Dr. Samantha Menegas, MD, senior assistant resident in the Duke Internal Medicine Residency Program, has been selected to serve as the Durham Veterans Administration Health Care System Chief Resident for Quality and Safety (CRQS) for 2026-27.
Dr. Menegas will begin her new role in July 2026, joining 2026-2027 chief residents Dr. Karen Young, Dr. John Demis, Dr. Nicholas Brazeau, and Dr. Amber Fleck.
She will be the fifteenth Duke internal medicine resident to hold the chief resident for quality and safety role at the Durham VA. Dr. Menegas will work closely with Dr. Joel Boggan, MPH, associate professor, and Ryan Duffy, MD, assistant professor of Medicine, as well as other past CRQS and leaders at the VA National Center for Patient Safety.
During her chief resident year, Dr. Menegas will be part of a network of chief residents across the country who lead quality improvement projects, receive expert training from mentors, and participate in a national curriculum designed to prepare a new generation of QI leaders to help residents implement QI initiatives.
“I am incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the CRQS next year,” said Dr. Menegas. “Through collaboration with our outstanding residents and faculty, I look forward to leading quality initiatives that improve patient care and outcomes.”
Dr. Menegas earned her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
“Dr. Menegas will add to the incredibly productive legacy of our CRQS team. She has outstanding clinical and leadership skills, and her ongoing mentorship from Dr. Brian Sullivan gives her a lens on health system science that will add value to her role. We are excited to see her contributions to quality improvement and patient safety at the VA and in our educational program,” said Dr. Aimee Zaas, program director of the Duke Internal Medicine Residency.
After her year as chief resident, Menegas plans to pursue a fellowship in Gastroenterology.