Emma M Mitchell, PhD, MSN, RN
(Emma McKim Mitchell)
Biography
Emma Mitchell, PhD, RN—a public health nurse scholar and award-winning educator—is an associate professor and an NIH-funded nurse scientist.
Mitchell's work in Nicaragua and Appalachia focuses on implementation of innovative technologies, including mHealth interventions, in order to increase access to cervical cancer screening and treatment. From tele-colposcopy, distribution of HPV self-collection tests, and, on Nicaragua’s rural Caribbean coast, training providers to recognize and treat cervical cancer lesions using a mobile cervical simulator and mobile thermo-ablation, her research seeks to develop culturally- and regionally-tailored approaches and protocols that will prevent women at high risk for cervical cancer mortality from dying from it through treatment, education, and smartphone-delivered follow-up.
Mitchell's work has earned funding from the National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center, UVA’s Global Infectious Diseases Institute, and the Jefferson Trust Foundation.
Mitchell has also developed and oversees a unique disaster preparedness program at UVA and at BICU School of Nursing in Bluefields, Nicaragua, which trains nursing students to prepare for emergencies brought about by climate change.
At UVA, she teaches courses on public health nursing, local and global health disparities, and social entrepreneurship and cancer prevention in Nicaragua, to both graduate and undergraduate students.
Publications
Journal Articles
Mitchell, E. M., Hall, K., Doede, A., Rong, A., McLean, M., Benito Graner, O., Maldonado, F., Kallas, H., Bravo-Rodrigues, C., Forero, M., Pokam Tchuisseu, Y., & Dillingham, R. (2023). Feasibility and acceptability of self-collection of Human Papillomavirus samples for primary cervical cancer screening on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua: A mixed-methods study. Frontiers in Oncology, Gynecological Oncology, 12, 1-9.
Panagides, R., Voges, N., Oliver, J., Bridwell, D., & Mitchell, E. (2023). Determining the impact of a community-based intervention on knowledge gained and attitudes towards the HPV vaccine in Virginia. Journal of Cancer Education, 38(2), 646-651.
Rikhotso, R. R., Mitchell, E. M., Wilson, D. T., Doede, A., Matume, N. D., & Bessong, P. O. (2022). Prevalence and distribution of selected cervical human papillomavirus types in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women in South Africa, 1989-2021: A narrative review. Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 37(1), 0.
Craig, S., Whitlow, M., Quatrara, B., Kastello, J., Ackard, R., Mitchell, E., & Kools, S. (2022). A focused checklist for constructing equitable, diverse, and inclusive simulation experiences. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 71, 87-91.
Elmore, C., Mitchell, E. M., Debnam, K., Keim-Malpass, J., Tanabe, K. O., & Hauck, F. R. (2022). Predictors of cervical cancer screening for refugee women attending an international family medicine clinic in the United States. Cancer Causes and Control, 33(10), 1295-1304.
Zoellner, J. M., Porter, K. J., Brock, D. P., Mitchell, E. M., Chapman, H., Clarkston, D., Cohn, W., Hauser, L., Morris, D. W., Ramey, S. Y., Robinson, B., Schreifer, S., Voges, N., & Wiseman, K. P. (2021). Advancing engagement and capacity for rural cancer control: A mixed methods case study of a community-academic advisory board in the Appalachia region of Southwest Virginia. Research Involvement and Engagement, 7(1), 44.
Mitchell, E. M., Doede, A., McLean Estrada, M., Granera, O. B., Maldonado, F., Dunn, B., Banks, S., Marks-Symeonides, I., Morrone, D., Pitt, C., & Dillingham, R. A. (2021). Feasibility and acceptability of tele-colposcopy on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua: A descriptive mixed methods study. Telemedicine Reports, 2(1), 264-272.
Elmore, C. E., Keim-Malpass, J., & Mitchell, E. M. (2021). Health inequity in cervical cancer control among refugee women in the United States by country of origin. Health Equity, 5(1), 119-123.
Alcala, H., Keim-Malpass, J. & Mitchell, E. M. (2021). Sexual assault and cancer screening among men and women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(11-12), NP6243-NP6259.
McKim Mitchell, E., Ackard, R., McLean Estrada, M. D., Hodgson, D., Thompson-Heisterman, A., Aguirre Bonilla, A. S., & Foronda, C. (2020). A partnership to develop disaster simulations for nursing students in response to climate change: description of a programme in Bluefields, Nicaragua, and Virginia, USA. Lancet Global Health, 8, 45.
