Smita Y. Bakhai MD, MPH, FACP
Smita Y. Bakhai
MD, MPH, FACP
Clinical Associate Professor
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
Internal Medicine; Internal Medicine - General
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:
I am the program director of the Public Health/General Preventive medicine (PH/GPM) residency and Internal Medicine/Preventive Medicine (IM/PM) Combined residency programs. I am board certified in Occupational Medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine and in Internal Medicine. I graduated from the University of Buffalo IM residency program in 1991.
I am highly engaged in mentoring, teaching and supervising residents and medical students in our Internal Medicine Residency program over the past 17 years. Currently, I provide outpatient primary care at Hertel Elmwood Internal Medicine Center, a certified Patient Centered Medical Home. I take great pleasure in working with diverse patients to optimize health and well-being. I focus on primary and secondary prevention of chronic medical conditions, while providing proactive, preventive, and compassionate care for these complex patients. My practice emphasizes coordinating care across interdisciplinary teams to address social determinants of health. We focus on integrating United States Preventive Services (USPSTF) recommendations in to clinical care.
I am extremely passionate about quality improvement with special emphasis on advancing health equity and population health. I am the chair for NY -American College of Physician (ACP) quality and patient safety committee. I am the recipient of multiple grants and awards for QI projects as a primary investigator. Under my mentorship, our residents have presented various QI posters and received approximately, twenty QI awards at the Graduate Medical Education (GME), state, and national platforms. Our resident -led QI projects have included cancer screening, Hepatitis C screening, and primary and secondary prevention of chronic diseases. I am actively engaged in several quality improvement projects to improve patient safety and the quality of care we provide. Our recent Quality improvement projects address warfarin -high risk medication management , health care disparity in colorectal cancer screening and mitigating maternal health risks by improving Covid-19 vaccination rates.
I am the primary investigator for the Human Resources Services Administration (HRSA) grant for our Preventive Medicine Residency program, comprised of 2.8 million dollars over 5 years, expanding IM/PM Combined Residency program and bringing a new general Preventive Medicine residency with a special focus on maternal health. As the program director, I facilitate various rotations, lead didactic sessions, and supervise residents. I am leading the development of curriculum for new clinical rotations including population health, lifestyle medicine, addiction medicine, and patient safety and quality. My goal is to produce great leaders to provide excellence in clinical care, address social injustice, and gain skills to improve population health.
Education and Training:
- Certificate, Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA), American Board of Internal Medicine ( ABIM) (2026)
- UB School of Managment (2015)
- State University of New York at Buffalo (2014)
- Internal Medicine, American College of Physicians (2010)
- Certificate, National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) (2010)
- Residency, Occupational Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University (1998)
- MPH, Public Health, major in Occupational Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin at Milwaukee (1996)
- Residency, Internal Medicine, University at Buffalo (1991)
- Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, B. J. Medical College, Gujarat University (1986)
Employment:
- Program Director, General Preventive Medicine and Public Health Residency; and Internal Medicine/Preventive Medicine Combined Residency Program,, Internal Medicine, JSMBS (2020-present)
- Volunteer Faculty, Psychiatry, University of Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine (2020-present)
- Attending Physician, Clinical Associate Professor, Hertel Elmwood Internal Medicine Center , Kaleida Health (2019-present)
- Clinical Professor, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2024-present)
- Clinical Instructor, University at Buffalo (2005-present)
- Upstate Region Councilor At Large Position New York Chapter,, Volunteer appointment, American College of Physician (NY-ACP) (2023-present)
- Chair, Quality and Patient Safety Task Force, New York Chapter,, American College of Physician (NY-ACP) (2020–2022)
- Attending Physician, Erie County Medical Center Internal Medicine Center (2005–2020)
- Assistant Professor, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo (2005–2019)
- Medical Director, ECMC Internal Medicine Center (2009–2018)
- Acting Medical Director, Union Occupational Health Center, ECMC, SUNY at Buffalo, Erie County Medical Center (1992–1995)
