40 Sharp HealthCare Annual Research and Innovations Conference Sharp HealthCare’s 11th Annual Research & Innovations Conference on November 7, 2025, at the Sharp Prebys Innovation and Education Center highlighted 27 innovative integrated care practices for empowered communities and caregivers. 2025 R&I Conference Poster Presentations Winners These posters earned top recognition based on anonymous voting by conference attendees: Achieving Excellence Through Multidisciplinary Code Blue Team Training Simulation • Dawn Harrell, MS, APRN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN, Sharp Grossmont Hospital • Marilou Cabusao, MSN, MHA, RN, CCRN-K, Sharp Grossmont Hospital • Mackenzie Cypher, MSN, RN, NP-C, ACCNS-AG, CCRN, Sharp Grossmont Hospital When Goodbye Comes Without Warning: Family Centered ICU Bereavement Support • Cristal Centeno, BSN, Sharp Memorial Hospital • Michael Wade, MATM, Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center • Verna Sitzer, PhD, RN (Mentor), Sharp Memorial Hospital Grounded in insights from the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), the conference brought together nursing researchers, clinicians and community partners to explore evidence-based strategies that close gaps in care, strengthen partnerships, revitalize nurse resilience, and elevate the voices of patients and families. Key takeaways: • Chronic Stress as a Critical Health Determinant: The Community Health Needs Assessment revealed chronic stress — driven by financial hardship, public health crises, climate events and discrimination — as a primary factor impacting overall well-being. This underscores the need to treat stress not just as an individual issue but as a systemic public health challenge. • Interconnected Drivers Require Holistic Solutions: Stress is amplified by overlapping social determinants of health. Addressing financial insecurity, climate resilience and equity in health care access must be integrated into community strategies to create sustainable impact. • Innovation and Research Are Essential for Progress: Traditional approaches alone cannot meet the complexity of these challenges. Innovative projects, cross-sector partnerships, and evidence-based research are critical to designing interventions that reduce chronic stress and improve community health outcomes. Call to Action: Sharp HealthCare, community partners and researchers prioritize innovative, data-driven initiatives that directly address chronic stress and its root causes. Together, these insights can be transformed into actionable solutions that strengthen community health and resilience.
