Improving the well-being of health care workers

Helping certified nursing assistants advance their careers could fight burnout, high turnover

University of Georgia

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The stress health care workers such as certified nursing assistants face can be overwhelming. New research from the University of Georgia suggests that helping CNAs with career advancement opportunities could stop them from quitting.

As the population ages and more people need long-term care, the demand for CNAs continues to grow. However, the turnover rate for CNAs is about 27.7% per year due to factors such as stress and low pay.

Not only does this make the current shortage of health care workers worse, but it could leave remaining CNAs, nurses and doctors struggling to keep up with the needs of their patients.

To learn how to help, the researchers from the UGA Institute of Gerontology and Institute for Disaster Management surveyed more than 200 CNAs about their career satisfaction, opportunities for career progression, professional fulfillment and burnout.

“CNAs are the people who are going to be spending the day to day with aging adults and the disabled — people who really need long-term care. They really have the heart to do this work,” said Anita Reina, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in UGA’s Cognitive Aging Research and Education Center in the College of Public Health. “If we lose people who are skilled in these areas, we may end up dealing with a generation of people who are not getting the essential day-to-day care that they need.”

Career advancement opportunities lead to professional fulfillment, less burnout

The researchers sought to explore the relationship between job satisfaction and burnout that could lead to CNAs leaving their jobs. They analyzed the CNAs’ views of career progression, gauging interest in continuing education programs and what skills CNAs want to gain for career advancement.

The study found that CNAs with access to continuing education programs tend to be happier in their jobs and less likely to be burned out. But only about one in three CNAs were able to access such opportunities.

“CNAs were happy about their jobs and their chosen career path. What they were not happy about was their progression opportunities,” Reina said. “Few of the places where they worked offered any kind of professional development opportunities.”

Interest in career progression is high, but opportunities are scarce for certified nursing assistants

The vast majority of the CNAs were interested in additional training programs. The most important topic to them was improving well-being through self-care and prioritizing their mental health.

Many also said they wanted to focus on improving their health care skillset and learn how to handle difficult patient interactions. Others wanted to learn about what other health care fields are accessible with a CNA certificate and how to negotiate their salaries.

“Health care programs can offer these kinds of job progression opportunities, whether it’s continuing education training within their own facilities or training people to take on a leadership role,” Reina said. “Those opportunities might help some of the CNAs feel like they have a voice.”

By implementing more programs that allow CNAs to improve their skills and well-being, the researchers hope that this essential group of workers more fulfilled and able to provide the care and connection their patients need.

The study was published in Gerontology & Geriatrics Education and co-authored by Ashley N. Adawi Suker, Fiona Douglas, Kerstin Emerson, Ke’von T. Hamilton, Austin D. Dobbs, Curtis Harris, Jenay M. Beer and Lisa M. Renzi-Hammond.

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Journal

Gerontology & Geriatrics Education

DOI

10.1080/02701960.2025.2500092 

Article Title

Assessing certified nursing assistants’ interest in well-being-oriented continuing education to improve job sustainability and career progression

‘Trace’ memorial art installation honors essential workers lost to COVID-19

CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy

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Attendee interacts with "Trace"

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Credit: CUNY SPH

New York, NY | June 16, 2025 – On May 28, the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) unveiled “Trace,” an interactive art installation memorializing essential workers who lost their lives to COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic.

The launch event took place at the CUNY Center in Harlem, on the ground floor of the CUNY SPH campus at 55 West 125th street where the installation is housed, and invited community members to experience “Trace” in its new home.

Community partners, elected officials, local businesses owners, and CUNY SPH faculty, staff, and students gathered to learn about and interact with the piece. To honor the message of “Trace,” three community members were honored for their support of Harlem and the greater New York City community during the pandemic: Dominick Boyce, Deneane Brown-Blackmon, and Dr. Cheryl Smith. Each honoree received accolades and praise from CUNY SPH Dean Ayman El-Mohandes and local elected officials, who presented proclamations and citations.

The installation features one hundred workers’ names, each complemented by a dedicated phrase about the worker shared by their loved ones. The artist, Nyssa Chow, used heat-sensitive paint so that the names and memories become visible when the wall is warmed by the touch of a hand.

