201cSome tools provide data on health care quality from Medicare and Medicaid which allows for some integrated perspective on cost and quality measures.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe APCD plans to regularly provide reports on specific Georgia health care issues, such as the incidence and context of chronic diseases that affect large populations in Georgia. These will include diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and heart failure. The system will also provide data on cancer, as well as maternal and child health, and the median rate for \u201csurprise billing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond reports on broad issues important to providing a big picture of health in Georgia, aggregated data on these five million patients can also be made available to state agencies, policymakers, researchers, health care organizations, and others. Requests for standard and customized data sets and reports will be reviewed by a data release and review committee, based on alignment with the APCD objectives, the qualifications of the requesters, and other factors.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDevelopment of the Georgia APCD benefits from the lessons learned from similar projects established in other states, as well as guidance and input from a broad range of industry and academic stakeholders. \u201cWe\u2019re taking the best of what other states have learned and put them together to meet the specific needs of our state,\u201d Duke said. \u201cThe legislation creating our APCD was well thought-out and reflects the best ideas from APCDs nationally.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: John Toon (john.toon@gtri.gatech.edu)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EGTRI Communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $800 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0027s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EState policymakers, health care researchers, and others will have a clearer picture of the health of Georgia citizens thanks to a new database of medical, dental, and pharmacy claims for public and private insurance plans in the state. The Georgia All-Payer Claims Database (APCD), supported by researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), will begin reporting and releasing data in early 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia All-Payer Claims Database (APCD), supported by researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), will begin reporting and releasing data to better support price transparency and drive consumer-focused tools."}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2023-11-27 17:06:10","changed_gmt":"2023-11-27 17:12:07","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-11-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-11-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672448":{"id":"672448","type":"image","title":"Georgia Heat Map","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHeat maps like this one are used to show the prevalence or clustering of a disease or condition by county. The Georgia All-Payer Claims Database will provide interactive visualizations as part of its use cases. (Credit: Georgia APCD)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1701104082","gmt_created":"2023-11-27 16:54:42","changed":"1701104676","gmt_changed":"2023-11-27 17:04:36","alt":"Georgia Heat Map","file":{"fid":"255681","name":"GA Heat Map.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/27\/GA%20Heat%20Map.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/27\/GA%20Heat%20Map.png","mime":"image\/png","size":545558,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/11\/27\/GA%20Heat%20Map.png?itok=9QZ9MUf2"}}},"media_ids":["672448"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"341","name":"innovation"},{"id":"1129","name":"healthcare"},{"id":"193303","name":"claims database"},{"id":"193304","name":"APCD"},{"id":"1564","name":"community"},{"id":"171151","name":"State of Georgia"},{"id":"1033","name":"Economic Impact"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"671281":{"#nid":"671281","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ivan Allen College Brings Growing Healthcare Economics and Policy Expertise to Health Systems Conference","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts showed off its growing expertise in health economics and policy at the recent Health Systems: The Next Generation 2023 conference organized by the Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESeveral Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts researchers participated in the annual conference, which this year focused on the power of interdisciplinary collaboration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELindsey Bullinger, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E; David Edwards, executive director of the \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECenter for Urban Research\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E; and Professor Michael Best of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESam Nunn School of International Affairs\u003C\/a\u003E served on the organizing committee.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong the IAC presenters were:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003EEdwards, who presented on \u201cClosing Racial Equity Gaps by Improving the Health of Urban Neighborhoods\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003EMayra Pineda-Torres, assistant professor in the School of Economics, who spoke about \u201cThe Economics of Reproductive Healthcare Access\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003EShatakshee Dhongde, associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor in the School of Economics and Ph.D. student Roshani Bulkunde presented on multidimensional economic hardship in the U.S. during the Covid-19 pandemic as part of an interdisciplinary poster session.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIvan Allen College\u2019s School of Economics and the School of Public Policy have both recently expanded capacity in health economics and policy \u2014 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/news\/item\/669909\/ivan-allen-college-expands-interdisciplinary-approach-healthcare-policy\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Einvesting\u003C\/a\u003E in new faculty and establishing the Health Economics and Policy Innovation Collaborative to promote interdisciplinary research in the subject.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHealthcare is an issue that affects everyone, and we\u2019re excited to help lead the way in finding ways to encourage policies that improve access and health outcomes, bring down costs, and advance health equity,\u201d said Aaron Levine, associate dean for research and outreach, who also attended the conference.