Vanita Ahuja
MD, MPH, MBA
Associate Professor of Surgery; Chief General Surgery, VA Surgery; Surgery Quality Liaison-Residency, Yale Surgery; Co-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)
Biography
Research & Publications
Appointments
Biography
Dr. Vanita Ahuja is the Chief of General Surgery at the Connecticut Healthcare System-VA, and is the Surgery Quality Liaison for Yale Surgery Residency Program.
Dr. Ahuja earned her medical degree from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences located in Bethesda, Maryland. She then attended Portsmouth Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Virginia, where she completed her internship. After completing her internship, Dr. Ahuja went on to complete her residency, which she completed at Johns Hopkins Hospital, located in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition, Dr. Ahuja is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
Dr. Ahuja most recently was the Director of the surgical residency program at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. Dr. Ahuja also led the Pennsylvania Consortium ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) and serves as a Consultant for the American Board of Surgery.
Dr. Ahuja is affiliated with Yale University and VA Connecticut Healthcare System.
Education & Training
- Categorical ResidentUniversity of Wisconsin (2020)
- MBAJohns Hopkins Carey School of Business, Executive MBA (2016)
- Postdoctoral fellowshipJohn Wayne Cancer Institute (2009)
- MPHJohns Hopkins-Bloomberg School of Public Health (2008)
- Categorical ResidentJohns Hopkins (2007)
- Preliminary ResidentJohns Hopkins Hospital (2004)
- Research FellowshipSinai Hospital (2003)
- MDUniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
- BSUniversity of Maryland, Electrical Engineering
Certifications
- Board CertificationAB of Surgery, General Surgery
Activities
- Webinar Peptic Ulcer Disease ManagementWebinar Hosted with multiple speakers 2023Surgical Infection Society
- Clinical outcomes of elective robotic vs laparoscopic surgery for colon cancerMontreal, QC, Canada 2023SAGES 2023
- Incorporating social determinants of health in quality projectsSingapore, Singapore 2023International Nursing and Public Health Conference
- Impact of frailityon complications and length of stay after minimal invasive adrenalectomy surgeryHouston, TX, United States 2023Academic Surgical Congress
- Incorporating Technology in HealthcareSapporo, Hokkaido, Japan 20234th World Congress of Education- 2023
- Melanoma in VeteransHawaiian Beaches, HI, United States 2022Society of Asian Academic Surgeons
- Driving clinical and quality projects with inclusion of equity principlesGlobal conference 20223rd Edition of Global Conference on Surgery and Anesthesia
- A New Approach: Adding Social Determinants to Quality ProjectsRome, Lazio, Italy 2022World Congress on Surgery and Anesthesia Summit 2022
- Large Paraoesophageal Hiatal Hernias in NanogenariansOregon City, OR, United States 2019Large Paraoesophageal Hiatal Hernias in Nanogenarians
- Workshop: Train the Trainer: Mentoring Resident Quality ImprovementChicago, IL, United States 2019Workshop: Train the Trainer: Mentoring Resident Quality Improvement
- Overview and Principles of Change ManagementWashington, DC, United States 2019Overview and Principles of Change Management
- Simulation on a Budget: Skill Development to Team Based Training Association:San Diego, CA, United States 2017Simulation on a Budget: Skill Development to Team Based Training Association:
- Surgical Jeopardy at Digestive Disease WeekSan Diego, CA, United States 2016Surgical Jeopardy at Digestive Disease Week
- How to implement NSQIP at Rural Hospital?:San Diego, CA, United States 2016How to implement NSQIP at Rural Hospital?:
- How to Implement Quality CurriculumSeattle, WA, United States 2015How to Implement Quality Curriculum
- How to Decrease Colon Surgical Site Infection webinar ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement ProgramBaltimore, MD, United States 2015How to Decrease Colon Surgical Site Infection webinar ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program
- Implementation of Quality in Training Initiative (QITI) program in a community hospitalChicago, IL, United States 2015Implementation of Quality in Training Initiative (QITI) program in a community hospital
- A Primer for Your Job Search (hospital employee model)Washington, DC, United States 2015A Primer for Your Job Search (hospital employee model)
Honors & Recognition
| Award | Awarding Organization | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Patient Safety Award | VA Connecticut Healthcare System | 2023 |
| Circle of Award Winner | Maryland Patient Safety Annual Conference | 2018 |
| U.S. Navy Achievement Medal | U.S Navy | 2002 |
| U.S. Navy Commendation Medal | Us Navy | 2000 |
| Service Medal | National Defense | 1995 |
Professional Service
| Organization | Role | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Yale GME | Participate in planning and hosting Yale GME Healthcare Improvement Symposium 2023. | 2023 |
| Surgical Infection Society-DEI Committee | Chair | 2023 - 2026 |
| Yale Medicine | Led initiative to form a signature pathway on developing guidelines for determining periprocedural bleeding risk. https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/care-signature-initiative-addresses-pre-post-op-medication-usage-yale-surgery/ | 2022 - Present |
| Yale Medicine | Co-Lead development of surgery geriatric optimization signature pathway. | 2022 - Present |
| Society Asian Academic Surgoeon | Representative | 2022 - Present |
| BMC Surgery | Editorial Board Member | 2022 - Present |
| PLOS one | Editorial Board Member | 2022 - Present |
| Yale Surgery | Yale Surgery Citizenship Award Committee | 2019 - Present |
| SSAT Health Care Quality & Outcomes | Committee Member | 2019 - Present |
| Society of Alimentary Surgeons Education Committee | Committee Member | 2019 - Present |
| Maryland ACS | Committee Member | 2018 - Present |
| American Board of Surgeon | Member | 2018 - Present |
| Surgery | Reviewer | 2018 - Present |
| Annals of Surgery | Reviewer | 2018 - Present |
| Maryland American College of Surgeons Chapter | Board Member | 2017 - Present |
| Annals of Emergency Surgery | Reviewer | 2017 - Present |
| USU alumni, USUHS | Alumni Board of Medical School | 2017 - Present |
| Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) – Resident Education Committee – | planning National Surgical Jeopardy, San Diego, 2016 | 2016 |
| Society of University Surgeons Publications | Committee Member | 2016 - Present |
| Society of University Surgeons Publications | Committee Member | 2016 - Present |
| Reviewer for ACS Fundamentals of Surgery Curriculum | Reviewer | 2016 - Present |
| Fundamental of Surgery Curriculum | Reviewer | 2016 - Present |
| ACS-NSQIP National Planning Committee | for 2016 Conference in San Diego | 2015 - 2016 |
| Lancet for random trials review | Reviewer | 2015 - Present |
| Academic Surgical Congress Program Committee | Committee Member | 2014 - 2016 |
| Academic Surgical Congress | Reviewer | 2014 - Present |
| Permanente Journal | Reviewer | 2014 - Present |
| Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS) Task Force on Quality Curriculum, | Committee Member | 2013 - Present |
| Southeastern Surgical Congress Grand Rounds Professor & discussant | Board Member | 2013 - Present |
| Journal of American College of Surgeon | Reviewer | 2013 - Present |
| Southeastern Surgical Congress | Committee Member | 2012 - 2013 |
| Pennsylvania Consortium of American College of Surgeons – National Surgical Quality Improvement Program | President | 2011 - 2015 |
| Keystone Chapter, American College of Surgeons, & Regional Mock Oral for Residents | Executive Committee Member | 2011 - Present |
| American Surgeon | Reviewer | 2011 - Present |
| Journal of Surgical Education | Reviewer | 2010 - Present |