“The use of touch reminds us of the barriers to touch in that period, as well as the fundamental, life-saving role that human connection and contact have in the face of loss,” says Chow. “The names fade back into invisibility once the heat dissolves, evoking the temporary nature of memory and the fragility of life.”

“Trace” was brought to CUNY SPH through a collaboration with the Harlem Health Initiative (HHI), the New York City Preparedness and Recovery Institute (PRI), the CUNY SPH Foundation, and Manhattan Community Board 10.

“By placing ‘Trace’ in the academic environment of CUNY SPH and the community-oriented environment of HHI, we hope to activate further reflection, education, and dialogue about this period,” said HHI Community Outreach Program Director Deborah Levine. “The installation offers stakeholders and the public a space for reflection, ongoing learning, collective organizing, and action.”

“The ‘Trace’ event represents the best of CUNY SPH,” said Dean El-Mohandes. “Infusing art, culture and society within our framework of community service and our Harlem community response is authentic and rewarding. As we mark the fifth anniversary of the pandemic, ‘Trace’ offers more than remembrance. It is also a call to action, asking us to continue advocating for reform, equity, and lasting recognition for those who stood on the frontlines.”

“The ‘Trace’ launch was profoundly moving—a rare moment that gave voice to those too often unheard in public health,” said CUNY SPH Dean’s Advisory Council Chair Freida Foster. “The artwork centers the lived experiences of essential workers and the event honored community members who made a difference during the pandemic. Coupling those two vantage points did more than share data; it told truths. It reminds us that real public health is not just about policies or programs, but about people—and that when we listen deeply, we build a system that heals, not just treats. This is the kind of public health our future depends on.”

“I’m so grateful for the way that ‘Trace’ honors and creates a deep sense of connection with essential workers,” says CUNY SPH Associate Professor Emma Tsui. “It is striking in that it lifts up not only their incalculable contributions to our societal health, but also the unique and tender ways they are remembered by their families and communities. These windows into their lives invite openness, permeability, connectedness, and exploration—energies that we so badly need to sustain ourselves and find new ways forward in the current landscape.”

The “Trace” team has designed a resource guide for hosting events at the CUNY Center in Harlem to provide tools for different degrees of engagement. The guide discusses the significance of the piece’s focus on essential workers, how to interact with the artwork, and how to integrate “Trace” into events. Resources are also available to support grief and mental health support and undocumented immigrants who contribute to a significant portion of essential workers.

To measure the impact of this powerful artwork and better tailor resources to the communities’ needs, the team has created a short anonymous survey requesting those who’ve interacted with “Trace” to share their experience. Take the two-minute survey here.

Media contact:

Ariana Costakes

Communications Editorial Manager

ariana.costakes@sph.cuny.edu

About CUNY SPH

The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) is committed to promoting and sustaining healthier populations in New York City and around the world through excellence in education, research, and service in public health and by advocating for sound policy and practice to advance social justice and improve health outcomes for all.

About the artist

Nyssa Chow is an oral historian, multidisciplinary artist, and writer serving as the interim director of the Oral History Master’s Program at Columbia University. She has taught oral history, literary nonfiction, and documentary arts, and was a Visiting Scholar at Princeton University. Chow co-created and leads the DocX Labs at Duke University, which supports BIPOC artists in documentary arts. She is the recipient of the 2018 PEN/Jean Stein for Literary Oral History and has collaborated with various filmmakers and artists. Her work spans oral history, visual art, and exhibitions, and she has lectured widely on the intersection of art and oral history. Learn more about Nyssa’s work at tellinghistories.com/nyssachow.

About the CUNY SPH Foundation

The CUNY SPH Foundation’s mission is to advance the achievement of CUNY SPH’s mission, vision, and values as New York City’s public school of public health through fundraising, building strategic partnerships, and providing services as a champion for the school’s students as they embark on public health careers and its faculty as they work to educate the next generation of public health professionals.

About NYC PRI

The New York City Preparedness and Recovery Institute (PRI) is a landmark initiative operated by Columbia University, with key partner CUNY SPH, designed to help prepare NYC for future public health threats – from infectious disease to climate-related health emergencies – by advancing racial equity, building resilience, and elevating NYC as a model of public health preparedness across the globe.

