A hard-working Saucon Valley High School student and a 2017 alumnus were recognized for their recent accomplishments at the school board’s meeting Tuesday night.
Senior Ethan Bernstein was congratulated for the publication of a scientific paper he wrote in the academic Journal of Emerging Investigators–an open-access science journal that publishes research by middle and high school students.
Saucon Valley senior Ethan Bernstein
Bernstein explained that in his paper, titled “A Retrospective Study of the Relationship Between Hospital Regulatory Agency Variations and Opioid Mortality Rates, 1999-2014,” he set out to examine how the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare (JCAHO)’s 2000 revision of its pain management standards has had an effect on opioid mortality rates in the U.S. in the ensuing years.
JCAHO is an organization that accredits the majority of U.S. hospitals.
“The main objective of this research was to study opioid mortality over time in order to understand the contribution—or lack thereof—of hospital regulation regarding opioid usage,” Bernstein writes in the preface to his paper, which can be downloaded online. “The following hypotheses were developed: (1) average death rates due to opioid overdose will be significantly different when comparing states grouped by hospital accreditation mix and (2) pre-post change in average death rates due to opioid overdose will be significantly different between states grouped by hospital accreditation mix.”
Bernstein said he was able to prove his hypotheses in the paper, which he submitted to the journal under the guidance of math teacher Cheri Chisesi in November 2016.
Numerous copy edits followed, before it was finally published last month.
“We couldn’t be more proud of Ethan and Cheri for their work,” high school principal Beth Guarriello said.
“Thank you for bringing such honor and distinction to our school district,” superintendent Dr. Craig Butler added.
Also recognized at the meeting was 2017 Saucon Valley graduate Jacob Coyle, who was recently accepted into the VIP (Vocational and Independence Program) high school transition program offered by the IU and Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living.
“(Jacob) makes us proud every day,” Guarriello said, noting that the program is very selective. “He works hard at school and he works hard at his job.”
Photos of Bernstein and Coyle were shared on the high school’s new Facebook page.
Saucon Valley graduate Jacob Coyle (Class of 2017)
