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Vanita Ahuja

MD, MPH, MBA
Associate Professor of Surgery; Chief General Surgery, VA Surgery; Surgery Quality Liaison-Residency, Yale Surgery; Chair Surgery Award Committee, Yale Surgery; Co-Director Geriatric Surgery Committee, VA Surgery; Site Director-Residency, VA Surgery; Surgery Quality Liaison, Surgery; Associate Co-Director, GME; VISN 1 General Surgery Lead, Regional VA (Northeast)

Contact Information

Vanita Ahuja, MD, MPH, MBA

Mailing Address

  • Yale School of Medicine

    100 Cedar St

    New Haven, CT 06510

    United States

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Research Summary

My research activities can be divided into two categories: health equity and patient outcomes. My team utilized administrative nationwide databases to research outcomes in general surgery like colectomy with the use of robotic and minimally invasive approaches to technological advancement. Since I added robot surgery as a new service to our section, we are augmenting our expertise by examining approaches to surgery and outcomes. The work has led to multiple questions in the healthcare equity arena and how advanced technology is being utilized by race and socioeconomic factors. The work has been presented internationally and accepted for publication.

Extensive Research Description

My research activities can be divided into two categories: health equity and patient outcomes.

We utilized administrative nation-wide databases to research outcomes in general surgery like colectomy with the use of robotic and minimal invasive approach on technological advancement. Since we added robot surgery as a new service, we are augmenting our expertise by examining approaches to surgery and outcomes. Our work has led to multiple questions in healthcare equity arena and how advanced technology is being utilized by race and socioeconomic factors. Our work has been presented internationally and accepted for publication.

Nearly all my work are collaborative efforts with various faculty. One such collaboration was the study of surgical patients’ patient decision making, especially the super-elderly, to understand surrogate decision making and palliative care in critically ill surgical patients. This was especially acute during the pandemic. This work was support by departmental grant and resulted in multiple publications in peer-reviewed surgery journals and presentations at national conferences.

Within our department, I oversee and mentor the VACT National Clinical Scholar’s Program fellow (NCSP). With my guidance, the previous fellow focused on geriatric surgery and implementing the American College of Surgeon QI program at Yale an VA. A teaching platform was developed with prompts in respective electronic medical record to assist with the quality improvement projects. Additionally at Yale the NCSP assisted with implementation and developing education material for Yale faculty and trainees for several Surgery Signature Pathways. The major project was streamlining the management and provide guidance to providers in the pre and post usage of anticoagulation medications. This was patient-centered QI project with input from patient focused group to assist with patient information hand-out development.

I co-lead Yale Summer Undergraduate Research group for the last 3 years. The group was initiated during the pandemic and offered virtually to help the undergraduates’ students with understanding principles of statistical research, conducting and synthesizing literature searches, and development of research ideas. The inaugural group has successfully published a systematic review in melanoma in a surgery journal.

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Research Interests

Health Care

Public Health Interests

Aging; Health Care Quality, Efficiency; Health Policy

Selected Publications

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