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor more information on HEPIC, visit the collaborative\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/research\/hepic\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ewebsite\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESeveral Ivan Allen College faculty members showed off the College\u0027s growing expertise in health economics and policy at a recent conference.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Several Ivan Allen College faculty members showed off our growing expertise in health economics and policy at a recent conference."}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2023-11-28 17:02:23","changed_gmt":"2023-11-28 20:05:11","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672461":{"id":"672461","type":"image","title":"School of Economics Ph.D. student Roshani Bulkunde, left, and Shatakshee Dhondge, associate professor and associate dean.","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Economics Ph.D. student Roshani Bulkunde, left, and Shatakshee Dhondge, associate professor and associate dean,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBulkunde presented on multidimensional economic hardship in the U.S. during the Covid-19 pandemic as part of an interdisciplinary poster session at the\u0026nbsp;Health Systems: The Next Generation 2023 conference organized by the Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1701192822","gmt_created":"2023-11-28 17:33:42","changed":"1701192946","gmt_changed":"2023-11-28 17:35:46","alt":"A graduate student and her professor flank a research poster on a tripod.","file":{"fid":"255697","name":"CHHS conference.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/28\/CHHS%20conference.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/28\/CHHS%20conference.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":486263,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/11\/28\/CHHS%20conference.jpg?itok=wotnjxg9"}}},"media_ids":["672461"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/news\/item\/669909\/ivan-allen-college-expands-interdisciplinary-approach-healthcare-policy","title":"Ivan Allen College Expands Interdisciplinary Approach to Healthcare Policy and Economics"}],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1285","name":"Sam Nunn School of International Affairs"},{"id":"1282","name":"School of Economics"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMichael Pearson\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"675221":{"#nid":"675221","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center (PTC) Announces Gian-Gabriel Garcia, Ph.D., as New Pillar 1-Co Lead","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Children\u0027s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center at Georgia Tech (PTC) is excited to announce that \u003Cstrong\u003EGian-Gabriel Garcia \u003C\/strong\u003Ewill serve as its Pillar 1 Co-Lead. Pillar 1 focuses on data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. In his new role, Garcia\u2019s responsibilities will include setting the pillar\u2019s strategy and vision, selecting and managing projects, overseeing various pillar activities, and working collaboratively across research groups and institutions. He will also identify cutting-edge technology and engineering solutions to implement priority projects while balancing the pragmatism and feasibility of these approaches.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ptc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPTC\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;brings\u0026nbsp;clinical experts together with Georgia Tech scientists and engineers to develop technological solutions to problems in the health and care of children. The Center provides extraordinary opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration in pediatrics, creating breakthrough discoveries that often can only be found at the intersection of multiple disciplines.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarcia will work under the leadership of PTC Co-Directors Dr. Stanislav Emelianov (Georgia Tech) and Dr. Wilbur Lam (Children\u2019s) of Georgia Tech\u2019s Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Dr. Naveen Muthu of Children\u2019s Physician Group will be Garcia\u2019s counterpart in leading Pillar 1.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 2021, Garcia has served as an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. His research group has published numerous journal and conference papers, and book chapters related to data-driven machine learning and optimization in healthcare, including various applications in diagnosis and disease management of concussion, opioids, cardiovascular disease, glaucoma, and maternal health. He has received federal funding as a primary investigator from both the National Institutes for Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. He and his research group have received several national and international recognitions for their work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGarcia also teaches graduate-level courses in machine learning and optimization for healthcare. He received his Ph.D. in industrial and operations engineering at the University of Michigan and was a postdoctoral fellow at the MGH Institute for Technology Assessment.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Children\u0027s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center at Georgia Tech (PTC) is excited to announce that \u003Cstrong\u003EGian-Gabriel Garcia \u003C\/strong\u003Ewill serve as its Pillar 1 Co-Lead. Pillar 1 focuses on data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. In his new role, Garcia\u2019s responsibilities will include setting the pillar\u2019s strategy and vision, selecting and managing projects, overseeing various pillar activities, and working collaboratively across research groups and institutions. He will also identify cutting-edge technology and engineering solutions to implement priority projects while balancing the pragmatism and feasibility of these approaches.