FOREVER CHEMICALS

 

PFAS-eating bacteria discovered in Veneto soil

A study from Catholic University, Piacenza, on the forever chemicals that threaten the human and planet health

Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

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Certain bacteria isolated from soil could knock out “eternal pollutants”, substances that, once dispersed in the environment, do not degrade and threaten human and planetary health: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), present in a wide range of products, from cosmetics to food packaging, from kitchen utensils to detergents. in fact, a research group from the Catholic University, Piacenza, has isolated about 20 species of bacteria from PFAS-contaminated soil in Veneto that are capable of degrading them, i.e. using them as a source of energy (as their sole source of carbon).

The work was coordinated by Professor Edoardo Puglisi of the Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences at the Catholic University. It was carried out in collaboration with the group of Prof. Giancarlo Renella of the University of Padua and presented at the European SETAC conference, the 35th annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, held on May 2025 in Vienna.

 

BACKGROUND

The increasing soil and groundwater contamination by PFAS represents a significant environmental challenge due to their persistence, mobility and associated harmful effects. The strong chemical bond between carbon and fluorine in these molecules makes PFAS difficult to biodegrade in the environment, hence the term “forever chemicals”.

PFAS are a highly heterogeneous family of chemical compounds that have been produced industrially since the 1940s for their water- and oil-repellent properties. These characteristics have led to their widespread use in fabrics, coatings, cosmetics and packaging, but they are also the cause of their recalcitrance, their ability to accumulate in the environment and in cells, and their toxic effects on humans. PFAS have been associated with the risk of various diseases such as diabetes and hormonal dysfunction.

Specifically, in the area under investigation in the province of Vicenza, industrial contamination probably caused by a local factory has led to widespread contamination of aquifers, soils, crops and even drinking water, with concentrations of up to more than 1000 ng/L.

 

THE STUDY

The experts at Cattolica University wanted to isolate and identify promising microorganisms capable of degrading PFAS, taken from contaminated sites. To this end, they analyzed the microbial diversity in soils containing PFAS sampled in polluted areas of northern Italy, specifically in highly contaminated sites in the Veneto region in the provinces of Vicenza and Padua. The experts combined classical microbiology techniques for the isolation of bacteria of interest with metabarcoding, a molecular biology technique based on the sequencing of the DNA collected in an environmental sample, used to rapidly identify the species present, providing indications on the bioremediation potential of PFAS.

Professor Puglisi explains: ‘We obtained these PFAS-eating bacteria through a process called “enrichment”, which involves growing them in media where they only have PFAS to feed on. We already have the complete genomes of these 20 PFAS-eating strains,’ the expert continues, ‘and information on the degradation rates for each one.’ In collaboration with the chemistry group in our department, we have measured the degradation efficiency of PFAS, reaching values in some cases above 30%, which is very high for this class of compounds. Tests are now underway on various PFAS, which will be followed by initial lab experiments to verify their remediation capabilities under more representative conditions.

‘We are studying these strains in more detail and analyzing their genomes: they are classified in the genera known in the field of bioremediation such as Micrococcus, Rhodanobacter, Pseudoxanthomonas and Achromobacter,’ Puglisi explains. These bacteria are easily cultivated in the laboratory and they usually are not harmful to humans. Furthermore, it is possible that genome analysis could lead to the discovery of genes involved in biodegradation that could be exploited biotechnologically in the future," the expert points out.

This research will provide new insights into the degradation of PFAS and may contribute to the development of sustainable bioremediation strategies for environments contaminated by these substances.

New NIH grant to explore impacts of PFAS on male reproductive health

Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research

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DETROIT — A new grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will help Wayne State University researchers explore potential connections between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and adverse effects on male reproductive health.

The two-year, $95,178 grant, “Uncovering the molecular signature of PFAS mixtures on preconception male reproductive health,” is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the NIH.

“What we’re doing now is bringing to light that a lot of reproductive challenges aren’t just a maternal problem, but that what men are exposed to and what state their bodies are in can have an enormous impact on the overall health of their children as well,” said DruAnne Maxwell, a Ph.D. student at Wayne State and the study’s principal investigator.