- Staff Physician, Union Occupational Health Center, Erie County Medical Center, SUNY at Buffalo, Erie County Medical Center (1991–1992)
Awards and Honors:
- “Under prescribing of cardioprotective novel antidiabetic drugs in marginalized patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus”, selected as 2nd place winner, clinical research category, poster presentation by 2nd year Internal Medicine resident (2022)
- “Interprofessional Collaboration for Safe Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain: QI project”, selected for the Evan Calkins, MD Community-Based Research Fellowship award, third year IM/PM resident received $1500 award, UB (2022)
- “ Strategies to address Healthcare Disparity in Colorectal Cancer Screening (CRC)” Quality improvement project, selected as first place winner at NY-American College of Physician(NYACP meeting, poster presentation by 3rd year IM/PM resident, May 27, 2022, Albany, NY (2022)
- Scientific Excellence Award, Semi-finalist 3rd year Im-PM resident ,at National ACPM conference (2022)
- “Multi-faceted Strategies to address the barriers to Health Care Disparity in Colorectal Cancer Screening (CRC)”: Quality Improvement Project, win-ner of social justice and equity award, 3rd year Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine Resident, received $2,000 award (2021)
- Improving Warfarin safety during clinic merger amid Covid-19 , Pandemic, Quality improvement project, NY American College of Physi-cian (ACP) 2nd place winner, in the Resident/Fellow and Medical Student Quality Patient Safety and Advocacy Category, virtual poster presentation : by 4th year IM/PM Resident (2021)
- “Increasing Rate of Attendance to First Outpatient Mental Health Ap-pointment Post Hospital Discharge after Suicidal Ideation”: Quality Improvement Project ,winner of the Evan Calkins, MD Community-Based Research Fellowship award, Second year residents in Department of Psychiatry, received $2,200 award (2021)
- Improving breast cancer screening rates in primary care safety-net clinic: Quality improvement project 1st place winner, Graduate Medical Education Award, Oral poster presentation by 3rd year resident at 2nd Annual “virtual” Celebration of Scholarship, University at Buffalo (UB) (2020)
- 2019 Gage Award (2019)
- NCQA Diabetes Recognition Program Certificate (2010)
Grants and Sponsored Research:
- July 2021–June 2026
Primary Care Training and Enhancement -Community Prevention and Maternal Health for Preventive Medicine residency and Combined Internal Medicine/Preventive Medicine Residency, University at Buffalo Title: The UB Preventive Medicine Program in Maternal Health Improvement Total Award- $2,840,574
HRSA
Role: Principal Investigator
$2,840,574 - December 2023–June 2025
Dec 2023- Jun 2025 Implementation of Multi-Faced Strategies to Advance Health Equity in Colorectal Cancer Screening in Marginalized Communities at Hertel Elmwood Internal Medicine Clinic , Buffalo Sponsor: Exact Sciences Funding: $75,000 to Kaleida Health Foundation Role: PI and Lead Physician
Exact sciences
Role: Principal Investigator - January 2022–December 2022
Implementation and facilitation of colorectal cancer screening (CRC) to improve CRC by stool DNA testing and colonoscopy in Hertel Elmwood Internal Medicine Center, Kaleida Health (KH) Sponsor: American Cancer Society Funding: $20,000 to KH foundation Role: Primary Investigator and Lead Physician
American Cancer Society
Role: Principal Investigator - –September 2018
Implementation and facilitation of breast cancer screening
Role: Principal Investigator - –January 2018
Increasing Cancer Screening through Academic Detailing and Practice Facilitation Project
Health Research and NYS-DOH
Role: Co-Investigator - –January 2017
Implementation and facilitation of colorectal cancer screening (CRC)
American Cancer Society
Role: Principal Investigator - –January 2017
Implementation and facilitation of Frontlines of Communities in the United States (FOCUS)
Gilead
Role: Co-Investigator - –October 2016
Implementation participation and facilitation of Centers of Excellence in Alzheimer‘s Disease (CEAD)
Grant of WNY
Role: Co-Investigator - –January 2016
Increasing Cancer Screening Through Academic Detailing and Practice Facilitation
Research for Health and NYS DOH
Role: Co-Investigator
Journal Articles:
- Bakhai S, Ansari M*, Sadeghi C*, Reynolds JL. (2024) Advancing Health Equity in improving Breast Cancer Screening with use of a mobile mammography bus in marginalized population: Quality Improvement Project. BMJ Open Quality Journal 2024;13:e002482. doi:10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002482 Role: Corresponding and Senior Author, study oversight, study concept and design, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting of manuscript, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content and finalization of manuscript. (Apr)
