Tina Elgin and Jessa Koch both class of 2014, presented their work at the Health Disparities Poster Competition on campus April 8, 2013. Elgin and Koch implemented a smoking cessation program at the Harbor Light Center (an alcohol and other drug treatment program) and evaluated the program using faculty member Ty Ridenour’s small sample research methods. They are still running this program at the site and Koch will be working to continue it next year as part of her Paul Ambrose Fellowship.
The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center is a male, inpatient alcohol and other drug-related rehabilitation facility in the North Side of Pittsburgh. Cigarette smoking is a very common problem to have in patients with substance use disorders and many of the men at Harbor Light desire to quit smoking. Jessa and Tina worked with faculty members Lauren Jonkman, Sharon Connor and Ty Ridenour to facilitate and evaluate a student pharmacist-led smoking cessation program at Harbor Light since September. Preliminary results from September to February of this year conclude that 32 men were enrolled, and 5 men completed the program in its entirety. Through evaluation using within-person research methods, a total reduction of about 1 cigarette per week was associated with the intervention, which was statistically significant.
