Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Publications
Peer Reviewed Presentations
External Service
Timeline
Generic

Tola Ewers

McFarland

Summary

Experienced professional in education and research, recognized for quick adaptability and effective communication that enhances team performance. Motivated to tackle new challenges with a strong work ethic and exceptional interpersonal skills. Capable of mastering new skills rapidly and delivering results without supervision. Committed to excellence in all professional activities.

Overview

37
37
years of professional experience

Work History

Clinical Research Coordinator II

UW-Madison, Department of Medicine
Madison
03.2016 - Current
  • Coordinate clinical research studies, performing a variety of tasks and activities.
  • Apply expertise, knowledge, and skills to a broad range of different types of clinical studies, navigates resources, and identifies issues needing escalation.
  • Manage research workflow components, collects, prepares, processes, and submits participant data and samples to appropriate entities, adhering to research protocols and best practices.
  • Recruit, screen, select, determine eligibility, and enroll study participants and ensure subjects follow the research protocol.
  • Develop study-related documents such as job aids, tools, processes, procedures, and training content.
  • Provided project management oversight for development of specialized continuing education courses for 'Training the Next Generation of Wisconsin Nursing Home Infection Preventionists' Civil Money Penalty contract.
  • Functioned as communication liaison for individuals involved in the project development process.
  • Facilitated product readiness by acting as gatekeeper for content advancement in the production process; ensured content’s stylistic integrity and educational soundness through a thorough final review and editing process.
  • Used appropriate learning theory and educational frameworks in the design, development, revision and implementation of effective learning experiences for adult learners participating in the continuing education programs.
  • Used educational expertise to administer a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Eugene Washington Engagement Award for building capacity among stakeholders to engage in patient-centered research dialogues around healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention and treatment.
  • Led collaborative efforts with stakeholders to identify learner needs and develop curriculum and learning activities that build capacity around HAIs, research and effective communication to enable stakeholders to engage in dialogue with researchers.
  • Recruited patients and caregivers with a lived HAI experience and other institutional representatives for stakeholder panels; built sustained relationships with panels.
  • Coordinated meeting logistics, developed agendas, facilitated stakeholder conversations.
  • Ensured that project deliverables and goals were achieved according to award requirements.
  • Produced meeting summaries, progress reports, manuscripts and grant applications.

Lecturer

UW-Madison, Department of Population Health Sciences
Madison
08.2009 - 05.2024
  • Involved in two multidisciplinary graduate-level courses: (1) PHS/ISyE 703 'Quality of Health Care: Evaluation and Assurance' and (2) PHS 709 'Translational and Outcomes Research in Health and Health Care'.
  • Co-led weekly course activities/discussion and advise students on translational research study design.
  • Maintained course web presence using the campus course management system.
  • Managed guest lecturer involvement over the course of the semester.
  • Coordinated and managed course, student and instructor assessment activities.
  • Organized end-of-the-semester poster conference for 703.
  • Utilized educational expertise for refining 709 course delivery to be more student-centric and developed an instrument to gauge students’ acquisition of key knowledge and skills (709 was the first course of its kind in the nation).
  • Disseminated 709 course development process and novel delivery modalities along with student assessment strategies as posters at several conferences.

Database Manager/Assistant Researcher

UW-Madison, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
Madison
01.2010 - 07.2017
  • Led comprehensive data management and data analysis efforts for several large NIH-funded clinical trials.
  • Managed and triaged data being generated in multiple modalities.
  • Formulated and implemented data management standard operating procedures.
  • Data extraction and development of customized datasets.
  • Created and applied instrument scoring algorithms.
  • Performed analyses and produced summary tables and graphical displays of data.
  • Contributed to manuscripts, grant applications, protocol development.
  • Supervised and mentored students in the context of data management activities.

Teaching/Program Assistant

UW-Madison, School of Human Ecology, Dept. of Interdisciplinary Studies
Madison
01.2012 - 08.2012
  • Coordinated activities for the hybrid 'Evaluation Research in Practice' course with students, University of Wisconsin Extension and community partners.
  • Acted as an evaluation consultant to community partners.
  • Coordinated and managed course, student and instructor assessment activities.

Research Coordinator

UW-Madison, School of Nursing
Madison
10.2007 - 06.2009
  • Coordinated all aspects of community-based research projects in compliance with research protocols.
  • Prepared grant application materials and institutional review board documentation.
  • Ensured compliance with institutional and federal regulations.
  • Managed study budgets using PeopleSoft financial software and Excel.
  • Recruited study participants and coordinated study site logistics.
  • Collected data, performed data analysis using SPSS and NVivo software.
  • Wrote and edited manuscripts, prepared presentations.

Educational Consultant

UW-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Dept. of Neurosurgery
Madison
06.2008 - 08.2008
  • Strategized with leadership in the development and implementation of an interprofessional educational model in the neurosurgical intensive care unit.
  • Spent observation time on the unit and interacted with various stakeholders to document existing programming efforts, identify stakeholder needs and strategies for increasing participation.
  • Presented options for improving and adapting the endeavor to accomplish sustainability.

