About

J.D. Burnett enjoys a varied career as a conductor, singer, and teacher. In the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas, he serves as director of choral activities and head of the division of vocal arts, conducts the UT Concert Chorale, and teaches courses in graduate choral conducting and literature. Additionally, he is the founding Artistic Director of Kinnara, the premier professional chamber choir in Atlanta, Georgia. In March 2021, he was named Artistic Director of Orpheus Chamber Singers in Dallas, assuming the role on January 1, 2022. Formerly, he was Associate Professor of Music and Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Georgia Hugh Hodgson School of Music. He has served as Assistant Director of the Dallas Symphony Chorus, conductor of the New Jersey Youth Chorus Young Men’s Ensemble, Associate Conductor of the Masterwork Chorus of New Jersey, and Acting Director of Choral Activities at Montclair State University. Earlier posts include Interim Director of Choral Activities at San Jose State University, Artistic Director of the New Jersey Chamber Singers, Music Director of the Houston Masterworks Chorus, and Founder of Men’s Consort Houston. He also served as Choral Editor at McGraw-Hill, Inc. Burnett’s choirs have given performances for national audiences of the American Choral Directors Association, National Collegiate Choral Organization, Chorus America, and the Association of Anglican Musicians, as well as regional audiences of the Southwestern Division of ACDA and Texas Choral Directors Association. He did undergraduate study at Stanford University and Oklahoma State University and holds advanced degrees in choral conducting from Westminster Choir College and the University of North Texas. As a professional choral singer, Burnett has performed and recorded with various ensembles including the Stillwater Chamber Singers, Cantare Houston, Fuma Sacra, Robert Shaw Festival Singers, Choir of Trinity Church Wall Street, Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, and Conspirare.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Family medicine
• Gerontology
• Pathology
• Demography
• Medical emergency
• Internal medicine

Selected publications

• Recovery experiences of adults with traumatic injuries after discharge from the acute care setting: a qualitative systematic review

  Physiotherapy · 2025-03-28

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Feasibility and Usage of a Virtual Assistant Device in Cognitively Impaired Homebound Older Adults

  Journal of Applied Gerontology · 2025-01-10 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Social technology in older adults can improve self-rated health; however, there can also be difficulties using it. Our study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptance of virtual assistant device (VAD) use in cognitively impaired homebound older adults. 52 newly referred Meals on Wheels clients aged 60 and older were recruited for a three-phase study: 6 weeks of meals alone (control), followed by 6 weeks of meals+Alexa Echo Show 8 (AES8) basic usage, and lastly 6 weeks of meals+AES8 advanced usage. Technology acceptance with the AES8 was significantly higher by the end of the study and participants anecdotally enjoyed playing music, setting reminders, and accessing spiritual content. There were also associations with improvements in memory, depression, and gait speed, despite no specific health programming. Thus, we believe use of VADs for cognitively impaired homebound older adults have future potential to benefit their cognitive and physical health. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04581317. Impact Statement: We certify that this work is novel because we were able to highlight improvements in the feasibility of use of a voice-activated virtual assistant device, technology acceptance, and some health indicators for underserved, cognitively impaired homebound older adults.

  PublisherDOI

• Gauging Elder Mistreatment Awareness: Investigating Changes in Internet Search Term Popularity, 2018-2023 (Preprint)

  2025-09-09

  preprintOpen access

  <sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Despite a significant percentage of older adults having experienced some form of elder mistreatment (EM), it often goes underreported. One hypothesized reason for underreporting includes insufficient public awareness of EM. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> This study explores and compares baseline measures of EM public awareness in the United States. </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> We used Google Trends data to explore the relative popularity of search terms “elder abuse,” “child abuse,” and “domestic violence” in the US from December 2018 to December 2023. We also compared the relative popularity of “elder abuse” between states based on universal mandated reporting laws and the criteria used to determine if these laws applied to the victim. </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> The mean popularities for elder abuse and child abuse were 11.35 and 50.21, respectively. The mean popularities for elder abuse and domestic violence were 6.96 and 63.5, respectively. The mean popularity among states with universal mandated reporting laws was 53.26 vs 59.33 among states with less stringent reporting laws (t = 1.65; p = 0.11). The mean popularity among states using victim age as the only criterion to determine reporting law applicability was 59.80 vs 55.41 for states using additional characteristics to determine applicability (t = -1.07; p = 0.29). </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> Google Trends is a viable measure of public awareness. EM public awareness appears to be stable over time, yet lower than child abuse and domestic violence and unaffected by state reporting laws. Comprehensive prevention strategies are needed that go beyond legal mandates. </sec>