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Children\u0027s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center at Georgia Tech (PTC) is excited to announce that Gian-Gabriel Garcia will serve as its Pillar 1 Co-Lead. "}],"uid":"36410","created_gmt":"2024-06-24 20:25:00","changed_gmt":"2024-06-26 21:18:01","author":"mazriel3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674235":{"id":"674235","type":"image","title":"garcia-gian-gabriel_1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1719259011","gmt_created":"2024-06-24 19:56:51","changed":"1719259011","gmt_changed":"2024-06-24 19:56:51","alt":"Gian-Gabriel Garcia","file":{"fid":"257725","name":"garcia-gian-gabriel_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/24\/garcia-gian-gabriel_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/24\/garcia-gian-gabriel_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":70711,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/24\/garcia-gian-gabriel_1.jpg?itok=q2mNErYb"}}},"media_ids":["674235"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"6185","name":"pediatrics"},{"id":"8899","name":"Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"674711":{"#nid":"674711","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Partners with The Carter Center to Support Guinea Worm Disease Eradication","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers, including Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) faculty members, Hannah Smalley, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/pinar-keskinocak\u0022\u003EPinar Keskinocak\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/julie-swann\u0022\u003EJulie Swann\u003C\/a\u003E, in collaboration with The Carter Center, are employing mathematical modeling to support the eradication of dracunculiasis, also known as Guinea worm disease (GWD).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGiven the year-long life-cycle of the disease, mathematical modeling is a valuable tool for fine-tuning interventions and evaluating resource allocation decisions,\u201d said Pinar Keskinocak, professor in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) and the director of the Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERead the full story \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-partners-carter-center-support-guinea-worm-disease-eradication\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPotential Impact of a Diagnostic Test for Detecting Prepatent Guinea Worm Infections in Dogs,\u201d Hannah Smalley, Pinar Keskinocak, Julie Swann, Christopher Hanna, and Adam Weiss,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EThe American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene\u003C\/em\u003E, 2024, DOI:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4269\/ajtmh.23-0534\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.4269\/ajtmh.23-0534\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EISyE and Georgia Tech researchers have teamed up with The Carter Center to support dracunculiasis eradication efforts, using mathematical modeling and analytics.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"ISyE and Georgia Tech researchers have teamed up with The Carter Center to support dracunculiasis eradication efforts, using mathematical modeling and analytics."}],"uid":"36284","created_gmt":"2024-05-14 15:34:03","changed_gmt":"2024-05-14 15:48:45","author":"chenriquez8","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673997":{"id":"673997","type":"image","title":"tethered-dog-in-chad (1).jpg","body":null,"created":"1715700960","gmt_created":"2024-05-14 15:36:00","changed":"1715700960","gmt_changed":"2024-05-14 15:36:00","alt":"tethered-dog-in-chad (1).jpg","file":{"fid":"257460","name":"tethered-dog-in-chad (1).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/14\/tethered-dog-in-chad%20%281%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/14\/tethered-dog-in-chad%20%281%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":120640,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/14\/tethered-dog-in-chad%20%281%29.jpg?itok=mBTvJPz-"}},"673998":{"id":"673998","type":"image","title":"Guinea Worm Eradication Program, 27th International Review Meeting of Program Managers, The Carter Center","body":null,"created":"1715701469","gmt_created":"2024-05-14 15:44:29","changed":"1715701469","gmt_changed":"2024-05-14 15:44:29","alt":"Guinea Worm Eradication Program, 27th International Review Meeting of Program Managers, The Carter Center","file":{"fid":"257461","name":"Group Photo - Guinea Worm.jpg.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/14\/Group%20Photo%20-%20Guinea%20Worm.jpg.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/14\/Group%20Photo%20-%20Guinea%20Worm.jpg.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6771715,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/14\/Group%20Photo%20-%20Guinea%20Worm.jpg.jpg?itok=xiOeDqJ6"}}},"media_ids":["673997","673998"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.ajtmh.org\/view\/journals\/tpmd\/110\/5\/article-p953.xml","title":"Potential Impact of a Diagnostic Test for Detecting Prepatent Guinea Worm Infections in Dogs"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.cartercenter.org\/news\/features\/h\/guinea_worm\/human-animal-guinea-worm-numbers-improve-in-chad.html","title":"Human, Animal Guinea Worm Numbers Improve in Chad"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/goatsandsoda\/2016\/08\/09\/489330803\/why-the-world-isn-t-close-to-eradicating-guinea-worm","title":"Dogs Block President Carter\u0027s Dream Of Wiping Out Guinea Worm"}],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"675441":{"#nid":"675441","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Expanding Access to Obstetric Care in Georgia: Challenges and Strategies ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMotherhood in the U.S. can be dangerous. The nation spends\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.commonwealthfund.org\/publications\/issue-briefs\/2024\/jun\/insights-us-maternal-mortality-crisis-international-comparison\u0022\u003Emore on healthcare than any other high-income country\u003C\/a\u003E. But women giving birth here \u2014\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sph.emory.edu\/features\/2023\/06\/maternal-mortality\/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20Georgia\u0026amp;apos;s%20maternal%20mortality,per%20the%202021%20CDC%20report.)\u0022\u003Eparticularly Black women, and particularly in Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 are more likely to die in childbirth. A big reason for this maternal mortality crisis is a lack of access to obstetric care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia has a problem with access to care \u2014 the whole country does,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/meghan-meredith\u0022\u003EMeghan\u0026nbsp;Meredith,\u003C\/a\u003E a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ISyE) who has spent much of her academic career studying the problem, which is particularly acute in rural, lower-income places.