- Bakhai S, Mustafa J, Cloutier M, Islam F, Gudleski G, Reynolds J. (2024) Lean Six Sigma quality improvement approach to implement Clinical Practice Guidelines for Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain in a primary care setting. Joint Commission Journal on quality and patient safety, March 2024 Role: Corresponding and senior Author, study oversight, study concept and design, acquisition of data analysis and interpretation of data, drafting of manuscript, critical revision of. the manuscript for important intellectual content and finalization of manuscript. oint Commission Journal on quality and patient safety, M (Apr)
- Bakhai S, Jordan J, Stoll J. (2024) Strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant, marginalized population: Quality Improvement Project, HRSA supplement, American Journal of Public Health, accepted on March 10,2024 Role: Corresponding and First Author, study oversight, study concept and design, acquisition of data analysis and interpretation of data, drafting of manuscript, critical revision of. the manuscript for important intellectual content and finalization of manuscript. American Journal of Public Health, (Apr)
- Bahuva R, Jordan J, Pokharel Y, Reynolds J, Bakhai S. (2024) Optimizing Warfarin anticoagulation practices in an academic clinic during clinic merger amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Quality Improvement Project, International Journal for Quality in Healthcare, February 2024 Role: Corresponding and senior Author, study oversight, study concept and design, acquisition of data analysis and interpretation of data, drafting of manuscript, critical revision of. the manuscript for important intellectual content and finalization of manuscript. International Journal for Quality in Healthcare (Feb)
- Rasendrakumar A, Khanna A, Bakhai S. (2022) Early Recognition and Successful Treatment of Anti-synthetase Syndrome. Cureus (Jan), 14(1): e21786. doi:10.7759/cureus.21786
- Sadeghi C, Khan HA, Gudleski G, Reynolds JL, Bakhai SY. (2020) Multifaceted strategies to improve blood pressure control in a primary care clinic: A quality improvement project. International Journal of Cardiology. Hypertension (Dec), 7: 100060. doi:10.1016/j.ijchy.2020.100060
- Bakhai S, Bhardwaj A, Phan H, Varghese S, Gudleski GD, Reynolds JL. (2019) Optimisation of diagnosis and treatment of heart failure in a primary care setting. BMJ open quality (Jan), 8(4): e000660. doi:10.1136/bmjoq-2019-000660
- Bakhai SY, Nigam M, Saeed M, Krishnan A, Reynolds JL. (2017) Improving OSA screening and diagnosis in patients with hypertension in an academic safety net primary care clinic: quality improvement project. BMJ Open Qual (Nov), 6(2): 000105-000105.
- Nallapeta N, Reynolds JL, Bakhai S. (1900) Deprescribing Proton Pump Inhibitors in an Academic, Primary Care Clinic: Quality Improvement Project. Journal of clinical gastroenterology (Jan), 54(10): 864-870. doi:10.1097/MCG.0000000000001317
Abstracts:
- Pasha A*, Khan R*, Khidir A*, Mustafa J*, Bakhai S,. (2023) “Prescribing practices of cardioprotective anti-diabetes medications in marginalized population”, accepted for an oral presentation in October 2023 by 2nd year resident, 59th European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting, Hamburg, Germany, abstract will be published on line on EASD website and in the online version of Diabetologia, journal of EASD, Oct.2023. Diabetologia, journal of EASD, Oct.2023, (Oct) Oral
- Nallapeta, N., Ahluwalia, G., Sadeghi, C., Mangat, A., Reynolds, J., Gudleski, G.D., & Bakhai, S. (2018) Improving colorectal cancer screening rates with the introduction of fecal immunochemical testing (FIT): A primary care quality improvement project. (Jun)
Professional Memberships:
- American College of Physicians (ACP); Chair, Quality and Patient Safety Committee, New York Chapter (2020–present)
- American College of Preventive Medicine (2020–present)
- American College ofOccupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) (2020–present)
- Society Of General Internal Medicine (2015–present)
- American College of Physician; Member (1999–present)
- American Society of Internal Medicine (1992–present)
- American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (1992–2003)
Presentations:
- "“Interprofessional Collaboration for Safe opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain during clinic merger amid COVID-19 Pandemics : QI project Grand Rounds, Department of Family Medicine, Catholic Health , Buffalo, NY" Grand rounds (2023)
- "Nov 16 2023 “Interprofessional Collaboration for Safe opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain during clinic merger amid COVID-19 Pandemics : QI project Grand Rounds, Department of Family Medicine, Catholic Health , Buffalo, NY" (2023)
- "Oct 12 2023 “Strategies to Advance Health Equity in Colorectal Cancer Screening in Marginalized Communities”, Grand Rounds, Department of Internal Family Medicine, Jacobs school" (2023)
- "Sept 12 2023 “Advancing Health Equity in optimizing Diabetes care”, Grand Rounds, Niagara Falls Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program, Department of Family Medicine, Niagara Falls, NY" (2023)
