Parker Haddock MD’27 to research the effect of holiday staffing on oncologic care.
The summer between the first and second year of medical school is a popular time for students to explore research opportunities, especially for those participating in the Scholarly Concentrations Program. Conducting research is a valuable way for students to explore medical specialties, continue a career path, or try something new.
Parker Haddock MD’27
Parker Haddock MD’27, a scholarly concentrator in Translational Research in Medicine, will be spending her summer at the Lifespan Cancer Institute at Rhode Island Hospital where she will examine how a reduced holiday staffing model impacts patient outcomes.
By analyzing holiday versus non-holiday staffing, Haddock seeks to understand what that might mean for patients diagnosed with cancer, as well as the overall physician experience on holidays and in the time that follows. Haddock’s research will assess timely access to outpatient interventions as it relates to quality of care and hospitalization rates. Specifically, she will look at hospital admissions, emergency department and urgent care visits, pain control, and delays to care.
“I was drawn to this project because of the gaps in access to oncological care I’ve seen through my work with patients and personal experiences,” Parker says. “I hope that my project will address the lapses in care that holiday staffing creates and improve the quality of care for patients.”
Through the mentorship of Stephanie Graff, MD, associate professor of medicine at Brown and director of breast oncology at the Lifespan Cancer Institute, this project ultimately seeks to inform staffing practices and delivery of care, thereby optimizing oncologic treatment in Rhode Island. Graff is also co-leader of the Breast Cancer Translational Research Disease Group at the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University.
Funding for summer research at The Warren Alpert Medical School comes from various sources including the Brown Medical Annual Fund and dedicated student research funds. Haddock’s work will be supported by Hsu Pan Family Medical Student Research Fund, a gift from Natalie H. Hsu ’94 MD’98, Teddy D. Pan ’92 MD’96 F’00, and Sigmund H. Hsu ’90 MD’95.
