About Us
Our mission at Rethink STI Care is to advance sexual health equity for emergency department patients.
Our current project is aimed at improving access to treatment for sexually transmitted infections through the national implementation of expedited partner therapy in emergency departments. This project is made possible through the support of the University of Michigan’s National Clinical Scholars Program at the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and from the University of Michigan Department of Emergency Medicine’s Resident and Fellow Research Development Grant Award.
Project lead | Rachel Solnick, MD MSc
Dr. Solnick is an emergency physician and researcher in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. She started her work on EPT while at National Clinical Scholars Program at the University of Michigan. Her research uses innovative approaches to developing and implementing evidence-based policies and clinical practices to address health equity for patients served across the acute care continuum. She has been active in physician and patient advocacy through past leadership positions within the American Medical Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Emergency Medicine Research Association. She completed medical school at Baylor College of Medicine, and a master's in social epidemiology at the University College London.
Research team member | Alan Cetkovic
Alan is an undergraduate at the University of Michigan where he is double majoring in Biology, Health, and Society (BHS) and Psychology. On campus, he is involved in the Honors Program, Phi Chi Pre-Medical Fraternity, and the Albanian American Student Organization (AASO). Outside of campus, Alan works as a patient attendant at the University of Michigan Hospital and is working towards becoming an EMT. He hopes to finish undergraduate and attend medical school in the future.
Research team member | Rafael Cortes
Rafael is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan where he is pursuing a degree in Community and Global Public Health with a minor in Public Policy. On campus, Rafael is actively involved in the CAMEO Multicultural Council, the Health Sciences Scholars Program, and the Latinx Alliance for Community Action Support and Advocacy. He also works as a researcher for the Columbia–WHO Center for Global Mental Health outside of school. Upon graduation, Rafael plans to combine his interests in medicine and legislation to create cogent health policy that will provide aid to disenfranchised populations.
Research assistant | Maaz Munawar
Maaz Munawar is an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, pursuing a dual major in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN) and Biomolecular Sciences. He aspires to attend medical school following graduation, and also complete his Islamic education. Maaz's research interests include the advancement of precision therapy to provide a safer, more effective alternative to contemporary cancer treatments. He has also been involved in research which focused on increasing awareness of negative mental health conditions among minority populations. Currently, Maaz is working alongside Dr. Solnick to increase levels of EPT implementation in the ED by conducting research on the barriers and facilitators of EPT implementation in this setting.
Research team member | Ran Ran
Ran is an undergraduate at the University of Michigan where she is majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Her research interests include tissue engineering and cryobiology, and she has recently started her research journey in Molecular Biology. Ran is also a graphic designer who is proficient in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and other common design applications. She aspires to complete her degree and pursue Biomedical Engineering in the graduate school.
Project advisor | Keith Kocher, MD
Dr. Kocher is an emergency physician and health services and outcomes researcher who studies the delivery and performance of emergency and acute care. His research has focused on resource utilization, variation, and delivery system influences on the cost and quality of emergency care. He also works on a statewide collaborative quality initiative to advance the performance of emergency care across Michigan.
Research team member | Carlin Pendell
Carlin is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan where she is pursuing a Neuroscience major with minors in Gender and Health and French. She is a member of the varsity rowing team at Michigan and is enrolled in the LSA Honors Program, where she also works as an ambassador. Carlin hopes to receive her undergraduate degree and attend medical school to become a neurologist.
Research team member | Ethan Chang
Ethan is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan where he is pursuing a major in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience. He is an LSA Honors Program student and works as a New York State case investigator and contact tracer outside of school. Ethan aspires to complete his degree at U of M and attend medical school.
RethinkSTICare@gmail.com
Copyright 2021