- "June 22 2023 “Strategies to Advance Health Equity in Colorectal Cancer Screening in Marginalized Communities”, Grand Rounds, Department of Internal Medicine, Jacobs school" (2023)
- "May 2 2023 “USPSTF Update”, Grand Rounds, Niagara Falls Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program, co-presenter with IM-PM recent graduate Department of Family Medicine, Niagara Falls, NY" (2023)
- "Apr 6 2023 “Optimizing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in advancing Evidence-based Diabetes care”, Grand Rounds, Department of Family Medicine, Catholic Health , Buffalo, NY" (2023)
- "Strategies to address Healthcare Disparity in Colorectal Cancer Screening (CRC)” Quality improvement project, Oral presentation, Webinar by National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable( NCCRT) meeting on Jan.24, 2023 Oral presentation by 4th year IM/PM resident" National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT) (2023)
- "“ Strategies to address Healthcare Disparity in Colorectal Cancer Screening (CRC)” Quality improvement project, Oral presentation on virtual platform by 4th year IM/PM resident, annual HRSA Stakeholder meeting on Nov.16,2022,." Annual HRSA Stakeholder meeting on Nov.16,2022,. (2022)
- "“ Strategies to address Healthcare Disparity in Colorectal Cancer Screening (CRC)” Quality improvement project, selected for annual National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable( NCCRT) meeting on Nov.18,2022, Baltimore, Maryland. Oral presentation by 4th year IM/PM resident" National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable( NCCRT) meeting on Nov.18,2022, Baltimore, Maryland. Oral presentation by 4th year IM/PM resident (2022)
- "Improving Warfarin safety during clinic merger amid Covid-19 , Pandemic, Quality improvement project, virtual oral presentation : by 4th year IM/PM Resident Oral presentation by 4th year IM/PM resident, annual HRSA Stakeholder meeting on Nov.16,2022" Annual HRSA Stakeholder meeting on Nov.16,2022 (2022)
- "“Mitigating Maternal health Risk by improving Covid-19 Vaccination Rates” Quality Improvement Project, selected for poster presentation, American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) annual meeting, poster presentation by 4th year IM/PM resident, June 16,2022," ACPM Annual Meeting 2022 (2022)
- "Improving Warfarin safety during clinic merger amid Covid-19 , Pandemic, Quality improvement project, Quality Improvement Project, selected for poster presentation by 4th year IM/PM resident, American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) annual meeting, June 16,2022," ACPM Annual Conference (2022)
- "Improving access to community support for suicidal patients, post hospital discharge”, oral poster presentation by two,3rd year Psychiatry residents at American Psychiatry Association (APA) Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA , May 21-25,2022 , poster presentation by 4th year Psychiatry residents" APA - American Psychiatric Association Annual Conference (2022)
- "Strategies to improve Colorectal Cancer Screening, Grand Rounds, Department of Family Medicine, UB, NY" Grant Rounds,Department of Family Medicine, UB, NY (2021)
- "Optimizing Blood Pressure Control in Hypertensive Patients in an Academic Hospital Based Primary Care Safety Net Clinic" European Society of Hypertension's Annual Scientific Meeting (2019)
- "Optimizing Blood Pressure Control in Hypertensive Patients in an Academic Hospital Based Primary Care Safety Net Clinic" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting (2019)
- "An Innovative Approach of Teaching Quality Improvement Curriculum" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; Society of General Internal Medicine; Innovations in Medical Education (2018)
- "Guideline Directed Medical Therapy for Heart Failure Optimization" National ACP; American College of Physicians; Patient Safety and Advocacy (2018)
- "Implementation of Integrated Transition of Care Management in an Academic Hospital Based Safety-Net Primary Care Clinic" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; ; Innovations in Clinical Practice Hands On Technology Presentation (2018)
- "Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates with the Introduction of Fecal Immunochemical Testing in a Safety-Net Primary Care Clinic" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; Society of General Internal Medicine; Innovations in Clinical Practice (2018)
- "Improving Screening for Microalbuminuria in Patients with Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in an Academic, Hospital Based Primary Care Safety-Net Clinic" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; Society of General Internal Medicine; Innovations in Clinical Practice (2018)
- "Improving Spirometry Rates for the Diagnosis and Evidence Based Treatment of COPD" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; SGIM; Innovations in Clinical Practice (2018)
