Vanita Ahuja
Biography
Research & Publications
Appointments
Biography
I was appointed the Section Chief of General Surgery, within the Department of Surgery at the Connecticut VA Healthcare System (VACT) and Surgery Quality Liaison in Department of Surgery at Yale School of Medicine, in 2019. As section lead, I oversee all the operations of the section from clinical work, surgical volume, innovation, research, outcomes, and QA/QI. I lead numerous collaborative research and multidisciplinary efforts to provide comprehensive, quality care to Veterans. As a result of these successes, I was recently appointed the Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN)- 1 Northeastern region lead for general surgery to help ensure that the care is standardized. As the site residency program director for the Department of Surgery at VA, I oversee the training of 8 residents spread over their 7-year training period. I am an active member on the Clinical Competency Committee, the Program Evaluation Committee, the medical student surgery committees, and oversee the Education Committee. I am the chair of Surgical Site Infection committee for the Department and co-chair of Geriatric Surgery Program. Both programs are to optimize care of the Veterans with improvement in quality of care. I am also the medical student Clerkship Director, directly responsible for student education, evaluation, training, and wellbeing while they rotate through our clinical service. Starting in 2022, I am Yale GME Associate Co-Director of Quality & Safety where my primary responsibility is to help lead GME distinction pathway in patient safety, quality improvement and healthcare equity. I am the chair of Yale Surgery Citizenship Award committee to recognize and celebrate faculty, trainees and staff who lead by example. At Yale, I lead multiple quality initiatives that earned local and national recognition. I routinely assist with section chief searches (e.g., Section Chief, Critical Care) and was recently appointed as 2023 Associates of the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library.
Education & Training
- Categorical ResidentUniversity of Wisconsin (2020)
- MBAJohns Hopkins Carey School of Business (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 (2008)
Activities
- Evolution of Medical Care: from Xenodochium to humanitarian aidNew Brunswick, NJ, United States 2023Academic International Medicine Congress 2023
- 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 |
---|---|---|
SOciety of University Surgeons | Plan mid-career course | 2023 - Present |
Cushing Whitney Library, Yale University | Associate of the Library | 2023 - Present |
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 |
Keystone Chapter, American College of Surgeons, & Regional Mock Oral for Residents | Executive Committee Member | 2011 - 2019 |
Pennsylvania Consortium of American College of Surgeons – National Surgical Quality Improvement Program | President | 2011 - 2015 |
American Surgeon | Reviewer | 2011 - Present |
Journal of Surgical Education | Reviewer | 2010 - Present |