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of these places have been designated\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.marchofdimes.org\/maternity-care-deserts-report\u0022\u003E\u201cmaternity care deserts\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E by the March of Dimes. If a county doesn\u2019t have any obstetric care or providers, it\u2019s considered a desert. Another commonly used measure is whether a pregnant woman lives within 50 miles of critical care obstetrics (CCO).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese measures are often referred to in academic literature and popular media to highlight a lack of healthcare access, and by public policy leaders trying to address the issue. But it\u2019s become evident to Georgia Tech researchers that they just don\u2019t add up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese measures don\u2019t capture the complete picture,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;Meredith. \u201cThey aren\u2019t an accurate representation of access to care.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd that\u2019s what concerns Meredith and her faculty advisor, ISyE Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/lauren-steimle\u0022\u003ELauren Steimle.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve been interested in access to maternal care for a long time, and in countless news stories, the maternity care desert measure is reported on,\u201d Meredith said. \u201cWe recognized the limitations, so we thought, \u2018Let\u2019s write a paper that explains how this measure is not a complete representation of access.\u2019\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Epublished their work recently in the journal\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12913-024-11135-4\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBMC Health Services Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EModeling the Landscape\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo study these measures of access, Meredith and Steimle used the same kind of computer-based mathematical model that helps companies decide where to place a new distribution center, retail outlet, or even electric car charging stations: a facility location model.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis model helps us determine where to place facilities, so demand is sufficiently covered with the fewest number of facilities,\u201d said Steimle. \u201cThere are tons of potential applications for this model, but we\u2019re using it for healthcare.\u201d For this study, they used the model to identify where Georgia would need to expand healthcare facilities to improve access under the commonly used measures.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s some of what the researchers found:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022 Of the 1,910,308 reproductive-age women in Georgia, 104,158 (5.5%) live in maternity care deserts, while 150,563 (7.9%) live more than 50 miles from CCO services; 38,202 live in both situations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022 Fifty-six counties in Georgia meet current \u201cmaternity care desert\u201d measures, which means eliminating these deserts would require 56 new obstetric hospitals. That would increase the number of obstetric hospitals statewide from 83 to 139 (a 67% increase).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022 Strategically expanding 16 hospitals (a 19% increase) would reduce the number of reproductive-age women living in deserts by half.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022 82% of reproductive-age women designated as living in maternity care deserts live within 25 miles from an obstetric hospital.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers conclude that policymakers should be warned: Using the maternity care desert measure alone as a basis for where and how to invest in healthcare resources isn\u2019t a great idea.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we really want to improve pregnancy outcomes, our measures of access should promote risk-appropriate and regionalized care systems,\u201d Steimle said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETurns out, Georgia is already headed in that direction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECounting Counties: One Size Doesn\u2019t Fit All\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo illustrate the problems with the maternity care desert measure, Steimle compared Georgia with a very different state on the opposite side of the U.S.: Nevada.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA major problem with the maternity care desert measure is its emphasis on county-by-county infrastructure,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn\u2019t tell the whole story about access to care.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, Georgia has 159 counties and more than three times the population of Nevada. Meanwhile, Nevada has twice the square mileage of Georgia \u2014 and 16 very large counties.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt 18,147 square miles, Nye County is Nevada\u2019s largest, and it\u2019s been labeled a maternity care desert. There\u2019s also lots of actual desert in Nye, which is larger than nine U.S. states. So, it\u2019s difficult to accurately compare a vast jurisdiction like Nye with, say, central Georgia\u2019s Lamar County. Lamar, also labeled a desert, is a mere 185 square miles in size. It\u0027s also surrounded by counties that are veritable oases of care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA lot of people in Georgia may be falsely labeled as not having access, at least geographically speaking, when in fact they have services nearby,\u201d noted Steimle. \u201cMeanwhile, in a state like Nevada, some women may be labeled as having access, but might be very far from obstetric hospitals in their county.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESteimle also point out that measuring access on a county-by-county basis ignores efforts to coordinate care across the whole state. \u201cThe maternity care desert model doesn\u2019t hold up. And it doesn\u0027t reflect Georgia\u2019s approach to a regionalization system.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 2009, the Georgia Department of Public Health has organized the state into six geographic perinatal regions (the perinatal period covers pregnancy, childbirth, and early postpartum). The idea is to coordinate the delivery of health services to ensure people in all regions have access to risk-appropriate maternal care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuild a Better Model\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach of Georgia\u2019s perinatal regions has a \u201chub\u201d \u2014 a major care center serving as an administrative unit to enable the coordination and delivery of maternal care services. For example,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/med.emory.edu\/departments\/pediatrics\/divisions\/neonatology\/emory-regional-perinatal-center.html#:~:text=Georgia%20is%20divided%20into%20six,neonatal%2C%20and%20infant%20health%20care.