- "Increase Screening Rates of Hepatitis C in Baby Boomers and High Risk Patients in an Academic, Hospital Based Primary Care Safety-Net Clinic" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; Society of General Internal Medicine; Innovations of Clinical Practice (2018)
- "Correlates of Opiate Misuse of Patients on Chronic Opiate Therapy for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain in an Academic Safety-Net Primary Care Clinic" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; ; Scientific Research (2017)
- "Improving Hepatitis C Screening Rates in High Risk Populations and Baby Boomers" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; SGIM; Innovations in Clinical Practice (2017)
- "Improving OSA Screening in Hypertensive Patients using STOP BANG Questionairre in Primary Care Clinic" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; Society of General Internal Medicine; Innovations in Clinical Practice (2017)
- "Patient with Acute Shortness of Breath, Dry Cough, Arthralgia and Fever: Antisynthetase Syndrome Case Report" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; ; Clinical Vignettes (2017)
- "Quality of Care of Diabetic Patients with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) in an Academic Hospital Based Primary Care Clinic" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; ; Scientific Research (2017)
- "Improving OSA Screening in Hypertensive Patients using STOP BANG Questionairre in Primary Care Clinic" National ACP (2017)
- "Increasing Use of ASCVD Risk Calculator in a Primary Care Setting" ACP National Meeting; American College of Physicians; Resident Quality, Patient Safety and Outcomes (2017)
- "The Opioid Heroin Epidemic: Perspectives from the Primary Care Clinic, Emergency Room and First Responders/Prescription Opioid Use: A Public Health Crisis" National Prevention Network Conference (2016)
- "The Flipped Classroom: Basic QI Training for Residents" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; Society of General Internal Medicine; Innovations in Medical Education (2016)
- "Acute Onset of Toothache, Facial Swelling and Fever in a Primary Care Clinic" Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting; Society of General Internal Medicine; Clinical Vignetts
Service Activities:
- Upstate Region Councilor At Large Position New York Chapter, American College of Physician (NY-ACP) (2023–2026)
- Member, DEI Committee, New York Chapter, American College of Physician (NY-ACP) (2023–present)
- Member, Clinical Competency Committee, Internal Medicine Residency Program (2022–present)
- Member of Steering Committee , Generalist Scholar’s Program at UB (2022–present)
- Addiction Medicine, Preventive Cardiology, Maternal health, Life style Medicine, Bioinformatics, and State Department of health rotation; I revised the curriculum based on ACGME milestone 2.0 in 2023 (2022–2023)
- The Health fair for Smoking Cessation and Lung cancer screening was canceled on May 19, 2022 due to mass shooting event in Buffalo; Host an educational event for the public in the community about need for lung cancer screening, Hertel Elmwood Internal Medicine Center Sponsor: Health Research Inc./New York State Department of Health (HRI/NYYDOH) Community Cancer Prevention Project Funding: $1,000 Role: Lead Physician and organizer for the proposal and event (2021–2022)
- Abstract reviewer, Scientific Abstract, NYACP Regional Meeting; Abstract reviewer (2021–present)
- BMC primary care, BMC family practice, BMC health service research (2021–present)
- Mentor and supervisor, Internal Medicine and IM/PM residents, 4-5 residents per year, research rotation; Mentor and supervisor, (2021–present)
- IM/PM Combined Residency Program and Preventive Medicine Program (2020–present)
- Volunteer Faculty, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry (2020–present)
- Preceptor for third and fourth year Medical Students’ clinical rotation, Internal Medicine outpatient clinic, Kaleida Health, UB, NY (2020–present)
- Core faculty, designing and implementing longitudinal Quality Improvement Curriculum for residents, Department of Psychiatry, Monthly workshops, facilitating and mentoring QI projects, 7 participants every month (2020–2021)
- Quality and Patient Safety Committee; Chair, Quality and Patient Safety Committee, New York Chapter, ACP (2020–2022)
- Facilitator and poster judge for the 20th Annual Graduate Medical Education(GME) Scholarly Exchange at Spring Clinical Day; Member (2017–present)
- Facilitator and Judge for Department of Medicine Research Day; Member (2016–2017)
- British Medical Journal- Patient Safety and Quality Open Access; Peer-Reviewer (2016–present)
- Mentor, Generalist Scholar, Fourth Year Medical Student; Member (2013–2014)
- Search Committee, Division Chief of Geriatrics; Member (2012–2013)
- Mentor, Clinical Research, Internal Medicine Residents; Member (2011–2016)
- Search Committee, Division Chief of Nephrology; Member (2011–2012)