Please join us in celebrating the outstanding work of the teams behind the award-winning projects recognized at this year’s poster fair, held as part of the 2025 Southwestern Primary Care Research & Innovation Summit at the El Rio Manning House. Nearly 50 research and quality improvement projects were presented by teams from across the Southwest at the El Rio Maning House on Tuesday, May 6.
We’re excited to share that El Rio’s own scholars earned three of the four top poster awards, including Best Overall! Award-winning projects (two of which were led by El Rio residents) spanned antibiotic stewardship, equity in access to hypertension tools, interprofessional workforce development, and trauma-informed approaches to chronic pain care. These projects exemplify the spirit of collaboration and continuous learning that the Research & Innovation Summit was designed to uplift.
Without further ado, below are the winners of the 2025 El Rio Health Poster Fair Awards Competition!
Best Overall Poster: Carlos M. Flores "Create Tomorrow" Award
Antimicrobial Stewardship Initiative: Decreasing Inappropriate Fluoroquinolone Use at a Federally Qualified Health Center
Authors: Lauren Rimsza, PharmD, BC-ADM; Lisa Beckett, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES, AAHIVP – El Rio Health, Pharmacy Department
This award-winning initiative implemented EHR-based alerts, provider education, and direct feedback strategies to reduce inappropriate fluoroquinolone prescribing by 10% over three years.
Huge congratulations to our Pharmacy team for leading this high-impact initiative and earning Best Overall Poster — a major achievement in promoting safer, more effective prescribing practices.
Community Impact Award
Utilizing a Workforce Development Approach to Increase Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Rates in Primary Care
Authors: Sarah Lawson, DO; Desiree Rose, BA; Felipe Perez, MD – El Rio Health, Family Medicine Residency Program
This quality improvement project engaged an interprofessional team in co-designing and testing workflow changes using a structured improvement model. By centering frontline staff leadership and iterative feedback cycles, the team achieved a 10% increase in diabetic retinopathy screening rates over eight months.
“This recognition speaks to how powerful it can be when we invest in our teams and create meaningful opportunities to learn from each other and work together to build better systems — a win-win for both patients and our healthcare workforce.” – Desiree Rose, CME Director, SAAHEC
Huge thank you to Bailey Ecker, RN, and the entire Interprofessional Diabetic Retinopathy QI Workgroup at El Rio Health’s Cherrybell campus for making this project possible!
Relevance Award
Impact of Cost Sharing on Self-Measured Blood Pressure (SMBP), Patient Cost, and Prescription Abandonment for Home BP Monitors
Authors: Nitish Bhargava, BS; Vincent Ait Ouamara, MPH; Emily LaFentres, MPH; Subash Acharya, MPH; Lisa Soltani, MD, MPH – El Rio Internal Medicine Residency, in collaboration with ATSU-KCOM
This resident-led study found that introducing cost-sharing led to a 30% drop in prescription fill rates for blood pressure monitors — a finding with major implications for reducing disparities in hypertension care. These findings highlight how even small out-of-pocket costs can create significant barriers to access, reinforcing the need for broader coverage of preventive tools.
Innovation Award
Screening for Psychological Trauma in Patients With Chronic Pain: An Arizona Survey of Primary Care Providers Identifies Systems-Level Barriers to Implementation
Authors: Katherine E. Herder; Bennet Davis, MD; Benjamin R. Brady, PhD; Franz Rischard, DO; Steve Nash, DO; Todd Vanderah, PhD; Jennifer S. De La Rosa, PhD – El Rio Health, University of Arizona, and Collaborating Institutions
This multi-site survey of Arizona primary care providers found trauma screening to be significantly underutilized — despite widespread provider awareness of its importance for patients with chronic pain.
All four winning posters will soon be installed on the Manning House Poster Gallery Wall, where they’ll remain on display until next year’s winners are announced. Be sure to stop by next time you’re on site!
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to this year’s Summit — work involvement this celebration of innovation and community impact truly memorable.