\u0022\u003EThe Emory Perinatal Regional Center\u003C\/a\u003E at Emory University Hospital is the coordinating center for the 39-county metro Atlanta region.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis regionalization strategy also tries to address the problem of hospital closures, a troubling trend that leads to more deserts. In Georgia, 12 hospitals have closed since 2013; 18 rural hospitals are currently at risk of closure. And this new Georgia Tech study indicates that Georgia would somehow need to add 56 new facilities to eliminate the state\u2019s maternity care deserts \u2014 at least by the standards used by the March of Dimes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEliminating maternity care deserts in Georgia would mean adding a larger number of obstetrics facilities to make sure every county has an obstetric hospital,\u201d Steimle said. \u201cBut this is likely unrealistic with the current economic forces pushing hospitals to close their obstetric units. With that many facilities in Georgia, some facilities would have a very small number of deliveries, which is not economically sustainable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn other words, eliminating maternity care deserts in Georgia wouldn\u2019t sufficiently address the larger problems related to access to care. Instead, Steimle and Meredith advocate for approaches that simultaneously consider the different dimensions of an ideal maternal healthcare system, not just access alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor this initial study, Steimle and Meredith just focused on spatial access. They haven\u2019t yet addressed the complex issues of racial disparities, insurance access, or other hurdles facing reproductive-age women in Georgia. That may be coming.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a start,\u201d Steimle said. \u201cOur future work entails thinking about how to come at this with the goal of maximizing or improving outcomes for women.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd as policy leaders across the country begin to address the maternal mortality crisis, Steimle believes her team\u2019s approach using more sophisticated tools can be helpful. So far, they\u2019ve shared their results with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and members of the Georgia, Iowa, and Nevada departments of public health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHow do we make measurements that point us toward our end goals? Our tools as mathematical modelers can really help us think through the system holistically and think through strategies before trying them in the real world,\u201d Steimle said. \u201cThink of it as a policy sandbox.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION:\u003C\/strong\u003E Meghan Meredith, Lauren Steimle, and Stephanie Radke.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12913-024-11135-4\u0022\u003E\u201cThe implications of using maternity care deserts to measure progress in access to obstetric care: a mixed-integer optimization analysis.\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cem\u003EBMC Health Services Research\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E(June 2024)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12913-024-11135-4#citeas\u0022\u003Edoi.org\/10.1186\/s12913-024-11135-4\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers highlight the limitations of the \u0022maternity care desert\u0022 measure in accurately representing access to obstetric care in Georgia, urging for more sophisticated, region-specific approaches to address the state\u0027s high maternal mortality rates.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers highlight the limitations of the \u0022maternity care desert\u0022 measure in accurately representing access to obstetric care in Georgia, urging for more sophisticated, region-specific approaches to address the state\u0027s high maternal mortal"}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2024-07-12 10:43:16","changed_gmt":"2024-07-12 16:58:33","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-07-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-07-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674342":{"id":"674342","type":"image","title":"Meghan and Lauren","body":"\u003Cp\u003EISyE researchers Meghan Meredith (left) and Lauren Steimle have explored maternity care deserts in depth. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1720780377","gmt_created":"2024-07-12 10:32:57","changed":"1720812750","gmt_changed":"2024-07-12 19:32:30","alt":"Meredith and Steimle","file":{"fid":"257842","name":"Meghan Lauren computers.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/07\/12\/Meghan%20Lauren%20computers.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/07\/12\/Meghan%20Lauren%20computers.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6614051,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/07\/12\/Meghan%20Lauren%20computers.jpg?itok=5l8A6zWW"}}},"media_ids":["674342"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"168352","name":"maternity"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"193845","name":"maternity care deserts"},{"id":"193846","name":"maternity mortality crisis"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"678974":{"#nid":"678974","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Students Help Food Pantry Double Its Impact","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs part of their Capstone Design course, a team of eight seniors in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Emade a transformative difference for Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries (NCM), a nonprofit that serves families in need in Gwinnett County. Now Georgia Tech graduates, they began the work over the summer and presented during the Fall 2024 semester. By applying their technical skills and teamwork, these students delivered real solutions that have helped NCM provide food and financial assistance to over 1,100 families each month \u2014 nearly twice as many as before, meaning more families in the community can now count on consistent support during tough times.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELimited resources make it difficult to keep up with rising demand, and NCM\u2019s goal to distribute one million pounds of food annually by 2026 seemed out of reach. Thanks to the Georgia Tech team, that goal is now within grasp.