Our Scholars

Inaugural Visiting Scholar

Calum MacRae, MD, PhD

February 2020

Overview: Dr. MacRae is vice chair for scientific innovation in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and an expert member of BWH’s Cardiovascular Genetics Program. He is a cardiologist and geneticist whose clinical interests include investigating new phenotypes and how research findings—including genomics discoveries—can be systematically implemented into clinical care. Dr. MacRae presented to Hoag leaders, influencing a concept for a program meant to better manage patient care.

Impact: Building on Dr. MacRae’s concepts of care, Hoag Compass piloted the Atman Program, an AI-enabled platform focusing on leveraging remote patient monitoring data to titrate a patient’s medication. The pilot program was initiated and within the study group, approximately 50 percent achieved significant improvement in their hypertension measures. Hoag is currently evaluating how and when to scale this program based on plans with the product.

I have quite a few patients whom I have referred to the Atman Program for either new diagnosis of high blood pressure or blood pressure that was not optimally controlled. Not only are the patients getting more detailed and regular follow up for their blood pressure from the comfort and convenience of their home, that workload is taken off of my busy plate as a primary care provider so I can be more effective at other work.

– Anne Ray, MD, Family Medicine

Visiting Scholar

Ula Hwang, MD, MPH

May 2023

Overview: There was a unique opportunity this May to welcome Dr. Hwang to Hoag. She is a professor of emergency medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and an emergency physician and researcher interested in the quality of emergency care that older adults receive. She serves on the Board of Governors for the American College of Emergency Physicians’ Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation Program. Dr. Hwang is a principal investigator of the Geriatric ED Collaborative, a national program to educate, implement, and evaluate geriatric emergency care. Dr. Hwang’s projects have evaluated the impact on patient outcomes of geriatric ED interventions, improving emergency provider practices in medication prescribing for older adults, analgesic safety and effectiveness, and ED quality of care.

Impact: Emergency medicine physician Dr. Matthew Hunt is currently Hoag’s chief of staff. One of his goals is to explore the potential implementation of a geriatric emergency department at Hoag. Vulnerable older adults, especially those with conditions like dementia, often seek care in emergency departments and require specialized care. By bringing Dr. Hwang to Hoag, it introduced a pioneer and nationally recognized leader in this field to help conceptualize what a geriatric emergency department may look like. Dr. Hunt is spearheading this project and working toward identifying a physician champion to lead Hoag toward achieving geriatric emergency department accreditation through the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Thank You

As we continue building the Muzzy G2 Visiting Scholar Program, we have started a journey that enriches our team and brings the best techniques and concepts from around the country right here to Hoag. We are eternally grateful for your vision, and support for our mission to enhance care for those who entrust their health to Hoag.

hoaghospitalfoundation.org