Publications

The Wolff Center at UPMC and Wolff Learning Academy provide continuous learning in support of life changing medicine. This section highlights efforts that have been recognized across peer-reviewed journals with support from the Wolff Center. 

Featured Publications 

Antibody Responses After mRNA-Based COVID-19 Vaccination in Residential Older Adults: Implications for Reopening
This study provides important preliminary results on level of population risk in older adult residents at assisted living, personal care, and independent living communities to inform reopening strategies, but are not likely to be translatable for residents in nursing homes.
Click Here to View Publication
Be Prepared: Drilling Down on Emergency Management Exercises
Joint Commission’s Environment of Care News, June 2023, 26(6): pages 5-9 in Attachment A. Jason Chenault, PhD, CEM, CHEP, OHCC, FACEM, Senior Director of Emergency and Critical Care Services, represented UPMC as a primary contributor to the publication. Contact Jason Chenault with any questions.
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Below is a bibliography of Wolff Center Publications where the contributions were supported by Wolff Center Quality Analytics and/or through quality improvement project work approved by the Quality Improvement Review Committee:

Zheng, Y., Anton, B., Rodakowski, J., Altieri Dunn, S.C., Fields, B., Hodges, J.C., Donovan, H., Feiler, C., Martsolf, G. Bilderback, A., Martin, S.C., Li, D., James, A.E. Associations between implementation of the CARE Act and health service utilization for older adults with diabetes: Retrospective observational study. JMIR, online ahead of print. JMIR Aging – Associations Between Implementation of the Caregiver Advise Record Enable (CARE) Act and Health Service Utilization for Older Adults with Diabetes: Retrospective Observational Study 

Wilson, J.D., Altieri Dunn, S.C., Joseph, E., Klipp, S., Liebschutz. (2022) Inpatient addiction medicine consultation service impact on post-discharge patient mortality: A propensity-matched analysis. Journal of General Internal Medicine, online ahead of print. Inpatient Addiction Medicine Consultation Service Impact on Post-discharge Patient Mortality: a Propensity-Matched Analysis | SpringerLink 

Mady, L.J., Baddour, K., Hodges, J.C., Magana, L.C., Schwarzbach, H.L., Borrebach, J.D., Nilsen, M.L., Johnson, J.T., Hall, D.E. (2022) The impact of frailty on mortality in non-surgical head and neck cancer treatment: Shifting the clinical paradigm. Oral Oncology, 126:105766. The impact of frailty on mortality in non-surgical head and neck cancer treatment: Shifting the clinical paradigm – ScienceDirect 

Altieri Dunn, S.C., Bellon, J.E., Bilderback, A., Borrebach, J.D., Hodges, J.C., Wisniewski, M.K., Harinstein, M.E., Minnier, T.E., Nelson, J.B., and Hall, D.E. (2021) SafeNET: Initial development and validation of a real-time tool for predicting mortality risk at the time of hospital transfer to a higher level of care. PLoS ONE, 16(2):e0246669. SafeNET: Initial development and validation of a real-time tool for predicting mortality risk at the time of hospital transfer to a higher level of care | PLOS ONE 

Martin, E.M., Colaianne, B., Bridge, C., Bilderback, A., Tanner, C., Wagester, S., Yassin, M., Pontzer, R., Snyder, G.M. (2021) Discontinuing MRSA and VRE contact precautions: Defining hospital characteristics and infection prevention practices predicting safe de-escalation. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 1:1-8. The impact of frailty on mortality in non-surgical head and neck cancer treatment: Shifting the clinical paradigm – ScienceDirect 

Chou, A., Euloth, T., Matcho, B., Pastva, A.M., Bilderback, A., Freburger, J.K. (2021) Is discordance between recommended and actual postacute discharge setting a risk factor for readmission in patients with congestive heart failure? Journal of the American Heart Association, 10(15):e020425. Is Discordance Between Recommended and Actual Postacute Discharge Setting a Risk Factor for Readmission in Patients With Congestive Heart Failure? | Journal of the American Heart Association (ahajournals.org) 

Ernecoff, N.C., Bilderback, A., Bellon, J., Arnold, R.M., Boninger, M., Kavalieratos, D. (2021) Associations between reason for inpatient palliative care consultation, timing, and cost savings. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 24(10):1525-1538. Associations between Reason for Inpatient Palliative Care Consultation, Timing, and Cost Savings | Journal of Palliative Medicine (liebertpub.com) 

Freburger, J.K., Chou, A., Euloth, T., Matcho, B., Bilderback, A. (2021) Association between use of rehabilitation in the acute care hospital and hospital readmission or mortality in patients with stroke. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 102(9):1700-1707. Association Between Use of Rehabilitation in the Acute Care Hospital and Hospital Readmission or Mortality in Patients With Stroke – Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (archives-pmr.org) 

Sakhuja, A., Bataineh, A., Dealmeida, D., Bilderback, A., Ambrosino, R., Fuhrman, D.Y., Kellum, J.A. (2021) Creating a high-specificity acute kidney injury detection system for clinical and research applications. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 78(5):764-766. Creating a High-Specificity Acute Kidney Injury Detection System for Clinical and Research Applications – American Journal of Kidney Diseases (ajkd.org) 

