Elizabeth Malcolm, MD, MSHS, joined Duke GIM in October of 2018. She is the Director of Evaluation Science for the Duke Primary Care network and a primary care physician at Durham Medical Center. To get to know her better, we asked her the following questions:
What brought you to Duke?
I came to Duke for the opportunity to create and contribute to a learning health system in primary care.
What are your interests in the field?
My interests include applied health services research, program evaluation, high-value care, care delivery innovation, and implementation science.
How did you get into this specific field?
After my residency, I trained as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar. Through the fellowship, I gained an understanding of clinical research, health policy, and quality improvement. I had always had a passion for improving patient care and wanted to bring what I learned in the fellowship to health care delivery. Over the years I worked in a number of different settings, leading program innovation, development, implementation and evaluation, culminating in this great opportunity at Duke.
Can you tell us about your current research?
My work focuses on evaluating the impact of our new programs at Duke Primary Care. I'm currently working on the development and evaluation of the integrated behavioral health pilot in Duke Primary Care clinics and on understanding patients and developing an evaluation to understand virtual team care within the context of e-communications at Duke.
What are your hobbies or interests outside of work?
I have two fantastic teenagers, a great husband, a labor-intensive puppy, and a neglected cat. We like to go on adventures, hike, and explore North Carolina. I enjoy baking for my family when I have time.
Any trips you've taken recently that you would like to share?
We went to Miami and visited the Wynnwood Walls over New Years.
Any recent books you've read that you would like to share?
I'm halfway through "Team of Rivals: The political genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I started it as a way to do something positive when the political news was causing me heartburn, but have ended up learning a lot about the economic and cultural issues leading up to Civil War and as a result - a much deeper understanding of the ongoing issues around racial and economic inequality, especially in the south.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I frequently mix metaphors.
What is your favorite food?
Barbecued brisket.
What is your favorite restaurant?
My husband and I love exploring the restaurants in the triangle.