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u2019s first innovation was a 24\/7 notification system powered by Python technology. This system monitors affordable food listings from the Atlanta Community Food Bank and sends real-time alerts to NCM staff. By acting quickly on these alerts, NCM\u2019s food supply increases by an additional 20,000 pounds every month while saving $1.31 per pound, allowing the organization to feed more people on a tighter budget.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecognizing that storage is another hurdle, the team analyzed NCM\u2019s warehouse and recommended changes to maximize space. Their solutions increased storage capacity by 70%, paving the way for NCM to handle larger food deliveries without needing additional facilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe students didn\u2019t stop there. They introduced SmartChoice, an inventory system designed specifically for food pantries. This system not only tracks inventory but also lets clients select the food they need based on a points system. This added flexibility means NCM can offer a greater variety of food to better meet individual needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s amazing to know that we are a part of the reason why these shelves are so full.\u0026nbsp; It\u2019s an amazing feeling to know that this all helps the community we have been working with this entire time and to know that our work helps families have access to the food they need,\u201d said team member Jacqueline\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EOlsen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was so impressed with their ability to relentlessly dig into what the problem is and get to the very bottom of what we\u2019re trying to accomplish,\u201d said Ryan Jones, executive director of Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries. \u201cWe accomplished so much more than we set out to in the first place.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech team didn\u2019t just solve problems for NCM \u2014 they helped change lives, showing how students can make a lasting difference in their communities.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA team of Georgia Tech seniors as part of their senior design course helped Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries (NCM) double the number of families it serves each month. By implementing a Python-powered notification system, optimizing warehouse storage, and introducing an inventory management system, the students provided innovative solutions that expanded NCM\u0027s capacity to meet growing community needs. Their project showcases the power of teamwork and engineering to create meaningful change.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Seniors transformed operations at a local nonprofit through their capstone project, using teamwork, Python technology, and innovative solutions."}],"uid":"35798","created_gmt":"2024-12-18 14:49:54","changed_gmt":"2024-12-18 15:50:42","author":"Ayana Isles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-12-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-12-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675886":{"id":"675886","type":"image","title":"25-R10410-P25-011.jpg","body":null,"created":"1734533652","gmt_created":"2024-12-18 14:54:12","changed":"1734533652","gmt_changed":"2024-12-18 14:54:12","alt":"Students walking with food bank\u0027s executive director.","file":{"fid":"259560","name":"25-R10410-P25-011.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/18\/25-R10410-P25-011_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/18\/25-R10410-P25-011_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4824521,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/18\/25-R10410-P25-011_0.jpg?itok=OO3zyLtZ"}}},"media_ids":["675886"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAyana Isles\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Media Relations Representative\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["aisles3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"684907":{"#nid":"684907","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Lauren Steimle Named as New Pillar 1 Co-Lead in Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center (PTC) ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re pleased to share that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/lauren-steimle\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELauren Steimle\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the Harold R. and Mary Anne Nash Early Career Professor and Assistant Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE), has been named co-lead of the Data Science, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence (Pillar 1) initiative within the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ptc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EChildren\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center\u003C\/a\u003E (PTC) at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESteimle\u2019s work applies operations research and machine learning to improve medical decision-making and advance population health, with a focus on maternal and child health. Her recent projects explore maternal healthcare access, prevention of severe maternal morbidity from cardiovascular conditions, and strategies to prevent and control poliovirus outbreaks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead the full story \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ptc.gatech.edu\/news\/dr-lauren-stemle-appointed-pillar-1-co-lead\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELauren Steimle has been named co-lead of the Pediatric Technology Center\u2019s Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI initiative, bringing her expertise in operations research and maternal and child health to advance medical decision-making and population health.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Lauren Steimle has been named co-lead of the PTC\u2019s Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI initiative at Georgia Tech."}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2025-09-16 14:51:29","changed_gmt":"2025-09-16 14:54:20","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678006":{"id":"678006","type":"image","title":"Lauren Steimle ","body":null,"created":"1758034323","gmt_created":"2025-09-16 14:52:03","changed":"1758034323","gmt_changed":"2025-09-16 14:52:03","alt":"Lauren Steimle","file":{"fid":"261978","name":"Lauren-Steimle---Pillar-1-Co-Lead-PTC.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/16\/Lauren-Steimle---Pillar-1-Co-Lead-PTC.