Elmore, C. E., Laughon, K., & Mitchell, E. M. (2020). Self‐collection of samples for HPV testing to increase participation in cervical cancer screening by immigrant women: An integrative review. Public Health Nursing, 37(5), 677-695.
Mitchell, E. M., Lothamer, H., Garcia, C., Des Marais, A., Camacho, T. F., Poulter, M., Bullock, L., & Smith, J. S. (2020). Acceptability and feasibility of community-based, lay navigator-facilitated at-home self-collection for Human Papillomavirus testing in underscreened women. Journal of Women’s Health, 29(4), 596-602.
Alcala, H., Maxwell, G. L., Lindsay, B., Keim-Malpass, J., Mitchell, E. M., & Balkrishnan, R. (2020). Examining HPV vaccination practices and differences among providers in Virginia. Journal of Cancer Education, 35, 159-164.
Mitchell, E. M., & Camacho, F. (2019). Developing a priority scoring index for mobile mammography sites: Considerations for screening access in rural and remote settings. Cancer Control, 26, 1-6.
Oria, M. O. B., Mitchell, E. M., Vasconcelos, C. T. M., de Oliveira, T. D. A, Lopes, L. G., de Menezes, P. R. & Galvao, M. T. G. (2018). Prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms and social determinants in primary care users in Brazil. International Urogynecology Journal, 29(12), p. 825-832.
Doede A. L., Mitchell, E. M., Wilson, D., Panagides, R., & Oriá, M.O.B. (2018). Knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes surrounding breast cancer screening in Latin America and the Caribbean: An in-depth narrative review. Journal of Global Oncology, 4, 1-25.
Carhart, M., Schminkey, D., Mitchell, E. M., & Keim-Malpass, J. (2018). Barriers and facilitators to improving Virginia’s HPV vaccination rate: A stakeholder analysis with implications for pediatric nurses. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 42, 1-8.
Alcala, H. E., Mitchell, E. M., & Keim-Malpass, J. (2018). Heterogenous impacts: Adverse childhood experiences and cancer screening. Cancer Causes & Control, 29(3), 343-351.
McCabe, BE, Mitchell, EM, Gonzalez-Guarda, RM, Peragallo, N., Mitrani, VB. (2017). Transnational motherhood: Health of Hispanic mothers in the United States who are separated from children. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 28(3), 243-250.
Laughon, K., Mitchell, E., & Price, J. (2017). Provider perspectives on intimate partner violence in Bluefields, Nicaragua. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 38(10), 852-857.
Alcala, H., Keim-Malpass, J., & Mitchell, E. (2017). Adverse childhood experiences and colorectal cancer screening: Do all adversities matter? Child Abuse and Neglect, 69, 145-150.
Keim-Malpass, J., Mitchell, E. M., Sun, E., & Kennedy, C. (2017). Using Twitter to understand public perceptions regarding the #HPV vaccine: Opportunities for public health nurses to engage in social marketing. Public Health Nursing, 34(4), 316-323.
Keim-Malpass, J., Mitchell, E. M., DeGuzman, P., Stoler, M., & Kennedy, C. (2017). Legislative activity related to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the United States (2006-2015): A cry for evidence-based policy. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 10, 29-32.
Alcala, H., Mitchell, E., & Keim-Malpass, J. (2017). Adverse childhood experiences and cervical cancer screening. Journal of Women’s Health, 26(1), 58-63.
Williams, JR, Halstead, V., Mitchell, EM. (2016). Two models for public health nursing clinical education. Public Health Nursing, 33(3), 249-255.
Ortega, J., Mitchell, EM, Peragallo, N. (2016). Beyond borders: Global nursing education for the future. Nursing Education Perspectives, 37(4), 227-229.
Newlin Lew, K, Mitchell EM, McLean, Y. (2016). Diabetes prevention and management among minority ethnic groups in Nicaragua: Findings from Phase II of a community-based participatory study. Health Education Journal, 75(8), 939-949.
Garcia, C., Lothamer, H., & Mitchell, E. M. (2016). Provider-identified barriers to cervical cancer screening and perceptions toward self-collection of human papillomavirus in Southwest Virginia. Public Health Nursing, 33(6), 539-546.
