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Marianne Sharko, MD, MS

Cornell University
Dr.
Weill Cornell Healthcare Policy & Research

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Student/Trainee/Staff Member

What I would like to offer as a collaborator…

I am very interested in evaluating ways to identify, and respond, to social determinants of health in our patient population, particularly in the settings of obesity and teenage pregnancy. My clinical experience as a pediatrician and preventive medicine resident in the Health for Life Clinic (pediatric obesity clinic) and the TAPP (Teenage Parenting Program) Clinic have given me an understanding of the challenges inherent in providing equitable healthcare in the setting of significant social challenges. I am interested in the development of innovative means to address these social challenges, such as telehealth and community collaboration, to improve access to quality health care and promote healthy eating behaviors. My research interests also include the protection of sensitive health information for vulnerable populations in the electronic health record and patient portal, particularly for the adolescent patient population. Membership in the Center for Health Equity will enable me to connect with, and learn from, people sharing similar research interests.

What I am looking for from a collaborator…

My clinical experience as a pediatrician, in combination with my master’s in health informatics and my current research and clinical experience in the preventive medicine residency program, gives me a unique perspective and understanding of the complex issues inherent in our health care system in the context of equitable health care.
It would be exciting to be a part of this initiative working towards the goal of providing equitable health care to all patients. This membership would connect me with people who have similar research interests, and would enable me to expand my knowledge, perspective and understanding of the current challenges in our health care system.

Being a member of the Center for Health Equity could benefit my research efforts through networking opportunities to find people with similar interests who may be interested in collaboration.

My clinical experience in the Health for Life Clinic (pediatric obesity clinic) has given me an understanding of the issues inherent in the obesity epidemic. I would like to explore innovative ways of addressing the challenges involved in providing consistent, accessible, and quality health care to these patients. These challenges include social issues, such as food availability, food insecurity and transportation limitations. Telehealth would be an innovative approach to foster routine, regular healthcare to these patients and community collaborative programs could increase access to healthy food options.

With an interest in the development of medical technology and health information exchange, and how they impact healthcare, I received a master’s degree in Health Informatics. Through work on my master’s project on varying adolescent patient portal issues, I have gained an understanding of adolescent privacy issues, how they vary state to state, and how they impact EHR and patient portal policies. I have an appreciation of the difficult balance between access to and protection of sensitive health information in the digital age for vulnerable patient populations.

My experience in the Teenage Parenting Program (TAPP) Clinic has helped me appreciate the challenges of providing consistent health care for young children, and for their adolescent parents as well, in the context of multiple social challenges, such as domestic violence, housing insecurity, and poverty. I am very interested in finding ways to practice preventive medicine and foster healthier lifestyle choices in this setting, such as healthier eating patterns and increased breastfeeding adoption.