Research Training and Education Program Coordinator

UW-Madison, Center for Women’s Health Research
Madison
06.2005 - 10.2007
  • Managed multiple administrative facets of the $14 million Training and Education to Advance Multidisciplinary (TEAM) Clinical Research NIH K-12 grant in collaboration with six executive directors, six administrative staff members, 25 postdoctoral scholars (junior faculty), > 50 research mentors.
  • Identified curriculum needs, wrote learning objectives, created learner assessments.
  • Developed and organized annual orientation sessions, professional development/didactic courses and other day-long, multi-institutional annual meetings.
  • Evaluated programs and assessed learner outcomes and communicated results with stakeholders.

Conference Coordinator

UW-Madison, SMPH Office of Continuing and Professional Development
Madison
09.2004 - 06.2005
  • Provided comprehensive conference coordination services for a variety of medical education offerings.
  • Planned and implemented all aspects of educational conferences for health professionals.
  • Communicated with organizers and speakers to ensure activities fulfilled outcome expectations and were compliant with Accreditation Council of Continuing Medical Education requirements.
  • Identified and targeted audiences with effective marketing strategies.
  • Facilitated the arrangement of logistics.
  • Evaluated all facets of the conferences and communicated results with stakeholders.

Administrative Office Manager

UW-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Dept. of Medicine, ID Div.
Madison
11.1997 - 03.2005
  • Managed a busy academic Division office with duties covering research, clinical and educational activities.
  • Acted as the Division communication liaison interacting with administrators, trainees, patients, research and clinical staff, funders, pharmaceutical and other industry reps, the media, etc.
  • Evaluated, continually prioritized and managed complex activities in a dynamic environment.
  • Coordinated fiscal tasks for faculty, fellows and research staff.
  • Had administrative responsibility for clinical and research post-doctoral fellowship. Developed in-depth knowledge of accreditation requirements. Ensured program compliance.

Desktop Publishing Manager

Unified Newspaper Group/Stoughton Courier Hub
01.1989 - 01.2001
  • Established processes to ensure efficient workflow throughout print production.
  • Oversaw daily operations, maintaining efficiency and quality standards.
  • Trained employees on additional job positions to maintain coverage of roles.
  • Remained calm and professional in stressful circumstances, and effectively facilitated completion of tasks ahead of deadlines.

Education

Ph.D. - Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis

University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI

M.S. - Curriculum and Instruction

University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI

Bachelor of Arts - History

University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI

Skills

  • Program development and curriculum design
  • Assessment and evaluation
  • Learner empowerment
  • Counseling and mentoring
  • Coaching techniques
  • Recruitment and onboarding
  • Policy understanding
  • Administrative and project management
  • Analytical skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Communication proficiency
  • Active listening
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration
  • Attention to detail
  • Adaptability to change
  • Data management
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Research protocol development
  • Report preparation
  • Meeting coordination

Publications

  • Ford JH, Vranas L, Coughlin D, Selle KM, Nordman-Oliveira S, Ryther B, Ewers T, Griffin VL, Eslinger A, Boero J, Hardgrove P., Effect of a standard vs. enhanced implementation strategy to improve antibiotic prescribing in nursing homes: a trial protocol of the improving management of urinary tract infections in nursing institutions through facilitated implementation (IMUNIFI) study., JAMA Network Open, 09/04/19
  • Barrett B, Muller D, Hayer S, Ewers T, et al., Feeling Loved: A novel brief self-report health measure., EXPLORE, 07/20/18
  • Seibert G, Ewers T, Barker AK, Slavick A, Wright MO, Stevens L & Safdar N., What do visitors know and how do they feel about contact precautions?, Am J Infect Control, 07/01/17
  • Hayney MS, Henriquez KM, Barnet JH, Ewers T, et al., Serum IFN-γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10) as a biomarker for severity of acute respiratory infection in healthy adults., Journal of Clinical Virology, 05/31/17
  • Barker AK, Codella J, Ewers T, Dundon A, Alagoz O, Safdar N., Changes to physician and nurse time burdens when caring for patients under contact precautions., Am J Infect Control, 03/01/17
  • Ewers T, Knobloch MJ, Safdar N., Antimicrobial Stewardship: The Role of the Patient., Curr Treat Options Infect Dis, 02/06/17
  • Maxwell L, Barrett B, Chase J, Brown R, & Ewers T., Self-Reported Mental Health Predicts Acute Respiratory Infection., Wisconsin Medical Journal, 2015
  • Hayney MS, Coe CL, Muller D, Obasi CN, Backonja U, Ewers T, & Barrett B., Age and psychological influences on immune responses to trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in the meditation or exercise for preventing acute respiratory infection (MEPARI) trial., Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 2014
  • Zgierska A, Obasi CN, Brown R, Ewers T, Muller D, Gassman M, Barlow S, & Barrett B., Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation & exercise for the prevention of acute respiratory infection: possible mechanisms of action., Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013
  • Rakel D, Mundt M, Ewers T, Fortney L, Zgierska A, Gassman M, & Barrett, B., Value associated with mindfulness meditation and moderate exercise intervention in acute respiratory infection: The MEPARI Study., Family Practice, 2013
  • Obasi CN, Brown R, Ewers T, Barlow S, … & Barrett B., Advantage of meditation over exercise in reducing cold and flu illness is related to improved function and quality of life., Influenza and other respiratory viruses, 2013
  • Barrett B, Hayney M, Muller D, Rakel D, Ward A, Obasi C, Brown R, Zhang Z, Zgierska A, Gern J, West R, Ewers T, Barlow S, Gassman M, & Coe C., Meditation and exercise for preventing acute respiratory infection: A randomized controlled trial., Annals of Family Medicine, 2012
  • Barrett B, Brown R, Rakel D, Mundt M, Bone K, Barlow S, & Ewers T., Echinacea for treating the common cold: A randomized controlled trial., Annals of Internal Medicine, 2010