DeGuzman, P. B., & Mitchell, E. M. (2016). Public health nurses in cancer care: Broadening the intersection. Public Health Nursing, 33(6), 481-482.
Mitchell, E.M., Steeves, R., Dillingham, B. (2015). Cruise ships and bush medicine: Globalization on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua and effects on the health of Creole women. Public Health Nursing, 32(3), 237-245.
Malhotra, K., Gonzalez-Guarda, R. M., & Mitchell, E, M. (2015). A review of teen dating violence prevention research: What about Hispanic youth? Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 16(4), 444-465.
Mitchell, E.M., Steeves, R., Hauck, K. (2015). Exploring Creole Women’s Health Using Ethnography and Photovoice in Bluefields, Nicaragua. Global Health Promotion, 22(4), 29-38.
Keim-Malpass, J., Mitchell, E.M., Camacho, T.F. (2015). HPV vaccination series completion and co-vaccination: Pairing vaccines may matter for adolescents. Vaccine, 33(43), 5729-32.
Keim-Malpass, J., Mitchell, E.M., Blackhall, L., & DeGuzman, P.B. (2015). Evaluating stakeholder-identified barriers in accessing palliative care at an NCI-designated cancer center with a rural catchment area. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 18(7), 634-7.
Kavalieratos D, Mitchell EM, Carey TS, Dev S, Biddle AK, Reeve BB, Abernethy AP, Weinberger M. (2014). "Not the 'grim reaper service’”: An assessment of provider knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding palliative care referral barriers in heart failure. Journal of the American Heart Association, 3(1), 1-11.
Cianelli, R., Mitchell, E., Albuja, L., Wilkinson, C., Anglade, D., Chery, M., & Peragallo, N. (2014). Maternal – child health needs assessment in Haiti. International Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 4(5), 30-38.
Cianelli, R., Wilkinson, C., Mitchell, E., Anglade, D., Nicholas, G., Mitrani, V., Peragallo, N. (2013). Experiencias de formacion en salud mental entre trabajadores sanitarios Haitianos tras el terremoto de 2010. International Nursing Review en Espanol: Revista official del Consejo Internacional de Enfermeras, 60(4), 566-573.
Cianelli, R., Wilkinson, C., Mitchell, E., Anglade, D., Guerda, N., Peragallo, N., & Mitrani, V. (2013). Mental health training experiences among Haitian healthcare workers post earthquake. International Nursing Review, 60(4), 528-535.
Kulbok, P., Mitchell, E., Glick, D., & Greiner, D. (2012). International nursing educational exchanges: A review of the literature. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 9(1), 7.
Mitchell, E., & Steeves, R. (2012). Exploring midwives practices on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. Hispanic Healthcare International, 10(1), 36-41.
Leffers, J. & Mitchell, E. (2011). Conceptual model for partnership and sustainability in global health. Public Health Nursing, 28(1), 91-102.
Greiner, D.S., Glick, D.F., Kulbok, P.A., & Mitchell, E.M. (2008). Rural health nursing research review: Global perspectives. Annual Review of Nursing Research, 26, 261-294.
Book Sections
Mitchell, E. M., & Stanhope, M. (2022). US and global health care. In M. Stanhope & J. Lancaster (Eds.), Foundations for population health in community-public health nursing (6th ed., pp. 37-57). Elsevier
Mitchell, E. (2020). Global health. In M. Stanhope & J. Lancaster (Eds.), Public health nursing (10th ed., pp. 62-90). Mosby Elsevier.
Upvall, M. J., Leffers, J. M. & Mitchell, E. M. (2014). “Introduction and Perspectives of Global health”. In 1st edition, Upvall & Leffers (editors). Global Health Nursing: Building and Sustaining Partnerships (pp. 1-18). Springer Publishing Company, LLC
Columns, Editorials and Op-Eds
, (2025, February 5). HPV self-collection tests must be approved for use at home. Otherwise, what's the point? STAT News. Retrieved from https://www.statnews.com/2025/02/03/hpv-self-test-at-home-cervical-cancer-fda-uspstf/
Mitchell, E. (2020, May 22). Approve the at-home test that can provide early detection of cervical cancer: Column. STAT News. Retrieved from https://www.statnews.com/2020/05/22/cervical-cancer-home-collection-test-speed-early-detection/.