Facilitators of Organizational Resilience Within South Carolina AIDS Service Organizations: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic

HIV care services have been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in many states in the U.S. including South Carolina (SC). However, many HIV care facilities demonstrated organizational resilience (i.e., the ability to maintain needed health services amid rapidly changing circumstances) by addressing challenges to maintaining care during the pandemic. This study, therefore, aims to identify key facilitators for organizational resilience among AIDS Services Organizations (ASOs) in SC. In-depth interviews were conducted among 11 leaders, from 8 ASOs, across SC during the summer of 2020. The interviews were recorded after receiving proper consent and then transcribed. Utilizing a codebook based upon the interview guide, a thematic analysis approach was utilized to analyze the data. All data management and analysis were conducted in NVivo 11.0. Our findings demonstrate several facilitators of organizational resilience, including (1) accurate and timely crisis information dissemination; (2) clear and preemptive protocols; (3) effective healthcare system policies, management, and leadership; (4) prioritization of staff psychological wellbeing; (5) stable access to personal protective equipment (PPE); (6) adequate and flexible funding; and (7) infrastructure that supports telehealth. Given the facilitators of organizational resilience among ASOs in SC during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is recommended that organizations implement and maintain coordinated and informed responses based upon preemptive protocols and emerging needs. ASO funders are encouraged to allow a flexibility in spending. The lessons learned from the participating leaders enable ASOs to develop and strengthen their organizational resilience and experience fewer disruptions in the future.

Objectivity and reliability in qualitative analysis: realist, contextualist and radical constructionist epistemologies

The effect of the individual analyst on research findings can create a credibility problem for qualitative approaches from the perspective of evaluative criteria utilized in quantitative psychology. This paper explicates the ways in which objectivity and reliability are understood in qualitative analysis conducted from within three distinct epistemological frameworks: realism, contextual constructionism, and radical constructionism. It is argued that quality criteria utilized in quantitative psychology are appropriate to the evaluation of qualitative analysis only to the extent that it is conducted within a naive or scientific realist framework. The discussion is illustrated with reference to the comparison of two independent grounded theory analyses of identical material. An implication of this illustration is to identify the potential to develop a radical constructionist strand of grounded theory.

No bilateral asymmetry in wild-caught, endangered Poeciliopsis o. occidentalis (Gila topminnows)

A well-known example of a positive association between the level of genetic variation and fitness in endangered species is the studies in Gila topminnow. The work of Vrijenhoek and his colleagues showed lower values for four fitness correlates in laboratory-raised fish from a population that was monomorphic for all 25 allozyme loci examined (Monkey Spring) than for fish from a population that was heterozygous for two of the allozyme loci (Sharp Spring). Here, bilateral asymmetry in wild-caught fish from these sites is examined to determine if the same environmental stressor (or one with similar effects) was present in natural populations of Gila topminnows. There were no differences for all three traits, lateral-line scales, pectoral-fin rays and pelvic-fin rays, previously found to be significantly different between Monkey Spring and Sharp Spring. This, coupled with our earlier finding that fish raised in our laboratory (where there is low mortality) had low bilateral asymmetry, supports the hypothesis that some unknown, and perhaps unnatural, environmental factor in the Vrijenhoek laboratory was responsible for the differences observed in bilateral asymmetry between Monkey Spring and Sharp Spring.

The application of a marketing systems planning framework to design a ground-air medical transport service

This article has examined the application of a marketing and community planning process to the development of a regional, complete patient transportation system. The model is designed to interface with a region whose existing Emergency Medical Service System is operating at the advanced Life Support (usually paramedic) level. It is suitable for regions whose existing ambulance (ground and air) services are in need of improvement and/or coordination, and specifically utilizes the concept of ownership and management by a hospital consortium. The model, as described, is sufficiently flexible to be usable in a variety of local and regional environments, where changes in the patient transportation system can enhance the quality and operations of emergency medical services.

Effect of prolonged occlusion on the microbial flora, pH, carbon dioxide and transepidermal water loss on human skin

The effects of prolonged occlusion on the normal microbial skin flora, pH, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and carbon dioxide emission rate (CDER) were studied. The total average counts before occlusion were 1.8 X 10(2)/cm(2) and increased to 4.5 X 10(6) on day 5. The highest counts were noted on day 4(9.8 X 10(7)/cm(2)). The composition changed: controls comprised of 63% coagulase negative staphylococci, 6% micrococci, 17% diphtheroids and 6% bacilli. After 5 days of occlusion, the percent compositon was: 63% coagulase negative staphylococci, 11% micrococci, 4% diphtheroids, 19% lipophilic diphtheroids and less than 0.003% gram negative rods. The pH of the skin before occlusion was 4.38 and increased to 7.05 on day 5. After 5 days of occlusion TEWL increased from 0.56 mg/cm2/hr to 1.87 mg/cm2/hr and CO2 emmission increased from 25 nl/cm2/min to 118 nl/cm2/min.