Peer Reviewed Presentations

  • Ewers T, Aryanfar B, Bittner MJ, Balkenende EC, Bradley SF, Brown M, Goetz MB, Gupta K, Hostler CJ, Perencevich EN, Strymish J., Feasibility of Observing Traffic Patterns (FOOT Patter) in Veterans Health Administration Operating Rooms., IDWeek 2020, Poster, #885, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 7, Supplement_1, S478-S478, Oxford University Press, 2020
  • Ewers T, Mundt MP and Crnich C., Characterizing Nursing and Provider Social Networks to Develop an Instrument to Improve Antibiotic Stewardship Efforts in Nursing Homes., IDWeek 2019, Poster, #2052, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 6, 2019
  • Bondar S, Ewers T, Vivo A, Gutkowski M, Evans CT, Perencevich EN, Crnich C., Social Network Analysis to Study MDRO Transmission in VA Community Living Centers and Spinal Cord Injury Units., IDWeek 2019, Poster, #516, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 6, 2019
  • Ewers T, Knobloch MJ, Zimbric M, Bartel R, Luther A, and Safdar N., The PEER Group Project Builds Stakeholder Capacity for HAI Prevention and Antimicrobial Stewardship., The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Spring 2017 Conference, Poster, Top Poster Abstract Award, St. Louis, MO, 2017
  • Cannon CM, Ewers T, Zimbric M, Duster M, Musuuza J, Reppen M, Schuetz V, Safdar N., 1-hr and 23-hrs Post-bath Presence of CHG Correlates to Bath Duration in Non-ICU Hospital Patients., The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Spring 2017 Conference, Poster, St. Louis, 2017
  • Barrett B, Chase J, Ewers T, Hayer S, Muller D, Brown R., Feeling Loved, a novel self-report health measure., American Association for Behavioral and Social Science Annual Meeting, Poster, Las Vegas, NV, 2016
  • Ewers T (Session presenter)., Exploring Transfer Student Beliefs and Perceptions about Research and Research-inclusive Careers., 10th Annual Conference of the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students, Fort Worth, TX, 2012
  • Ewers T., The ingredients of collaborative partnership: Preparing translational researchers for participation in community-based research networks., Wisconsin Health Improvement and Research Partnerships Forum, Poster, Madison, WI, 2012
  • Ewers T (Session presenter)., Helping Women Succeed as Leaders in Academia for Healthier Communities., Women as Global Leaders, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2008

External Service

  • Manuscript Reviewer, Antimicrobial Resistance 'beyond the microscope' opportunities for patient engagement in antimicrobial stewardship, Trends in Microbiology, 2023
  • President and Community Liaison, Madison Symphony Chorus, 2019-2022
  • Manuscript Reviewer, Feasibility of establishing Acute Respiratory Tract Treatment Units (ATU) for improvement of care of children with Acute Respiratory tract infection, BMC Pediatrics, 2022
  • Meeting Proposal Reviewer, Association for the Study of Higher Education, 2014

Timeline

Clinical Research Coordinator II

UW-Madison, Department of Medicine
03.2016 - Current

Teaching/Program Assistant

UW-Madison, School of Human Ecology, Dept. of Interdisciplinary Studies
01.2012 - 08.2012

Database Manager/Assistant Researcher

UW-Madison, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
01.2010 - 07.2017

Lecturer

UW-Madison, Department of Population Health Sciences
08.2009 - 05.2024

Educational Consultant

UW-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Dept. of Neurosurgery
06.2008 - 08.2008

Research Coordinator

UW-Madison, School of Nursing
10.2007 - 06.2009

Research Training and Education Program Coordinator

UW-Madison, Center for Women’s Health Research
06.2005 - 10.2007

Conference Coordinator

UW-Madison, SMPH Office of Continuing and Professional Development
09.2004 - 06.2005

Administrative Office Manager

UW-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Dept. of Medicine, ID Div.
11.1997 - 03.2005

Desktop Publishing Manager

Unified Newspaper Group/Stoughton Courier Hub
01.1989 - 01.2001

Ph.D. - Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis

University of Wisconsin-Madison

M.S. - Curriculum and Instruction

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Bachelor of Arts - History

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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