Haider, G., Ayres, A., King, W.C., McDonald, M., Wells, A., Mitchell, S>L., Bilderback, A.L., Minnier, T., Mellors, J.W. (2021) Preprocedural SARS-CoV-2 testing to sustain medically needed health care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective observational study. Open Forum INfectious Diseases, 8(2). Preprocedural SARS-CoV-2 Testing to Sustain Medically Needed Health Care Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Observational Study | Open Forum Infectious Diseases | Oxford Academic (oup.com) 

Varley, P.R., Borrebach, J.D., Arya, S., Massarweh, N.N., Bilderback, A.L., Wisniewski, M.K., Nelson, J.B., JOhnson, J.T., Johanning, J.M., Hall, D.E. Clinical utility of the Risk Analysis Index as a prospective frailty screening tool within a multi-practice, multi-hospital integrated healthcare system. Annals of Surgery, 274(6):1230-1237. Clinical Utility of the Risk Analysis Index as a Prospective… : Annals of Surgery (lww.com) 

Ernecoff, N.C., Altieri Dunn, S.C., Bilderback, A., Wilson, C.L., Saxon, S., Yende, N.A., Arnold, R.M., Boninger, M. (2021) Evaluation of a home-based, nurse-practitioner-led advanced illness care program. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 22(11):2389-2393. Evaluation of a Home-Based, Nurse Practitioner–led Advanced Illness Care Program – Scienc  eDirect 

Agarwal, N., Goldschmidt,E., Taylor, T., Souvik, R., Altieri Dunn, S., Bilderback, A., Friedlander, R.M., Kanter, A.., Okonkwo, D.O., Gerszten, P.C., Hamilton, D.K., Hall, D.E. (2021) Neurosurgery, 88(3):552-557. Impact of Frailty on Outcomes Following Spine Surgery: A Pro… : Neurosurgery (lww.com) 

Chopra, A., Zamora, R., Vodovotz, Y., Hodges, J.C., Barclay, D., Brand, R., Simmons, R.L., Lee, K.K., Paniccia, A., Murthy, P., Lotze, M.T., Boone, B.A., Zureikat, A.H. (2021) Baseline plasma inflammatory profile is associate with response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, Journal of Immunotherapy, 44(5):185-192. Baseline Plasma Inflammatory Profile Is Associated With Resp… : Journal of Immunotherapy (lww.com) 

Bataineh, Q., Dealmeida, D., Bilderback, A., Ambrosino, R., Al-Jaghbeer, M.J., Fuhrman, D.Y., Kellum, J.A. (2020) Sustained effects of a clinical decision support system for acure kidney injury. Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplant, 25(10):1819-1821. Sustained effects of a clinical decision support system for acute kidney injury | Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation | Oxford Academic (oup.com) 

AL Abbas, A. I., Borrebach, J.D>, Pitt, H.A., Bellon, J., Hogg, M.E., Zeh, H.J., Zureikat, A.H. (2020) Development of a novel pancreatoduodenectomy-specific risk calculator: An analysis of 10,000 patients. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 25(6):1503-1511. Development of a Novel Pancreatoduodenectomy-Specific Risk Calculator: an Analysis of 10,000 Patients | SpringerLink 

Shah, R., Borrebach, J.D., Hodges, J.C., Varley, P.R., Wisniewski, M.K., Shinall Jr., M.C., Arya, S., Johnson, J., Nelson, J.B., Youk, A., Massarweh, N.N., Johanning, J.M., Hall, D.E. (2020) Validation of the Risk Analysis Index for evaluating frailty in ambulatory patients. Journal of the American Geriatric Society, 6(8):1818-1824. Validation of the Risk Analysis Index for Evaluating Frailty in Ambulatory Patients – Shah – 2020 – Journal of the American Geriatrics Society – Wiley Online Library 

Rice, M., Hodges, J.C., Bellon, J., Borrebach, J., Abbas, A., Hamad, A., Knab, L.M., Moser, A.J., Zureikat, A.H., Zeh, H.J., Hogg, M.E. (2020) Association of mentorship and a formal robotic proficiency skills curriculum with subsequent generations’ learning curve and safety for robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy. JAMA Surgery, 155(7):607-615. Association of Mentorship and a Formal Robotic Proficiency Skills Curriculum With Subsequent Generations’ Learning Curve and Safety for Robotic Pancreaticoduodenectomy | Gastrointestinal Surgery | JAMA Surgery | JAMA Network 

Saadeddin, Z.M., Borrebach, J.D., Hodges, J.C., Avgerinos, E.D., Singh, M., Siracuse, J.J., Makaroun, M., Eslami, M. (2020) Novel bypass risk predictive tool is superior to the 5-factor modified frailty index in predicting postoperative outcomes. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 72(4):1427-1435. Novel bypass risk predictive tool is superior to the 5-Factor Modified Frailty Index in predicting postoperative outcomes – Journal of Vascular Surgery (jvascsurg.org) 