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/16\/Lauren-Steimle---Pillar-1-Co-Lead-PTC.png","mime":"image\/png","size":561312,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/16\/Lauren-Steimle---Pillar-1-Co-Lead-PTC.png?itok=KFHNRpKw"}}},"media_ids":["678006"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686789":{"#nid":"686789","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Students Serve Up Solutions to Prevent Hunger and Homelessness at Capstone Design Expo","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis semester\u2019s Capstone Design Expo showcased the ingenuity and problem-solving skills of more than 118 student teams across seven disciplines. Among them, 17 teams represented \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ISyE), presenting a wide range of solutions, from optimizing scheduling for medical clinics, to refining inventory management for a major auto manufacturer, to enhancing sepsis detection through data-driven patient monitoring.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECapstone Design Expo monodisciplinary Industrial Engineering award went to Serving Solutions. The team partnered with \u003Cstrong\u003ENorth Fulton Community Charities\u003C\/strong\u003E (NFCC), a nonprofit dedicated to preventing hunger and homelessness, to design scalable systems for enhancing the overall customer experience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy focusing on operational efficiency and accessibility, we delivered improvements across three key areas,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EEmma MacGregor\u003C\/strong\u003E, a fourth-year ISyE student on the team. \u201cWe modernized inventory management by implementing barcode scanners to streamline tracking; we enhanced customer order processes by developing a more accessible interface supported by a digital queueing network and automated ticketing and printing system, and optimized the pantry layout to create more usable space while also reducing travel time through the pantry.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to MacGregor, the full team consisted of \u003Cstrong\u003ESamhith Aravind, Sachin Bharadwaz, Shaktik Bhattacharyya, Elyse Daniel, Erin Hinnegan,\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EZora Ripkova\u003C\/strong\u003E, under the advisement of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/xin-chen\u0022\u003EXin Chen\u003C\/a\u003E, James C. Edenfield Chair and ISyE professor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Chen noted that the team\u2019s success was measured not only in numbers and workflows, but in real benefits for the families NFCC serves.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cServing Solutions delivered measurable improvements to North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC)\u2019s pantry operations and the families it serves, such as optimization-driven reshelving that expanded usable shelf space by 16.4%,\u0022 said Chen. \u201cWatching students transform classroom concepts (optimization, stochastic modeling, and applied data science) into practical systems that volunteers can easily run was truly inspiring.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe added that the benefits extend directly to the community, and how partnerships like these strengthen both student learning and nonprofit operations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCollaborations with food pantries like NFCC showcase the immense value of ISyE partnerships. When our students engage with mission-driven organizations, they don\u2019t just apply theory; they create solutions that significantly enhance community impact.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003EI look forward to more opportunities where these collaborations continue to drive lasting improvements that strengthen communities.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about the expo, read the full capstone story\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/12\/self-assembled-eyeglasses-wearable-device-bladder-health-win-capstone-expo\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Serving Solutions team took home the Capstone Expo monodisciplinary Industrial Engineering award. Their project exemplified how engineering can drive meaningful community change, helping North Fulton Community Charities serve families more efficiently for greater impact.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The project showcased how ISyE students applied innovative engineering solutions to help a local nonprofit expand its impact and better serve families in need."}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2025-12-08 18:32:37","changed_gmt":"2025-12-08 18:48:29","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678790":{"id":"678790","type":"image","title":"Serving Solutions, Capstone Design Expo (Fall 2025)","body":null,"created":"1765219631","gmt_created":"2025-12-08 18:47:11","changed":"1765219631","gmt_changed":"2025-12-08 18:47:11","alt":"Serving Solutions, Capstone Design Expo (Fall 2025)","file":{"fid":"262869","name":"IMG_1457.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/IMG_1457_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/IMG_1457_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1680865,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/08\/IMG_1457_0.jpg?itok=PYKC5A11"}},"678791":{"id":"678791","type":"image","title":"Team members: Samhith Aravind, Sachin Bharadwaz, Shaktik Bhattacharyya, Elyse Daniel, Erin Hinnegan, Emma MacGregor, and Zora Ripkova","body":null,"created":"1765219670","gmt_created":"2025-12-08 18:47:50","changed":"1765219670","gmt_changed":"2025-12-08 18:47:50","alt":"Team members: Samhith Aravind, Sachin Bharadwaz, Shaktik Bhattacharyya, Elyse Daniel, Erin Hinnegan, Emma MacGregor, and Zora Ripkova,","file":{"fid":"262870","name":"IMG_4496.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/IMG_4496_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/IMG_4496_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2144069,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/08\/IMG_4496_1.jpg?itok=6KPXFS1v"}}},"media_ids":["678790","678791"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EErin Whitlock Brown, Communications Manager II\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689023":{"#nid":"689023","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bracketology Driven by Data ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETens of millions of brackets have been filled out ahead of the NCAA men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball tournaments. Some fans will choose winners based on the higher seed, others will try to predict shocking upsets, and some may choose who advances based on which mascot would win a fight, but a Georgia Tech professor has his bracket down to a (data) science. