Vernon C. Clifton MD, MBA, FACP
Vernon C. Clifton
MD, MBA, FACP
Clinical Assistant Professor
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
Geriatric Medicine; Hospitalist; Internal Medicine
Contact Information
Patient Care
Patient Care
This faculty member is affiliated with UBMD, practicing physicians who are also professors in the Jacobs School.
View this physician on UBMDProfessional Summary:
Dr. Vernon Clifton is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at University at Buffalo. His areas of clinical expertise include hospital medicine, geriatrics and internal medicine. He serves as Section Chief of Hospitalist Medicine for the General Internal Medicine Division and inpatient site director for UBMD at Erie County Medical Center. Dr. Clifton is a Physician Advisor with Erie County Medical Center and Vice Chair of Finance with the UBMD department of Internal Medicine. He is also an Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program for University at Buffalo,
Dr. Clifton graduated from Dalhousie University with an undergraduate in Applied Mathematics and Biology. He earned an MBA under scholarship and worked in industry as a Risk Management Consultant for several years with Ernst & Young. He later attended medical school in England, Grenada and New York City, and an Internal Medicine residency at the University at Buffalo. He successfully completed a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Finally returning to Buffalo, Dr. Clifton joined the University at Buffalo as faculty in 2017.
Dr. Clifton’s research and interest focuses on patient safety and high value care; health care quality improvement, including safety and costs in the geriatric population; and resident and student education.
Education and Training:
- Certificate, Jacobs Educator Excellence Program (JEEP), University at Buffalo - Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2022)
- Certificate, Effective Teaching for the Culturally Responsive Educator Certification, University at Buffalo - Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2020)
- Fellowship, Fellow Physician, Brookdale Department of Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (2017)
- Certificate, Geri-Talk, Brookdale Department of Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. (2016)
- Residency, Resident Physician, University at Buffalo - Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York (SUNY) (2016)
- MD, St. George's University (2013)
- MBA, Dalhousie University (2004)
- BS, Mathematics & Biology, Dalhousie University (2002)
Employment:
- Physician Advisor, Erie County Medical Center (2020-present)
- Vice Chair of Finance, University at Buffalo - Department of Medicine (2020-present)
- Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine, University at Buffalo - State University of New York Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2019-present)
- Hospital Quality Improvement & Site Director, UBMD (2019-present)
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine, University at Buffalo - State University of New York Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2017-present)
- Manager, Ernst & Young LLP (2004–2008)
Awards and Honors:
- Siegel Award Honoree (2021)
- Gold Humanism Honor Society Inductee (2020)
- MEERI Recipient (2020)
Professional Memberships:
- American College of Physician Advisors (2020–present)
- American Geriatrics Society (2017–present)
- American College of Physicians; Fellow (Elected 2020) (2016–present)
Presentations:
- "Life/Work/SLEEP Balance: Successfully navigating residency, AASM recommendations & building resilience" Internal Medicine Residency Didactics; University at Buffalo; Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2021)
- "Congestive Heart Failure: Identification & Management, and documentation guidelines" Excellence in Medicine High Value Care Series Hosted by UBMD & Erie County Medical Center (2021)
- "Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome: Quality Improvement in Inpatient Care Guidelines" Hospitalist Medicine Conference, Erie County Medical Center (2021)
- "Life/Work Balance: Successfully navigating residency & building resilience" Internal Medicine Residency Didactics; University at Buffalo; Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2019)
- "Successful Aging with Exercise – the effects on Dementia" Community Presentation / Healthy Living Series; Clarence Senior Center (2019)
- "Temporal Arteritis: When you hear hoof beats...Think Quagga" Ambulatory Case Conference; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Brookdale Department of Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine (2017)
- "Old Fluid Guidelines in Old Adults: Reducing Volume Overload in Sepsis Protocol" Morbidity & Mortality Conference; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Brookdale Department of Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine (2017)
- "“To intubate or not to intubate?” Using a Frailty Index Assessment for the Prediction of Adverse Outcomes in Hospitalized Geriatric Patients" EBM; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Brookdale Department of Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine (2016)
- "Exercise & Aging and the effects on Dementia" Community Guest Speaker; 92Y; Special Interest Group (2016)
- "Losing Sleep Over Chronic Insomnia in the Elderly" EBM; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Brookdale Department of Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine (2016)
- "Resuscitating a DNR: The Importance of Communication" Morbidity & Mortality Conference; University at Buffalo - State University of New York; Department of Internal Medicine (2016)
Service Activities:
- Faculty Practice Management Plan (FPMP) Governing Board; Department of Medicine Alternate Member (2021)
- Responsible for review of the development, revisions and updates the FPMP Compliance Plan and HIPAA Plan and policies quarterly and reporting recommendations to the Governing Board.; Compliance Committee Appointee (2021–present)
- Selected as Hospital Physician by CDS to drive improvement in clinical documentation processes across the organization; ECMC Accelerating Excellence: Clinical Documentation - Physician Champion (2021–present)
- Responsible to assess and improve the peer-review process, clinical pathways and patient-care quality policies using the Five Pillars of Clinical Quality meeting monthly and reporting to the hospital’s Medical Executive Committee.; ECMC Quality Executive Committee - Medicine Representative (2021–present)
- Pharmacy & Therapeutics Review Committee; Member (2020–present)
- UBMD Internal Medicine Board of Directors; Vice President (2020–present)
- Schwartz Rounds Committee; Facilitator (2019–present)
- Compensation Committee; Member (2019–present)
- Erie County Medical Center Physician Advisory Council; Physician Advisor (2019–present)
- Readmission Analysis Team - a monthly retrospective review of readmissions by same DRG at ECMC to discuss Transitions of Care and process improvement with CDS, case managers and academic physicians,; Physician Lead (2019–present)
- Quality Leadership Council; Academic Physician Member (2019–present)
- Kaleida Health Opioid Committee; Member (2018–2020)