Gopalan, P., Shenai, N., Altieri Dunn, S., Bilderback, A. (2020) Healthcare utilization in patients pre-and post-telepsychiatry consultation compared to in-person consultation-liaison sites. General Hospital Psychiatry, 67: 154-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2020.05.001 

Bellon, J.E., Bilderback, A., Ahuja-Yende, N.S., Wilson, C., Altieri Dunn, S.C., Brodine, D., Boninger, M.L. (2019) University of Pittsburgh Medical Center home transitions multidisciplinary care coordination reduces readmissions for older adults. Journal of the American Geriatric Society, 67(1):156-163. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Home Transitions Multidisciplinary Care Coordination Reduces Readmissions for Older Adults – Bellon – 2019 – Journal of the American Geriatrics Society – Wiley Online Library 

Arya, S., Varley, P., Youk, A., Borrebach, J.D., Perez, S., Massarweh, N.N., Johanning, J.M., Hall, D.E. (2020) Recalibration and external validation of the Risk Analysis Index: A surgical frailty assessment tool. Annals of Surgery, 272(6):996-1005. Recalibration and External Validation of the Risk Analysis I… : Annals of Surgery (lww.com) 

Al Abbas, A., Borrebach, J.D., Bellon, J., Zureikat, A.H. (2020) Does perioperative MELD score predict adverse outcomes following pancreatic resection: An ACS NSQIP analysis. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 24(10):2259-2268. Does Preoperative MELD Score Predict Adverse Outcomes Following Pancreatic Resection: an ACS NSQIP Analysis | SpringerLink 

Tam, V., Borrebach, J., Altieri Dunn, S.C., Bellon, J., Zeh, H.J., Hogg, M.E. (2019) Proficiency-based training and credentialing can improve patient outcomes and decrease cost to a hospital system. American Journal of Surgery, 217(4):591-596. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0002961018305439 

Tam, V., Rogers, D.E., Al-Abbas, A., Borrebach, J., Altieri Dunn, S., Zureikat, A.H., Zeh, H.J., Hogg, M.E. (2019) Robotic inguinal hernia repair: A large health system’s experience with the first 300 cases and review of the literature. Journal of Surgical Research, 235:98-104. Robotic Inguinal Hernia Repair: A Large Health System’s Experience With the First 300 Cases and Review of the Literature – Journal of Surgical Research 

Leighton, C., Conroy, M., Bilderback, A., Kalocay, W., Henderson, J.K., Simhan, H.N. (2019) Implementation and impact of a maternal-fetal medicine telemedicine program. American Journal of Perinatology, 36(7):751-758. Thieme E-Journals – American Journal of Perinatology / Abstract (thieme-connect.de) 

Agarwal, N., Faramand, A., Bellon, J., Borrebach, J., Hamilton, D.K., Okonkwo, D.O., Kanter, A.S. (2019) Limitations of patient experience reports to evaluate physician quality in spine surgery” Analysis of 7485 surveys. Journal of Neurosurgery Spine, 11:1-4. Limitations of patient experience reports to evaluate physician quality in spine surgery: analysis of 7485 surveys in: Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine Volume 30 Issue 4 (2019) Journals (thejns.org) 

Al-Jaghbeer, M., Dealmeida, D., Bilderback, A., Ambrosino, R., Kellum, J.A. (2018) Clinical decision support for in-hospital AKI. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 29(2):654-660. Clinical Decision Support for In-Hospital AKI | American Society of Nephrology (asnjournals.org) 

Rubin, F.H., Bellon, J., Bilderback, A., Urda, K., Inouye, S.K. (2018) Effect of the hospital elder life program on risk of 30-day readmission. Journal of the American Geriatric Society, 66(1):145-149. Effect of the Hospital Elder Life Program on Risk of 30‐Day Readmission – Rubin – 2018 – Journal of the American Geriatrics Society – Wiley Online Library 

Zureikat, A.H., Borrebach, J., Pitt, H.A., McGill, D., Hogg, M.E., Thompson, V., Bentrem, D.J., Hall, B.L., Zeh, H.J. (2017) Minimally invasive hepatopancreatobiliary surgery in NOrth America: An ACS-NSQIP analysis of predictors of conversion for laparoscopic and robotic pancreatectomy and hepatectomy. HPB, 19(7):595-602. Minimally invasive hepatopancreatobiliary surgery in North America: an ACS-NSQIP analysis of predictors of conversion for laparoscopic and robotic pancreatectomy and hepatectomy – HPB (hpbonline.org)

Higgins, L.W., Shovel, J.A., Bilderback, A.L., Lorenz, H.L., Martin, S.C., Rogers, D.J., Minnier, T.E. (2017) Hospital nurses’ work activity in a technology-rich environment: A triangulated quality improvement assessment. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 32(3):208-217. Hospital Nurses’ Work Activity in a Technology-Rich Environm… : Journal of Nursing Care Quality (lww.com)