About Us
Thrive offers a supplement to traditional home care services through intensive care coordination and virtual nurse case management.
Explore Thrive:
How can we better support recovery at home?
The Thrive team recognizes that after hospitalization is where the challenge begins. Thrive partners with patients, community members, clinicians, and the health care system partners as a bridge to support care transitions by addressing complex medical conditions and the social determinants of health.
Learn more about our evidence-based intervention.
Research shows that innovation and design thinking, an approach typically used in engineering and business, has merit in helping nurses and other healthcare providers develop clinical pathways to improve care transitions for socially at-risk patients. Our team leveraged principles of design thinking and innovation to develop the Thrive transitional care model.
I will just say that Thrive is awesome! I have recently been able to see the continuity of care and passing the baton if you will, seamlessly to other team members in the home care setting.
—Jennifer Glace RN, MSM
What do we stand for?
Thrive’s mission is based on four pillars.
Accountability
We are committed to including community members in our processes and plans to inform decision-making for the research team and clinical practice.
Engagement
As we move and adapt, pivot, or refine our processes we have ongoing mechanisms and opportunities for personal involvement of Thrive participants and academic, clinical and community partners.
Advocacy
We leverage connections to a broad range of resources to support Thrive participants.
Equity
Our team is representative of the people we are serving. We consider the history of the community and its members. We have a shared understanding, and reflect the needs and concerns of the community. We work in continual partnership with community partners to ensure that people who are historically marganilized safely recover after hospitalization in the home.
Meet our Leadership Team
Thrive Research and Steering Committee
Margo Brooks Carthon
Executive Director
Margo Brooks Carthon
Executive Director
Margo Brooks Carthon, PhD, APRN, FAAN, in an Associate Professor of Nursing and Tyson Family Term Chair for Gerontological Research at the University of Pennsylvania. A vision of equitable health care guides Dr. Brooks Carthon’s program of research, which focuses on identifying ways that health care delivery and nursing care can be tailored to improve health outcomes for historically marginalized individuals. Her research has received generous support from federal and private funders, including: the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, and the National Institutes of Health (NINR, NIMHD). She serves as the Co-founder and Executive Director of THRIVE – a systems-based innovation that provides clinical and social support for low-income individuals that are transitioning from hospital to home. She is a Fellow of the American Association of Nurses, Senior Fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, and Associate Director of the Center for Health Outcome & Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania.
Heather Brom
Director of Data Analytics & Operations
Heather Brom
Director of Data Analytics & Operations
Heather Brom, PhD, RN, is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and a health services researcher focused on improving the health outcomes for individuals with complex medical and social needs. She accomplishes this by (1) examining how variations in organizational factors and policies impacting nurses and nurse practitioners influence outcomes of care and (2) by collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to develop and implement multi-level solutions to achieve health equity. She has conducted this research through multi-level, mixed methodologies that leverage data from a range of sources (e.g., large-scale surveys, interviews, electronic health records, and clinical registry data). Dr. Brom is the Director of Data Analytics & Operations for Thrive, a systems-level innovation that provides clinical and social support for low-income individuals as they transition from hospital to home. She is a Senior Fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and a core faculty member of the Center of Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kelvin Eyram Amenyedor
Kelvin Eyram Amenyedor
Dr. Kelvin Amenyedor is a medical professional with a background in medical sciences, public health, and health outcomes research. He obtained his Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) and a Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences from the University of Ghana. Furthering his education, Dr. Amenyedor was awarded the MPH Scholarship and Endowed Hortsmann Scholarship at Yale University School of Public Health.
Significant achievements mark Dr. Amenyedor’s professional journey. He is currently the Research Project Manager at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research. Here, he expertly manages major research grants, focusing on healthcare equity and post-hospital care. His work involves significant contributions to studies examining health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic and implementing innovative post-discharge support systems for Medicaid-insured patients.
Previously, Dr. Amenyedor served at the Yale New Haven Hospital, where he was deeply involved in cardiovascular medicine, and at the Yale Vascular Medicine Outcomes Research Lab as a Research Coordinator. His responsibilities encompassed developing research manuscripts, leading health communication campaigns, and handling patient-reported qualitative analyses.
Before moving to the United States, he made notable contributions as a Medical Doctor in the Internal Medicine department at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital in Ghana. His work included publishing case studies on complex medical conditions and executing clinical responsibilities in a high-volume setting.
Dr. Amenyedor’s commitment to community service is evident through his volunteer work with the Yale Neighborhood Health Project and NoirUnited, where he played a pivotal role in conducting studies and raising awareness about critical public health issues.
His clinical and research skills are complemented by a strong foundation in data analysis, evidenced by his proficiency in R, Stata, and NVivo, and his impressive track record in managing interdisciplinary teams to drive healthcare research and policy discussions. Dr. Amenyedor’s work showcases his dedication to advancing health equity and his deep commitment to improving patient outcomes through research and evidence-based healthcare interventions.