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 2004, Joel Sokol, director of the Master of Science in Analytics program and the Harold E. Smalley Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, has used a pair of analytic methods \u2014 logistic regression and Markov chains (LRMC) \u2014 to determine the best teams in college basketball. This year, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www2.isye.gatech.edu\/~jsokol\/lrmcclassic\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESokol\u2019s LRMC rankings\u003C\/a\u003E project the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www2.isye.gatech.edu\/~jsokol\/profspicks\/profspicks26-c.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMichigan Wolverines to cut down the nets\u003C\/a\u003E at the end of the men\u2019s tournament and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www2.isye.gatech.edu\/~jsokol\/profspicksW\/profspicks26w-c.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EConnecticut Huskies as the last team standing in the women\u2019s field\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe algorithm compares all 350-plus Division I basketball teams against each other simultaneously during the regular season and calculates probabilities based on simple data points \u2014 who won each game, by how much, and where it was played. When the madness of March begins, Sokol\u2019s bracket forgoes the seeds assigned to teams and fills out his bracket based on the LRMC rankings.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModels used by the tournament selection committee \u2014 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/news\/basketball-men\/article\/2022-12-05\/college-basketballs-net-rankings-explained\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENET\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/news\/basketball-men\/article\/2022-02-09\/mens-college-basketball-rankings-what-kpi\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKPI\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kenpom.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKenPom\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 measure advanced metrics like strength of schedule, possession-by-possession efficiency, opponent quality, and more, but Sokol, with expertise in sports analytics and data science, says the LRMC shows the value of simple data and a large sample size.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe LRMC can hold its own against those models that are based on much more advanced metrics than just scoreboard data. They may look at all kinds of information, from efficiencies down to individual player performance, but the message really is that if you have a good set of simple data, that\u2019s enough if you know how to interpret it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESokol compares his algorithm to nearly 100 other ranking systems and says the LRMC is often among the top performers, with the higher-ranked teams (in the LRMC rankings) winning approximately 75% of the time \u2014 a statistic that holds true in the NCAA Tournament. Sokol says that 25% of tournament games result in an upset. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor 2026, Sokol\u2019s projections predict that all eight No. 1 seeds \u2014 four in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s tournaments \u2014 will reach the Final Four, but it\u2019s not always a guarantee that the highest seeds make it out of their respective regions. The inaugural LRMC rankings accurately predicted the No. 3-seeded Yellow Jackets\u2019 Final Four run in 2004 \u2014 one of the only predictive models to do so.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESokol got the idea to compile the LRMC rankings one year before Tech\u2019s run to the national championship game, when the Yellow Jackets were left out of the NCAA Tournament as a bubble team, largely because of a December buzzer-beater loss to Tennessee. Since the first set of rankings, machine learning and artificial intelligence have become more accessible, yet Sokol says ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) aren\u2019t quite ready to handle the level of analysis required to shape the rankings.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese LLMs are good at sounding good, but they\u0027re not so good at doing these complex quantitative tasks,\u201d he said. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, though, luck is often a stubbornly unquantifiable factor when filling out a bracket, no matter the formula used to make selections, and the odds of filling out a perfect bracket are all but \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/news\/basketball-men\/bracketiq\/2026-02-18\/perfect-ncaa-bracket-absurd-odds-march-madness-dream\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea statistical impossibility\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"For two decades, a Georgia Tech professor has used simple data to track the best teams in college basketball and predict who will win the NCAA Tournament.   "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor two decades, a Georgia Tech professor has used simple data to track the best teams in college basketball and predict who will win the NCAA Tournament. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"For two decades, a Georgia Tech professor has used simple data to track the best teams in college basketball and predict who will win the NCAA Tournament.   "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-03-18 20:24:38","changed_gmt":"2026-03-27 14:20:39","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679681":{"id":"679681","type":"image","title":"Joel Sokol","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJoel Sokol, director of the Master of Science in Analytics program and the Harold E. Smalley Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773865550","gmt_created":"2026-03-18 20:25:50","changed":"1773865550","gmt_changed":"2026-03-18 20:25:50","alt":"Joel Sokol","file":{"fid":"263871","name":"12C3046-P1-001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/12C3046-P1-001.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/12C3046-P1-001.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2410903,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/18\/12C3046-P1-001.jpg?itok=b7bFdqK3"}}},"media_ids":["679681"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"62061","name":"March Madness"},{"id":"181299","name":"ncaa tournament"},{"id":"12204","name":"men\u0027s basketball"},{"id":"4811","name":"women\u0027s basketball"},{"id":"79951","name":"college basketball"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}