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June 18, 2024

HSR Researchers Receive Awards from the Society of General Internal Medicine

Congratulations to Joel Boggan, MD; Utibe Essien, MD; and Karen Goldstein, MD, who have received awards from the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM)!

Joel Boggan, MD

Joel Boggan, MD

Dr. Boggan, an HSR investigator with the Durham VA Medical Center, received SGIM’s Distinguished Professor of Hospital Medicine Best Oral Abstract Award for the Evidence Synthesis Program (ESP) abstract titled “Post-Discharge Patient Contact and Subsequent Emergency Department Presentations and Hospital Readmissions: A Systematic Review.” The literature review by Dr. Boggan and colleagues indicated that follow-up contacts delivered within seven days of hospital discharge likely have no impact on 30-day hospital readmissions, 30-day emergency department use, or patient satisfaction. Dr. Boggan’s work focuses on the care of hospitalized patients, quality improvement, patient safety, and medical education.

Utibe Essien, MD

Utibe Essien, MD

Dr. Essien, an HSR Career Development Awardee and an investigator with HSR’s Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy (CSHIIP), received SGIM’s Outstanding Junior Investigator of the Year Award for “early career achievements and [an] overall body of work that has made a national impact on generalist research.” His research examines racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities in the use of novel medications and technologies in the management of chronic and cardiovascular disease. In 2021, Dr. Essien coined the term “pharmacoequity” to describe the goal of ensuring that everyone—regardless of their race, ethnicity, or social class—has access to life-saving medicines.

Karen Goldstein, MD

Karen Goldstein, MD

Dr. Goldstein, an investigator with HSR’s Durham Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), received SGIM’s Distinguished Professor of Women’s Health Best Oral Abstract Award for the abstract titled “Examining the Impact of Virtual Care for Women on the Clinician-Patient Relationship: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis.” The study found that how and when virtual care is incorporated into women’s healthcare impacts the clinician-patient relationship and that purposeful use of virtual modalities by the healthcare system, clinic, and provider can improve access to and the experience of women’s healthcare. Dr. Goldstein’s work focuses on improving the health of women Veterans, particularly through cardiovascular risk reduction and virtual care.

SGIM presented the awards at its 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting, held in May. SGIM is a member-based international medical association of leading academic general internists dedicated to improving access to care for vulnerable populations, eliminating healthcare disparities, and enhancing medical education.


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