BWH Division of Women's Health
Department of Medicine

Division of Women's Health

OUR TEAM:

Annie Lewis-O’Connor, NP, PhD, MPH​

Dr. Annie Lewis-O’Connor is a -certified nurse practitioner. Her clinical and research efforts focus on the development and implementation of trauma-informed care (TIC), an organizational approach to mitigating the health consequences of violence. Dr. Lewis-O’Connor received her MSN from Simmons College and her MPH from Boston University School of Public Health, as well as her PhD from Boston College. Prior to joining BWH, Dr. Lewis-O’Connor was a member of the faculty Boston University School of Public Health and as well as Boston University School of Medicine.

 

At BWH, Dr. Lewis-O’Connor founded and serves as the director of the C.A.R.E. Clinic (Coordinated Approach to Resilience and Empowerment), providing patient-centered, trauma-informed specialized care to patients who have experienced violence and/or trauma. She is the Director of Research & Innovation for the Center of Nursing Excellence.  Dr. Lewis-O’Connor is the co-chair of the BWH Trauma-Informed Care Learning Collaborative and is involved in several TIC initiatives nationally. She is founding member and sits on the board of directors for the Academy of Forensic Nursing, and is Section Editor, Research for the Journal Academy of Forensic Nursing. Annie  is a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Alumnae.

Over the years, Dr. Lewis-O’Connor’s research has explored a variety of topics related to trauma and interpersonal violence. In addition to looking at best practice methods of care for patients with recent or past trauma, her research has analyzed screening methods and the most effective ways to train providers and staff.

Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Associate Scientist, Division of Women’s Health, Department of Medicine; Director of Research & Innovation, Senior Nursing Scientist, Center for Nursing Excellence; Founder & Director, C.A.R.E. Clinic
Harvard Medical School
Instructor in Medicine

Contact
Areas of Expertise

Gender, Violence & Trauma

Also visit: Trauma and Resilience Informed Care

PubMed Bibliography
Harvard Catalyst Profile

Current Research

Dr. Lewis-O’Connor’s current research  is focused the development, evaluation and dissemination of trauma-informed tools Additional research includes efforts to improve coordination, service delivery and continuum of care for patients impacted by violence, trauma and abuse throughout BWH/MGB facilities. The goal is not only to improve outcomes for victims of violence within the BWH/MGB system and community, but also to improve community relationships and build sustainable partnerships.

 

Dr. Lewis-O’Connor is also looking more specifically at patients served by community health centers to better understand the needs of, and how to improve delivery of care for patients. Based on the findings of the 2016 BWH Community Health Needs Assessment, she is focusing her efforts on select priority neighborhoods. Her team will use a trauma-informed care approach to identify points of patient care and ultimately measure impact stratified by zip code.

 

Using evidence and experience collected over years of research and patient care, Dr. Lewis-O’Connor and her team are in the process of designing and building an interactive web-based location that houses TIC educational materials, pod casts, webinars, videos, reference tools, and skills.

 

Funding

  • Building Access, Engagement, and Resiliency Through Trauma-Informed Care (RWJF, PI)
  • Building a Culture of Safety and Equity in Health: Trauma-Informed Approaches (BWH, PI)
  • The Brigham and Women’s Healthcare – Hospital-Based Victim Services Demonstration Project (DOJ OVC, Co-director)
  • Advancing Trauma-Informed Education into Clinical Practice for Adults: A Curriculum for the Hospital Staff (BWH, Co-PI & Director)

