CHIBE Q&A: J. Margo Brooks Carthon, PhD, APN, RN, FAAN

Learn more about one of our newest CHIBE-affiliated faculty members J. Margo Brooks Carthon, PhD, APN, RN, FAAN, an Associate Professor of Nursing and Africana Studies and a Senior Fellow and Researcher in the Center for Health Outcomes & Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania.

What projects are you working on now?

Most recently, our research team is working to address the disproportionate risk borne by low-income individuals with multiple chronic conditions who are transitioning to home from hospitals. While social conditions such as inadequate housing and food insecurity impact post-hospitalization recovery, so too does system issues such as poor care coordination and a lack of communication between inpatient and community-based providers. To address these health care delivery concerns, I am leading an interdisciplinary team in the implementation of a delivery system innovation called THRIVE, which supports the clinical and social needs of low-income individuals returning home after a hospital admission. Our future goal is to integrate principles of behavioral economics to support the scale and expansion of THRIVE.

What’s one thing you find rewarding or challenging about your work?

The biggest challenge about my work in this particular moment is coping with the social isolation that working virtually brings. I think that I took for granted the human connection that working in team-based research provides. At the same time, there are rewards such as seeing projects like THRIVE move from a small-scale project to one that is gaining more traction every day.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I’m a mom of three sons and enjoy outdoors activities (biking/hiking) and watching sports, primarily basketball.