Bio Sketch

Dr. Benkert conducts research focused on explicating the role of medical mistrust, racial identity and cultural competence on adherence to primary care recommendations and quality of care. Her research has focused on the role of nurse practitioners and other primary care providers in nurse managed and traditional primary care settings. She has received numerous Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants and is currently the principal investigator for the statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC) in Michigan and the PI of a Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) grant focused on enhancing the registered nurse role in primary care.

Dr. Benkert has mentored over 70 nursing students in the conduct of various stages of the research and quality improvement enterprise. These students have been from all levels of education from pre-nursing to PhD. She has also continued to work with many of the trainees after graduation. Dr. Benkert has assisted students in the mastery of data collection and recruitment of subjects in busy primary care practices; the vast majority of these students have been students of color. Over the last 30 years, she has been the PI or Co-PI on multiple research projects. As PI or co-Investigator on several university- and HRSA-funded grants, Dr. Benkert laid the groundwork for the proposed research by measuring clinical outcomes, evaluating trust and mistrust of health professionals and other psychosocial factors relevant to the outcomes of chronic conditions, specifically hypertension.

Education

• PhD, University of Michigan, 2002
• MSN, Wayne State University, 1987
• BSN, Mercy College of Detroit, 1981

Research Interests

• Chart and electronic health record data extraction
• Qualitative interviews with persons of color and survey data collection on chronic illnesses affecting African American urban dwelling adults

Clinical Area(s) of Expertise

• Measuring clinical outcomes
• Evaluating trust and mistrust of health professionals and other psychosocial factors
• Outcomes of chronic conditions, specifically hypertension

Selected publications

• Dove-Medows, E., Misra, D., Benkert, R. & Giurgescu, C. (2022). A qualitative approach to the dimensions of segregation among pregnant Black women. Journal of Urban Health, 1-9, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-022-00661-3.
• Caparso, C. & Benkert, R. (2021). Family cohesiveness: A dying concern for the co-parent in families with young parents with advanced cancer (PWAC): A pilot study. Cancer Nursing, 00, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0000000000001024.
• Attaallah, S., Peters, R. M., Benkert, R., Yarandi, H., Oliver-McNeil, S. & Hopp, F. (2021). Developing a Middle-Range Theory of Health Failure Self-Care. Nursing Science Quarterly, Vol. 34(2), 168-177. DOI: 10.11770894318420987164
• Ascione, F., Najjar, G., Barnett, S. G., Benkert, R., Ludwig, D. A., Doll, J., Gallimore, C. E., Pandey. J. & Zorek, J. A. (2021). A preliminary exploration of the impact of accreditation on interprofessional education using a modified Delphi analysis. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 25, 100466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2021.100466
• Oliver-McNeil, S., Benkert, R., & Lauzon-Clabo, L. (2020). Enhancement of Bachelor of Science Nursing Program for Military Veterans through an Academic Practice Partnership. Journal of Professional Nursing, 36, 212-217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2019.12.005
• Benkert, R., Peters, R., & Templin, R. (2019). Sociodemographics and medical mistrust in a population based sample of Michigan residents. International Journal of Nursing and Health Care Research. 6:092. DOI: 10.29011/IJNHR-092.1000092
• Benkert, R., Cuevas, A., Thompson, H., Dove-Medows, E.*, & Knuckles, D.* (2019). Ubiquitous yet unclear: A systematic review of medical mistrust. Behavioral Medicine, 45:2. https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2019.1588220
• Nagelkerk, J., Benkert, R., Pawl, B. Myers, A., Moore, H., Armstrong, M., Murray, D., Baer, L., Rayford, A., Berlin,S., Fenbert, K., Boone, P. D., Masselink, S., & Jakstys, C.. (2018). Test of an interprofessional collaborative practice model to improve obesity-related health outcomes in Michigan. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 11, 43-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2018.02.001
• Benkert, R, Dennehy, P, White, J, Hamilton, A, Tanner, C, & Pohl, J. (2014). Diabetes and hypertension quality measurement in four safety-net sites: Lessons learned after implementation of the same commercial electronic health record. Applied Clinical Informatics, 5, 757-772. http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2014-03-RA-0019
• Benkert, R., Templin, T., Schim, S., Doorenbos, A. & Bell, S. E. (2011). Testing a multi-group model of cultural competence behaviors among underrepresented Nurse Practitioners. Research in Nursing and Health,34, 327-341. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.20441
• Benkert, R., Hollie, B., Nordstrom, C. K., Wickson, B., & Binns-Emerick, L.* (2009). Trust, mistrust, racial identity and patient satisfaction in urban African American primary care patients of nurse practitioners. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 41, 211-219. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2009.01273.x

Honors and Awards

• Service Award: Michigan Area Health Education Center, 2015
• Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2013
• Alumni of the Year, University of Detroit Mercy McAuley School of Nursing, 2011
• Community Service Award, Outstanding Volunteer, Joy-Southfield Community Development Corporation, 2006 
• Spirit of Detroit Award, 2006

Current Research

Dr. Benkert's current research focuses on explicating the role of medical mistrust, racial identity and cultural competence on adherence to primary care recommendations and quality of care. Her research has focused on the role of nurse practitioners and other primary care providers in nurse managed and traditional primary care settings.

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