Select Past Research

  • Testing the Efficacy of SANE/SART Programs: Do They Make a Difference in Sexual Assault Arrest & Prosecution Outcomes? (NIJ, Investigator)
    Examined the effectiveness of SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners)/SART (Sexual Assault Response Teams) programs as a tool in the criminal justice system, specifically the impact of sexual assault case outcomes.
  • Emergency HIV Prophylaxis Post Sexual Assault (BWH, Co-PI)
    Evaluated the initiation and completed course of HIV prophylactic treatment for sexual assault victims.
  • Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Demonstration Initiative (OVW, Co-PI)
    Demonstrative Initiative (DI) to evaluate how well models work in different communities to address and prevent intimate partner violence. In Phase One, Boston was tasked with conducting a community wide assessment of intimate partner violence services.
  • The IPV Provider Network: Engaging the Health Care Provider Response to Interpersonal Violence Against Women (Office on Women’s Health, Site PI)
    Evaluated a multi-level intervention that included: integrating into the clinic setting IPV/SA screening, universal education, trauma informed counseling, warm referrals to local IPV/SA advocacy agencies, and access to the evidence-based myPlan safety decision aid app.
  • Patterns of injuries in victims of sexual and domestic violence (BWH, Investigator)
    Studied the pattern of injuries, frequency and prevalence for victims of sexual and domestic violence.

Select Publications

Lewis-O’Connor A, Warren A, Lee JV, Levy-Carrick N, Grossman S, Chadwick M, Stoklosa H, Rittenberg E. The state of the science on trauma inquiry. Womens Health (Lond). 2019 Jan-Dec;15:1745506519861234. PMID:31456510

 

Lewis-O’Connor A, Alpert E. Caring for Survivors Using a Trauma-Informed Care Framework In: Chisolm-Straker M, Stoklosa H, editors. Human Trafficking Is a Public Health Issue: A Paradigm Expansion in the United States. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing; 2017. p 309-323.

 

Levy-Carrick NC, Lewis-O’Connor A, Rittenberg E, Manosalvas K, Stoklosa HM, Silbersweig DA. Promoting Health Equity Through Trauma-Informed Care: Critical Role for Physicians in Policy and Program Development. Fam Community Health. 2019 Apr/Jun;42(2):104-108. PMID: 30768474

 

Machtinger EL, Davis KB, Kimberg LS, Khanna N, Cuca YP, Dawson-Rose C, Shumway M, Campbell J, Lewis-O’Connor A, Blake M, Blanch A, McCaw B. From Treatment to Healing: Inquiry and Response to Recent and Past Trauma in Adult Health Care. Womens Health Issues. 2019 Mar – Apr;29(2):97-102. PMID:30606467

 

Sloand E, Killion C, Yarandi H, Sharps P, Lewis-O’Connor A, Hassan M, Gary F, Cesar NM, Campbell D. Experiences of violence and abuse among internally displaced adolescent girls following a natural disaster. J Adv Nurs. 2017 Dec;73(12):3200-3208. PMID:28398661

 

Campbell DW, Campbell JC, Yarandi HN, O’Connor AL, Dollar E, Killion C, Sloand E, Callwood GB, Cesar NM, Hassan M, Gary F. Violence and abuse of internally displaced women survivors of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Int J Public Health. 2016 Nov;61(8):981-992. PMID:27624625

 

Scannell M, Lewis-O’Connor A, Barash A. Sexual Assault Simulation Course for Healthcare Providers: Enhancing Sexual Assault Education Using Simulation. J Forensic Nurs. 2015 Oct-Dec;11(4):188-97. PMID:26457900

 

Lewis-O’Connor A, Chadwick M. Engaging the Voice of Patients Affected by Gender-Based Violence: Informing Practice and Policy. J Forensic Nurs. 2015 Oct-Dec;11(4):240-9. PMID:26588223

 

Bair-Merritt MH, Lewis-O’Connor A, Goel S, Amato P, Ismailji T, Jelley M, Lenahan P, Cronholm P. Primary care-based interventions for intimate partner violence: a systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 2014 Feb;46(2):188-94. Review. PMID:24439354

 

Deshpande NA, Lewis-O’Connor A. Screening for intimate partner violence during pregnancy. Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2013;6(3-4):141-8. Review. PMID:24920977

OUR TEAM:
Primary Faculty Members

Research Program of the Division of Women’s Health

Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

75 Francis Street, Boston MA 02115