R4 Connections. January 2023.

Join NNLM's Region 4 along with two guest speakers to discuss the role health information access has on Diabetes Education for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Michelle Litchman, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, FADCES, FAAN is an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah College of Nursing, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, and Nurse Practitioner at the Utah Diabetes and Endocrinology Center. She serves as the Medical Director of the Intensive Diabetes Education and Support Program at the University of Utah, a multidisciplinary diabetes self-management education and support program that integrates shared medical visits.

Dr. Litchman's NIH and foundation-funded research is focused on: 1) examining the social context of diabetes self-management in online and family (romantic partners, parents) environments, 2) technology mediated interventions to address health disparities in underserved and underrepresented populations (Deaf, Hispanic, rural), and 3) novel methods to examine real-world diabetes management. Her research has been highlighted across national media outlets, including NPR Science Friday, CNN, and The Doctors. Dr. Litchman has worked closely with legislators and national professional organizations, where her research has influenced policies and practice.

Dr. Litchman received her research doctorate and master's degree from the University of Utah and undergraduate degree from Weber State University. Dr. Litchman is a Jonas Scholar, Betty Irene Moore Nurse Leader and Innovation Fellow, and Presidential Societal Impact Scholar. She is a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, and American Academy of Nursing.

Dr. Murdock Henderson, originally from Aberdeen, Scotland, is a clinical psychologist by training. He capped off a fellowship in pediatric clinical and neuropsychology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Henderson has taught in a number of tier-1 institutions including Boston University, Tufts University, Harvard Medical School, and Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Henderson is a strong advocate for disability rights, and to help make a difference in the world that we lives in, he has set up two international non-profit organizations (NPO): one in South Africa where the rights of disabled students were given equal footing to gain admissions to universities throughout the nine provinces of this country. He worked with the Hon. Helen Zille, who was at the time the prime minister of Western Cape, to make this a reality.

His second NPO is in Haiti where he is in the process of setting up medical services catered to persons with disabilities. His organization in Haiti piggybacks the internationally acclaimed Partners in Health (PIH) led by Harvard’s Dr. Paul Farmer. A unique model is being exercised in which Haitians with disabilities are to be transported to any of the medical facilities established by PIH and will also include the use of a wide array of auxiliary services, notably “disability-friendly” aftercare hostels in homes close by facilities that offer long-term medical intervention.

Currently, Dr. Henderson is a Research Associate at the University of Utah Health. In addition to being a father of 5, he cycled solo across America from San Francisco to Washington, DC to celebrate his 40th birthday and has paddled three segments of the Amazonas.