Richard Pilsner, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of molecular obstetrics and gynecology and the Robert J. Sokol, M.D. endowed chair of molecular obstetrics and gynecology at Wayne State’s School of Medicine, serves as primary sponsor. Michael Petriello, Ph.D., assistant professor of environmental health sciences in the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and of pharmacology in the School of Medicine, serves as co-sponsor on the project.

“What is nice about this award is that it allows us to see the growth of this research project,” said Pilsner. “It stems from the CURES Pilot Grant P30 Program here at Wayne State University. We obtained some exciting results and now DruAnne, who runs the day-to-day research for this study, has received this coveted training grant and is moving the research forward.”

This proposal seeks to further reproductive health research and better understand the mechanisms by which PFAS influences spermatogenesis, sperm epigenetics and epididymosomes.

“We’re trying to show that men have to have an environmental responsibility prior to conceiving a child, at least for three months prior to conception,” said Pilsner. “Our research shows that PFAS exposure can impact offspring phenotype and sperm epigenetics.”

“Since we know these chemicals are out there and that we can’t completely get rid of them, I hope that we bring awareness to this issue and encourage people to make better decisions about how we are exposed to them; different regulations, using glass food storage instead of plastic ones, and so forth,” said Maxwell.

“F31 grants from the National Institutes of Health are important tools for supporting our next generation of scientists,” said Ezemenari M. Obasi, Ph.D., vice president for research & innovation at Wayne State. “I look forward to the important research outcomes that this research team will discover.”

The award number for this grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health is F31ES036425.

About Wayne State University

Wayne State University is one of the nation’s pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit research.wayne.edu.

Wayne State University’s research efforts are dedicated to a prosperity agenda that betters the lives of our students, supports our faculty in pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation further, and strengthens the bonds that interconnect Wayne State and our community. To learn more about Wayne State University’s prosperity agenda, visit president.wayne.edu/prosperity-agenda.

 

 

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute launches specialized cancer navigation program for firefighters

Direct Connect for Firefighters gives firefighters personalized support and access to education and screening resources

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

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Boston – June 16, 2025 -- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is launching Direct Connect for Firefighters, a specialized cancer navigation initiative to meet the unique needs of firefighters—a group at higher risk for cancer due to occupational hazards. The program will now be offered to firefighter organizations around the country, expanding Dana-Farber’s existing Direct Connect program.

Direct Connect for Firefighters focuses on three key areas: increasing engagement with local firefighter departments and unions, providing oncology content for their training programs; offering firefighter organizations expert, evidence-based clinical guidance on cancer screening and early detection; and collaborating on research to develop tailored cancer screening and early detection recommendations specifically for firefighters. 

Direct Connect for Firefighters was created after an initial collaboration with Massachusetts firefighter organizations began in 2024. The expanded program underscores Dana-Farber’s commitment to addressing the unique healthcare needs of firefighters and also Dana-Farber's dedication to preventing cancer and detecting the disease in its earliest forms.

“Expanding Dana-Farber’s Direct Connect program to better serve firefighters, who tirelessly protect our communities, is a vital initiative. It's incredibly rewarding to work with these brave individuals and contribute to their health and well-being and assure the best oncology care is available to them, when it is needed,” said Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) O’Donnell, Director of Early Detection and Prevention of Malignant Conditions.

"Firefighters in Boston and across the country face danger every day, from the fires they fight and from increased cancer risks due to exposure to harmful chemicals," said Sam Dillon, President of Boston Firefighters IAFF Local 718. "We've witnessed too many of our own battling cancer at higher rates than the general population. The partnership and efforts of Dana-Farber and the Boston Fire Cancer Foundation lead by Boston Firefighter Dan Ranahan are resulting in enhanced access to specialized care, vital education to our firefighters, and collaboration on research that could lead to a deeper understanding of the cancer risks inherent in our profession."

“Exposure to PFAS and other toxic chemicals poses a serious and ongoing threat to the health of our members," said Rich MacKinnon, Jr., President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts. "The expansion of the Direct Connect program for firefighters represents a critical step forward in ensuring timely access to world-class cancer treatment and early detection. The PFFM is incredibly grateful to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and together, we are working toward a future where firefighters can do their jobs without sacrificing their long-term health."

"Our goal is to provide firefighters with personalized support and access to cutting-edge cancer screening and prevention strategies," added Heather Cloran Di Lorenzo, Senior Director of Commercial and Market Strategy at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "This unique initiative underscores our commitment to advancing compassionate, highly specialized cancer care for those who dedicate their lives to protecting others."