Kathy Sliwinksi
Virtual Care Manager, Research Program Associate
Kathy Sliwinksi
Virtual Care Manager, Research Program Associate
Pam Cacchione
Steering Board Member
Pam Cacchione
Steering Board Member
Dr. Cacchione PhD, CRNP, BC, FGSA, FAAN is the Ralston House Term Chair in Gerontological Nursing, Professor of Geropsychiatric Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Nurse Scientist at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. She is a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner who has practiced for over 30 years across the care continuum. She is a nurse innovator. She has been part of THRIVE from the beginning. In addition to THRIVE, her research focuses on social robotics for older adults. She is the CEO and Founder of AgingSense a startup technology company to improve the lives of older adults. Dr Cacchione received her BSN from Villanova University, MSN as a GNP from Marymount University, and PhD from Saint Louis University. She completed postdoctoral training at the University of Iowa. Dr. Cacchione has over 100 publications and is the Past Editor in Chief of Clinical Nursing Research and International Journal. Dr. Cacchione is a Fellow in the Gerontological Society of America and the American Academy of Nursing.
Marsha Grantham Murrillo
Site PI Penn Med at Home, Thrive Research & Steering Board Member
Marsha Grantham Murrillo
Site PI Penn Med at Home, Thrive Research & Steering Board Member
Jovan Bennett
Thrive Research & Steering Committee
Jovan Bennett
Thrive Research & Steering Committee
Dianne Garcia
Virtual Care Nurse Manager, Research Program Associate
Dianne Garcia
Virtual Care Nurse Manager, Research Program Associate
Meet our Community Partners
Thrive is working with a growing number of community, academic and health system partners.
About the Thrive Community Advisory Board
The purpose of the Thrive Advisory Board is to engage Thrive participants, caregivers, and community members in a meaningful way to ensure that transitional care needs are met and that the research priorities of Thrive are consistent with the vision and values of the community we serve.
As a link between the community, caregivers, and the Research and Clinical team, the Thrive Advisory Board members are valued for their expertise in matters related to health and well-being. Our goal as a board is to ensure equity among the voices contributing to clinical care process improvements by increasing understanding of diverse perspectives, preferences, and addressing power imbalances that prevent community members from having an active say in care delivery.
Meet our Community Advisory Board Members
Our core values are transparency, collaboration & equity
Margo Brooks Carthon
Executive Director
Margo Brooks Carthon
Executive Director
Margo Brooks Carthon, PhD, APRN, FAAN, in an Associate Professor of Nursing and Tyson Family Term Chair for Gerontological Research at the University of Pennsylvania. A vision of equitable health care guides Dr. Brooks Carthon’s program of research, which focuses on identifying ways that health care delivery and nursing care can be tailored to improve health outcomes for historically marginalized individuals. Her research has received generous support from federal and private funders, including: the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, and the National Institutes of Health (NINR, NIMHD). She serves as the Co-founder and Executive Director of THRIVE – a systems-based innovation that provides clinical and social support for low-income individuals that are transitioning from hospital to home. She is a Fellow of the American Association of Nurses, Senior Fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, and Associate Director of the Center for Health Outcome & Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania.
Maya N. Clark-Cutaia, PhD, ACNP-BC
Maya N. Clark-Cutaia, PhD, ACNP-BC
Francis Chiejine
Francis Chiejine
Kelvin Eyram Amenyedor
Kelvin Eyram Amenyedor
Dr. Kelvin Amenyedor is a medical professional with a background in medical sciences, public health, and health outcomes research. He obtained his Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) and a Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences from the University of Ghana. Furthering his education, Dr. Amenyedor was awarded the MPH Scholarship and Endowed Hortsmann Scholarship at Yale University School of Public Health.
Significant achievements mark Dr. Amenyedor’s professional journey. He is currently the Research Project Manager at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research. Here, he expertly manages major research grants, focusing on healthcare equity and post-hospital care. His work involves significant contributions to studies examining health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic and implementing innovative post-discharge support systems for Medicaid-insured patients.
Previously, Dr. Amenyedor served at the Yale New Haven Hospital, where he was deeply involved in cardiovascular medicine, and at the Yale Vascular Medicine Outcomes Research Lab as a Research Coordinator. His responsibilities encompassed developing research manuscripts, leading health communication campaigns, and handling patient-reported qualitative analyses.
Before moving to the United States, he made notable contributions as a Medical Doctor in the Internal Medicine department at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital in Ghana. His work included publishing case studies on complex medical conditions and executing clinical responsibilities in a high-volume setting.
Dr. Amenyedor’s commitment to community service is evident through his volunteer work with the Yale Neighborhood Health Project and NoirUnited, where he played a pivotal role in conducting studies and raising awareness about critical public health issues.
His clinical and research skills are complemented by a strong foundation in data analysis, evidenced by his proficiency in R, Stata, and NVivo, and his impressive track record in managing interdisciplinary teams to drive healthcare research and policy discussions. Dr. Amenyedor’s work showcases his dedication to advancing health equity and his deep commitment to improving patient outcomes through research and evidence-based healthcare interventions.
Eleanor Burke
Eleanor Burke
Deborah Hinds
Deborah Hinds
Dianne Garcia
Virtual Care Nurse Manager, Research Program Associate
Dianne Garcia
Virtual Care Nurse Manager, Research Program Associate
