MaryGrace Trifilio, Research Analyst, VNSNY Center for Home Care Policy & Research

Working to Turn Research into Clinical Practice

VNSNY Research Analyst MaryGrace Trifilio always knew she wanted to work in geriatrics. “I grew up in Brooklyn watching my parents struggle to keep my four grandparents safe and healthy,” she says. “Because my mother worked in geriatric care, I always knew about VNSNY, and it was the first place I thought of when looking for a career.” MaryGrace started at the Research Center in 2012, right out of college. Her first position was as a field researcher, interviewing patients in their homes. Today she works in an office-based role, helping to determine the logistics of proposed studies, arranging for data collection, and then analyzing and reporting on that data. While working at VNSNY, she’s also earned a Master’s degree in Cultural & Medical Anthropology.

A big challenge in research involves getting evidence-based knowledge into the hands of clinicians to help improve practice patterns, notes MaryGrace. “It’s been exciting to see stronger links develop between the VNSNY Research Center and the field staff,” she says. “Both letting them know what we’re working on, and learning what we should study to better support them in the field.” In 2018, MaryGrace worked with VNSNY Home Care on a first-of-its-kind study of infection control in a home-care setting. “I shadowed fifty nurses in the field throughout the year,” she recalls. “It was really wonderful, because it helped me maintain my connection with patients, and gave me a holistic understanding of what the clinician’s job is like.”

MaryGrace’s ESPRIT nomination noted her “can-do” spirit and knack for finding innovative solutions to challenging problems. Collaboration is an essential part of her job, since she typically works with several project teams at once. MaryGrace “is outstanding at initiating, fostering, leading, and succeeding at teamwork and at respecting the roles and work of the many team players involved,” wrote one colleague. “She is very thoughtful and considerate of both her patients and her fellow colleagues,” wrote another co-worker. “Her enthusiasm and optimism making working with her a delight.”

As a reminder of VNSNY’s mission, MaryGrace keeps a photo of Lillian Wald as her smart phone’s screensaver. “My Research Center colleagues and I have a deep understanding of how our work affects the lives of our patients and clinicians,” she says. “We never forget who we’re doing this for.”