The Direct Connect program, offered to employers as a benefit to the employees, provides guided access to world-renowned expertise from cancer care specialists at Dana-Farber. The program helps ensure precise and accurate diagnose and improve cancer outcomes and care for patients across the country and around the world.

 

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber’s mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. Dana-Farber is a federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

We provide the latest treatments in cancer for adults through Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and for children through Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 5 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care.

As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,100 clinical trials.

New study shines a light on nieces and nephews caring for relatives with dementia

 UPAID WORK IS CHATTEL SLAVERY

Virginia Tech

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 Karen Roberto and Jyoti Savla portrait.

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Credit: Photo courtesy of Virginia Tech.

A Virginia Tech study provides new insights about nieces and nephews taking care of aging relatives living with dementia. 

Published in The Gerontologist, the initial findings from the study provide the first focused examination of niece and nephew dementia caregivers. The study details that two-thirds of the extended family caregivers studied never expected to be in that role, but rather abruptly fell into it.

“That spontaneity shows extraordinary love and empathy while masking a lot of real stress,” said Tina Savla, professor of human development and family science and co-author of the study. “They carry all of the responsibilities associated with primary caregiving while also managing their own households, children, and work.”

The study also revealed that the nieces and nephews often had lifelong relationships with their relatives, shaped by generational ties that positioned them as potential caregivers.

“Many participants told us, 'I’m just paying back the love my aunt showed me when I was a kid,’” said Savla, who is also a core faculty member of the Center for Gerontology. “I think that when care comes from heartfelt gratitude rather than sheer duty or obligation, then caregivers keep going — even when resources are thin and pressures and stressors are high.”

Savla and Karen Roberto, founding executive director of Virginia Tech’s Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment, are leading the ongoing study, which includes 20 nieces and five nephews, through the CareEx project, funded by the National Institutes of Health. Located throughout Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, the caregivers studied were between 38 to 67 years old and either lived with their relatives or saw them at least three times a week. 

Data was collected through telephone interviews from 2021-25. The conversations explored the family members’ paths to dementia caregiving, how they manage their care responsibilities, and the effects caregiving has on their well-being and that of the person living with dementia. 

The researchers believe the study comes at a critical time in America, as both the general population’s age and dementia diagnosis rate are increasing. Despite the growth, most family caregiving studies only target traditional caregivers, such as spouses and adult children.

Similar to traditional caregivers, the study found that providing care for the uncles and aunts generally included several responsibilities, such as helping with household activities, providing transportation, managing finances and medications, and arranging health care and other services.

To better understand this specific caregiving dynamic, Roberto and Savla identified four overarching themes: relationship foundations, pathways to caregiving, care systems, and trials and tribulations. These four themes revealed the complexity of connection between past relationships, caregiving responsibilities, support systems, and caregiving challenges that the nieces and nephews faced.

By studying the evolving family structures and circumstances of extended dementia caregivers, professionals and family members will have access to tailored resources, increasing support for individuals providing care while also helping them navigate any challenges or conflict related to their role.

Moving forward, Roberto and Savla plan to continue interviewing niece and nephew caregivers as well as other extended caregivers, such as adult grandchildren and siblings, to expand their data to include even more diverse caregiver perspectives. 

“Understanding the contributions of extended family caregivers provides a more complete picture of the family caregiving ecosystem” said Roberto, who is also a core faculty member of the Center for Gerontology. “Learning about their experiences will help identify unmet care needs and guide interventions to help sustain and improve caregiver well-being, which in turn benefits the person living with dementia and society at-large.”

If you or a family member are currently an extended family caregiver for a grandparent, uncle, aunt, sibling, or stepfamily member living with dementia and are interested in sharing your story with the CareEx team, please visit careex.isce.vt.edu, call 540-231-9250, email careex@vt.edu, or complete the initial inquiry form at https://is.gd/careex.

Original study DOI:10.1093/geront/gnaf154

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Journal

The Gerontologist

DOI

10.1093/geront/gnaf154 

Article Title

Niece and Nephew Dementia Caregivers: Family Relationships and Care Dynamics

Article Publication Date

14-Jun-2025