  PublisherDOI

• Detection of Elder Abuse Through Emergency Care Technicians Screening Tool Revision for Home-Based Primary Care (DETECT-RPC): a cluster randomised controlled trial study protocol

  BMJ Open · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: The annual prevalence of elder mistreatment (EM) in cognitively intact older adults is estimated to be 11%, yet the annual prevalence in older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) is estimated to be as high as 75%. Associated with a decrease in quality of life and increase in risk of mortality, EM represents a significant public health burden. Home-based primary care (HBPC) providers are uniquely positioned to address the critical need for robust EM screening and reporting, especially among individuals with AD/ADRD. This protocol seeks to adapt the Detection of Elder mistreatment Through Emergency Care Technicians (DETECT) screening tool, previously used by emergency medical technicians, for use by HBPC providers. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The protocol consists of two main phases which include four substudies. Substudy 1 uses a qualitative approach to understand the current barriers to clinician identification and reporting of EM in HBPC, including what adaptations need to be made to DETECT for use in HBPC. Substudy 2 is a cluster randomised controlled trial evaluating the impact of Detection of Elder Abuse Through Emergency Care Technicians Screening Tool Revision for Home-Based Primary Care (DETECT-RPC) on clinician identification of older adult patients with increased risk of EM and referring their concerns to the appropriate authorities and service providers. Substudies 3 and 4 apply a mixed-methods approach to postscreening interviews with clinicians and caregiver/care recipient dyads, respectively. These substudies aim to evaluate DETECT-RPC's impact on barriers to EM identification and reporting as well as the harms and benefits of using the screening tool from the perspective of patients and their caregivers. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: All components of this study are conducted with the approval of the Institutional Review Board of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (HSC-SPH-22-0732, HSC-SPH-23-0105, HSC-SPH-23-0965, HSC-SPH-24-0123). The results of this study will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal as well as through presentations at professional conferences, invited talks and other standard channels. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05958654 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Public Health Strategies and Community Resources to Address Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults

  Clinics in Geriatric Medicine · 2025-06-13 · 2 citations

  review1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Building resilience: A specialty clinic tailored to older adults at risk for violence and abuse

  The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine · 2024-08-04 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: Both structural (e.g., ageism) and personal (e.g., stigma) barriers hinder older adults' access to and engagement with mental health care. These barriers are particularly problematic for those vulnerable to interpersonal violence and abuse (e.g., due to social isolation). This study presents a quality improvement program aimed at older adults who have experienced significant stressful events, particularly elder mistreatment, within a larger trauma specialty clinic. Leveraging home-based telemedicine, the clinic provides evidence-based psychotherapy tailored to the needs of older adults. METHODS: From 2021 through 2023, the authors retrospectively examined treatment initiation, engagement, completion, and clinical outcomes among 231 older adults age 60+ who reported trauma that met DSM-5 criterion A criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or other mental health comorbid conditions related to their traumatic event. The clinic uses an automated measurement-based care approach that facilitates Quality Improvement projects, allowing the tracking of treatment initiation, engagement, completion, and clinical outcomes for all patients. RESULTS: The results indicated high treatment completion, high engagement with telemedicine-delivered interventions, and, most importantly, significant changes in clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the importance of expanding telemedicine-based mental health services for older adults, challenging ageist norms, and prioritizing older adults' mental health needs by providing tailored services to this patient population.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The feasibility of health professional student delivered social visits for stroke survivors with loneliness

  Frontiers in Stroke · 2024-05-15 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st author

  Objectives: To examine the feasibility of a social phone call program to address social isolation and loneliness in stroke survivors. Materials and methods: We paired 14 lonely community-living stroke survivors with 14 health professional students for 6-weekly unstructured social phone calls. Feasibility data and measures of social isolation, loneliness and other psychosocial metrics were collected pre- and post-intervention. Students journaled following each unstructured call to capture the informal conversation and their sentiments. Results: Sixty-two percent of the targeted sample was interested. Fourteen eligible and interested participants were enrolled. The 13 (93%) participants completing all calls and surveys were an average of 57 years old, 85% female, and 77% non-Hispanic white. At baseline, participants were highly lonely and moderately depressed. Participants disclosed physical and emotional challenges, previous valued employment, and enjoyment from the calls. Students reported enjoying the connections, learning about the struggles of aging-in-place after stroke, and valuing compassionate care for the stroke population. Conclusions: Knowledge gaps remain regarding effective social support interventions to provide continuity of care directed at managing social disconnection after stroke. A health professional student-delivered social phone call intervention with stroke survivors appears to be a feasible, in part, and encouraging approach for addressing social isolation and loneliness. Future trials require re-evaluation of eligibility criteria and strategies to boost enrollment before efficacy testing is conducted in a larger trial.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• ADAPTING THE DETECT TOOL FOR HOME-BASED PRIMARY CARE: INSIGHTS ON POLICIES, PROVIDER PERSPECTIVES, AND TOOL DESIGN

