Dr. Arora is an academic hospitalist who specializes in improving the learning environment for medical trainees and the quality, safety, and experience of care delivered to hospitalized adults. She is an internationally recognized expert on patient handoffs in healthcare and also has extensive expertise in using technology such as social media to improve the workplace learning in teaching hospitals on a variety of topics. Her educational videos on handoffs, supervision, professionalism and costs of care have been used by numerous educators around the country as well as garnered professional awards and been featured on NPR and by the New York Times.
As an accomplished researcher, she has been the Principal Investigator of numerous federal and foundation research grants. As the the Principal Investigator of an AHRQ funded study, she developed tools to evaluate handoff quality among hospitalists and residents. Through funding from the National Institutes on Aging and the American Sleep Medicine Foundation, she is investigating the effect of sleep loss on hospitalized patients, and developing novel interventions to optimize patient experience in hospitals through workplace learning and systems change. She is also the Principal Investigator of an NIH R01 entitled TEACH STRIVES (Spreading Teen-Research Inspired Videos to Engage Schoolmates) to evaluate the impact of a novel social media intervention to boost interest of minority youth into medical research careers.
Dr. Arora academic work has resulted in over 130 peer-reviewed publications and has been recognized with awards from the Society of Hospital Medicine, Society of General Internal Medicine, Association of Program Directors of Internal Medicine, and the Association of American Medical Colleges. She has also testified to Congress on the primary care crisis as well as to the Institute of Medicine on residency duty hours and handoffs. For her work, she was been recognized as ACP Hospitalist Magazine's Top Hospitalist in 2009, one of "20 People Who Make Healthcare Better" by HealthLeaders Magazine in 2011, and as a Master to the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators at the University of Chicago. She currently serves as the Assistant Dean for Scholarship & Discovery, enabling all incoming Pritzker students to participate in longitudinal mentored scholarly projects. As the Director of GME Clinical Learning Environment Innovation, she is working to ensure residents from all specialties are integrated into hospital quality initiatives.
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PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
2001-2004 House Physician, MacNeal Hospital, Oak Park, IL
2004-2006 Assistant Dean, Curricular Innovation, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago
2005-2013 Associate Program Director- Internal Medicine Residency, University of Chicago
2007-Present Assistant Director, Hospitalist Scholars Training Program, University of Chicago
2009-Present Assistant Dean Scholarship & Discovery, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago
2009-Present Co-Director, MERITS Medical Education Fellowship, University of Chicago
2013-Present GME Director of Clinical Learning Environment Innovation, University of Chicago Medicine
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American College of Physicians, 2001-Present
Chair, National Council of Associates, 2005-2006 (14-member Council representing 17,000 trainees in internal medicine residencies and fellowships)
Regent, Board of Regents, 2005-2006
Member, Strategic Planning Committee, 2005-2006
Ex-officio Member, Board of Governors, 2004-2005
Member, Health and Public Policy Committee, 2004-2005; 2009-present
President, Northern Illinois Council of Associates, 2003-2004
Member, Northern Illinois Policy Advisory Committee, 2004-2013
Society of Hospital Medicine, 2001-Present
Founder and Co-Chair, Early Career Hospitalists Section, 2004-2007
Co-Chair, Clinical Vignette Committee, 2002-2004
Member, Annual Planning Committee, 2004-2006
Reviewer, Research Abstract Committee, 2005-2011
Co-Chair, Hand-off Standards Task Force, 2006-2008
Co-Chair, Research Abstract Review Committee, 2007-2009
Member, Awards Committee, 2009-2011
Society of General Internal Medicine, 2003-Present
Reviewer, Workshop Committee for Research Methodologies, 2005
Reviewer, Hospital Medicine Research Abstracts, 2007
Chair, Special Symposia, Annual Planning Committee, 2007
Member, Ad Hoc Committee, 2009-Present
Co-Chair, Abstract Committee Society of General Internal Medicine Meeting, 2010-2011
Member, Communications Task Force 2013-present
American Geriatrics Society, 2003-Present
Association of Program Directors of Internal Medicine, 2004-Present
Survey Committee, 2009-Present (Chair in 2011-2014)
American Board of Internal Medicine
Task Force on Hospital-based Certification, 2006
Subcommittee on Hospital Medicine, 2007-2008
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FUNDED RESEARCH
Principal Investigator, NIH/NIGMS R01 GM107721
“TEACH STRIVES (Spreading Teen Research Inspired Videos to Engage Schoolmates)”
Dates: 9/1/2013-8/31/2017
To test the effectiveness of a social media based intervention using video vignettes made by teens to increase interest in clinical research careers among minority youth.
Principal Investigator, R25 HL116372-01A1, National Institute of Health
SIESTA (Sleep for Inpatients: Empowering Staff to Act)
Dates: 12/01/2013 - 11/30/2017
To develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate the SIESTA (Sleep for Inpatients: Empowering Staff to Act) program, a multicomponent educational intervention designed to prepare hospital staff to assist patients in obtaining better sleep in hospitals and recognize the importance of screening for sleep disorders.
Principal Investigator, American Sleep Medicine Foundation Educational Research Award
SIESTA: Sleep for Inpatients: Empowering Staff to Act
Dates: 7/1/2013- 7/1/2014
To develop educational modules for nurses and physicians designed to teach staff to optimize the hospital sleep environment as well as screen patients for sleep disorders
Principal Investigator, 1K23AG033763, National Institutes of Health, Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
“Environment and Perceived Control: Improving Sleep in Hospitalized Older Patients”
Dates: 12/01/09-11/01/14
To characterize and improve sleep and noise and its associated impact on health outcomes for hospitalized seniors
Co-director and primary author, 1T35AG029795, National Institute of Aging, Medical Student Short-Term Aging-related Research program (PI Meltzer) Dates: 5/08-5/12 (renewed 5/2013)