Seven Quality Improvement Projects Awarded Grant Funding

The grants of up to $3,000 each are awarded annually to promote a scholarly environment that encourages intellectual curiosity and promotes excellent patient care.

Grant recipients are:

Aishwarya Bhardwaj, MD, PGY-2 resident
Program: Internal medicine residency
Faculty mentor: Smita Y. Bakhai, MD, assistant professor
Project: “Guideline Directed Medical Therapy for Heart Failure Optimization in a Primary Care Setting”

CJ Cancino, MD, PGY-2 resident
Program: Internal medicine residency
Faculty mentor: Bakhai
Project: “Treatment and Screening for Albuminuria in Hypertensive Diabetics”

Milind R. Chaudhari, MBBS, PGY-4 resident
Program: Combined internal medicine-preventive medicine residency
Faculty mentor: Catherine P. O’Neill, MD, associate professor
Project: “Improving Diabetic Foot Screening at Buffalo General Medical Center Primary Care Clinic”

Makoto Nagahama, MD, PGY-1 resident
Program: Internal medicine residency
Faculty mentor: O’Neill
Project: “Improving Age Appropriate Screening for Colorectal Cancer at BGH Primary Care Center”

Tara Providence, MD, PGY-2 resident
Program: Internal medicine residency
Faculty mentor: Bakhai
Project: “Increase Diagnostic Spirometry in Clinical Diagnosis of COPD Patients”

Natdanai Punnanithinont, MD, MPH, PGY-4 resident
Program: Combined internal medicine-preventive medicine residency
Faculty mentor: Roberto O. Diaz Del Carpio, MD, assistant professor 
Project: “Improving Patient Access to Hertel Elmwood Internal Medicine Center by Addressing Phone Access Barriers”

Casey White, MD, PGY-1 resident
Program: Internal medicine residency
Faculty mentor: Pojchawan (Joy) Yampikulsakul, MD, assistant professor
Project: “Improving Outpatient Follow-Up with Primary Care Physicians after ED Visits at Hertel Elmwood Internal Medicine Center”