  Innovation in Aging · 2024-12-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Elder mistreatment (EM) is difficult to detect and often goes unrecognized. Home-based primary care (HBPC) providers have enduring relationships with patients who are vulnerable to EM and the ability to see patients’ homes first-hand. Effective and efficient screening tools are urgently needed to support these providers in consistently assessing patients for signs of EM. This project includes a two-stage approach to adapting and rigorously evaluating an evidence-based EM screening tool, Detection of Elder mistreatment Through Emergency Care Technicians (DETECT), for use in home-based primary care (HBPC). In this presentation, we share results from a qualitative study conducted to inform tool adaptation and implementation strategy for DETECT revised for primary care (DETECT-RPC). This study addressed three research questions: 1) what are the implications of state- and site-specific policies on DETECT-RPC implementation, 2) what are the perceived barriers and facilitators to recognizing and reporting EM among HBPC providers, and 3) What adaptations need to be made to make DETECT-RPC feasible and effective in HBPC? Data collection included review of publicly available information and interviews and focus groups with HBPC staff from seven sites (N=16). Interview and focus group data were transcribed and coded using a thematic analysis approach. We will present key themes from the qualitative study including implications for the DETECT-RPC tool design and workflow, and key considerations for developing reporting guidelines structure.

  PublisherDOI

• A STEPPED-CARE SOCIAL AND MENTAL HEALTH ENGAGEMENT INTERVENTION FOR OLDER ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES CLIENTS

  Innovation in Aging · 2024-12-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Adult Protective Services (APS) clients are commonly characterized as socially isolated and depressed, and recently, lonely. The only evidence-based interventions for this population target depression and none have focused on social isolation and loneliness (SIL). This study is the first to provide a formal assessment of loneliness in a large sample of APS clients and the first to test an intervention to address SIL in this population. Our study uses a randomized waitlist control design to test whether an intergenerational stepped-care social and mental health engagement approach reduces SIL and increases the likelihood of depression treatment for N = 200 older adult APS clients across Texas. We paired one pre-professional health student or criminal justice student (students) with each client to engage in 8 weekly friendly phone calls. The primary intervention targets are SIL and the secondary targets are depression treatment and reduction. At the end of each call students complete a brief mental health screen to assess for higher-level mental health treatment needs. If mental health needs were detected, participants were offered to be contacted by the UTHealth Trauma and Resilience Center. Prior to participant engagement, students received training on empathy-based communication, abuse, neglect, and exploitation and addressing objective or subjective indications of suicidal ideation. To date, we have enrolled 65 participants. In the intervention group, among those needing higher level mental health treatment, 73% agreed to being contacted. In this session we discuss preliminary findings on SIL and depression, and review intervention successes, challenges, solutions, and student perspectives.

  PublisherDOI

• A collaboration between adult protective services and forensic accounting examiners to investigate complex financial exploitation: formative evaluation findings

  Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect · 2024-02-06 · 6 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Financial exploitation (FE) is one of the most common reports to Adult Protective Services (APS) and the cases are often complex. Consequently, APS caseworkers report FE investigations to be among the most difficult while simultaneously reporting low confidence in productive outcomes for these investigations. This necessitates finding ways to support APS FE investigations. This paper describes the structure, process, and formative findings of a collaboration between forensic accounting examiners and APS workers to investigate complex cases of FE. Among the 77 FE cases completed, forensic examiners reviewed multiple years of financial records which included over 101,000 transactions, totaling over $213,000,000.00 in finances, and identified over $8,000,000 in questionable activity. Scores on the 8-item Client Satisfaction Questionnaire were high indicating high program satisfaction by APS workers, subject matter experts, and forensic examiners. These findings support the feasibility and acceptability of forensic accounting and APS collaborations to investigate complex cases of FE.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• C. Dyer

  83 shared

• Aanand D. Naik

  25 shared

• John M. Halphen

  The University of Texas at Austin

  22 shared

• Sabrina Pickens

  Texas Woman's University

  17 shared

• W. Andrew Achenbaum

  15 shared

• P. Adam Kelly

  Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System

  13 shared

• Sabrina Pickens-Pace

  10 shared

• Pamela M. Diamond

  The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

  9 shared

Labs

• J.D. Burnett LabPI