Increased Out-of-Pocket Expenses and Decreased Non-cancer Care after High-deductible Health Plan Enrollment
It has been well-documented that the type of health insurance can impact patients’ decisions about seeking care, thereby potentially affecting health outcomes. A new study published in JAMA Oncology by Frank Wharam, Duke Professor of Medicine, and colleagues has confirmed that shifts to high-deductible health plans (HDHP) are associated with reduced visits to non-oncologists among cancer patients. In addition, and not surprisingly, their out-of-pocket medical expenses increased substantially.
Wahid, Recipient of 2024 SHM Excellence in Research Award
Congratulations to Dr. Lana Wahid, Assistant Professor of Medicine, for being selected as the recipient of the NC Triangle Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) Chapter Excellence Award (Excellence in Research Award). SHM promotes networking, education, and collaboration in the hospital medicine community. Dr. Wahid presented her a poster with several other Duke investigators at last fall’s SHM meeting at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park. Dr. Wahid leads the Hospital-Based Clinical Trials & Research Program at Duke, launched in July of 2022.
Sustained Decline in Cardiovascular Events During Pandemic Reported by Duke Researcher based on Analysis of Health Insurance Claims
With the rapid onset of COVID hospitalizations in spring 2020, the number of hospitalizations for other conditions was anticipated to decline due to staffing and space constraints, reallocation, and patient fears, among other factors. And decline it did, as reported by Duke Professor of Medicine Frank Wharam and team in a recent research letter published in JAMA Health Forum.
GIM Staff Spotlight: Avi Alkon
Avi Alkon has been at Duke for over 15 years and is a Database Analyst in our division. Learn more about him in our interview!
Faculty Promotions November 2023
Congratulations to the following faculty members for their recent appointment or promotion in the Department of Medicine.
Dr. Adia Ross Promoted to Associate Professor
Congratulations to Dr. Adia Ross on receiving a distinguished academic promotion in the division of General Internal Medicine (GIM), effective December 1, 2023.
Tyffany Locklear joins GIM as Research Program Leader
The division of General Internal Medicine (GIM) is happy to welcome Tyffany Locklear as Research Program Leader. She will help provide operational oversight to the Division's research portfolio including several funded projects and act in a support role to programs/faculty conducting exempt protocols within GIM. While serving as a primary liaison between research teams, division leadership and the departmental Clinical Research Unit (CRU), Tyffany will play a key role in developing collaborative grant proposals, research study protocols, manuscript preparation and study reports.
Faculty Promotions October 2023
Congratulations to the following faculty members for their recent appointment or promotion in the Department of Medicine.
5 in DOM Complete ALICE Program
ALICE is an annual program that provides targeted development to mid-career women faculty leaders. Applications for the 2024 program are available now and are due November 3.
Mario Family Foundation Awardees Focus on Older Adult Care, Heart Failure Patients, HIV
The Mario Family Foundation Award supports junior investigators in training by annually awarding selected patient-oriented research proposals to fund for one year. This year’s Mario Family Foundation fellow recipients are Judith B. Vick, MD, MPH, General Internal Medicine, Josephine Harrington, MD, Cardiology, and Naseem Alavian, MD, MPH, Infectious Diseases.
Drs. Wyatt and Bentley-Edwards Receive NIH Award to Reduce Kidney Health Disparities
Christina Wyatt, MD, associate professor in the Division of Nephrology, and Keisha Bentley-Edwards, PhD, associate professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, received an award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a project entitled “Interventions that Address Structural Racism to Reduce Kidney Health Disparities, Research Coordinating Center.”
Duke Medicine Expands Advocacy Curriculum to Include Fellows
Health care providers play a crucial role in medical advocacy, and the Duke Department of Medicine is meeting a need for these physicians’ voices by expanding the scope of medical advocacy training to include fellows as well as residents.
Moving Medicine Forward: Dr. Shariff Receives Community Cancer Centers Innovators Award
Afreen Shariff, MD, assistant professor in the division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition, has been selected by the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) as a 2023 Innovator Award recipient for her work on the effectiveness of electronic consults for immune-related endocrine toxicities.
Shah named CMO for Duke Primary Care and VP of Duke University Health System
Kevin Shah, MD, MBA, has been named Chief Medical Officer for Duke Primary Care (DPC) and Vice President of Duke University Health System (DUHS), effective June 1, 2023.
Transformational Leader Quinn Capers, MD, to Deliver June 16 Greenfield Lecture
Academic medicine transformation leader Quinn Capers, IV, MD, the Rody P. Cox Professor of Internal Medicine (Cardiology) and associate dean for faculty at the University of Texas Southwest School of Medicine, will deliver the June 16 Greenfield lecture.
The event will be held in person only beginning at 8 a.m. in Duke North, 2002. Breakfast will be served outside of the room starting at 7:45am.
Announcing the 2023 DOM Administrative Award Winners
The Department of Medicine is delighted to announce the winners of our 2023 Administrative Awards. Please join us in thanking them for their hard work and for demonstrating Duke's values.
Gagliardi Promoted to Associate Dean for Learning Environment and Well-Being
Jane Gagliardi, MD, MHS, has been promoted to associate dean for Learning Environment and Well-being in the School of Medicine.
GIM Division Update with Interim Chief Dr. William Yancy
By William Yancy, MD
Interim Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine
The Division of General Internal Medicine at Duke strives to improve adult patient, family, community, and population health through exemplary patient care, education, and research. Perhaps most importantly, we have maintained core values of excellence, integrity, kindness, and commitment to health and health equity for our patients and our communities.
2023 Resident Research Day Features Califf Research Award Winners
The Department of Medicine’s 2023 Resident Research Day, held Friday, May 19, featured presentations from this year’s Califf Research Award winners followed by a poster presentation with 18 entrants.