The Center for SUNSHINE

Center for Seniors Uniting Nationwide to Support Health, INtegrated care, and Economics, known as the Center for SUNSHINE, an interdisciplinary collaboration funded by the National Institute on Aging. Co-led by the University of Maryland School of Public Health and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the Center for SUNSHINE will serve as a national hub for interdisciplinary research, training and real-world innovation to strengthen resilience in aging populations.

The center, outlined in a study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, draws from 50 years of scholarship at UMD’s Center on Aging and the computational innovation and clinical partnerships enabled by the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing. 

Mission: The overarching mission of SUNSHINE is to advance aging resilience by integrating healthcare systems, public health organizations, social service agencies, and community-based resources to enhance the well-being of older adults and their care partners and maximize societal value.

Shelby Steuart: The Impact of Telehealth Policy and Mental Health Care for Older Adults

This pilot study investigates the impact of recent telehealth policy expansions on behavioral health care access and treatment among older adults with substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health conditions—populations that have seen rising but underdiagnosed and undertreated needs, especially in the past five to six-6 years. Using Medicare claims data and advanced econometric methods, the study will (1) assess how telehealth policies influence service utilization, such as outpatient therapy and substance use treatment, and (2) evaluate whether telehealth access improves initiation and adherence to behavioral health medications. The goal is to generate actionable, population-level evidence to inform future policies and interventions that improve care access, quality and outcomes for older adults with complex behavioral health needs.

Margaret Connolly: Optimization of Biologic Therapy Implementation for the Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Older Adults

COPD is a debilitating condition affecting millions worldwide, impacting older adults disproportionately. Recently, biologic therapies including dupilumab and mepolizumab have been approved for treatment of Eosinophilic phenotype COPD. These tailored therapies target the inflammatory cascade, reducing inflammation contributing to exacerbations and poor symptom control. Both dupilumab and mepolizumab have been shown to significantly reduce COPD exacerbation rates in patients with refractory COPD symptoms and history of exacerbations. Unfortunately, historically there have been significant delays in the adoption of such new therapies , with consistent practice change taking an average of 17 years to reach eligible patients. These delays can be prevented through better understanding of factors that drive gaps in evidence-based care implementation.

This project will generate essential knowledge of existing gaps in utilization of biologic therapies for treatment of COPD. The project will evaluate overall cost? and cost effectiveness of using biologic therapies for treatment of COPD as well as costs associated with existing gaps in access,, identifying target areas for intervention designed to improve consistent implementation. This project aims to bridge the gap between the approval and widespread use of biologic therapies for COPD by identifying and implementing effective outreach strategies. By accelerating the adoption of this new therapy, we can improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden of COPD particularly among older adults.