Featured Publications
These selected publications represent foundational contributions to the study of sociobehavioral comorbidity in surgery. Together, they define how social and behavioral risk is measured, demonstrate its independent association with surgical outcomes, and evaluate cost-effective strategies to mitigate complications.
Each reflects our commitment to rigorous methods, translational impact, and advancing equitable surgical care.
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Racial and Socioeconomic Differences Manifest in Process Measure Adherence for Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Pathway
This work examined whether standardized surgical care pathways reduce or exacerbate healthcare disparities. The results showed that ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) implementation maintained equitable short-term outcomes while uncovering differences in pathway adherence that may reflect barriers to shared decision-making and opportunities for quality improvement.
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Missed psychosocial risk factors during routine preoperative evaluations are associated with increased complications after elective cancer surgery
This study shows a high level of discordance between formal screening and routine clinician documentation in a preoperative setting for psychosocial risk factors. There is a significant association between missing these risk factors and worse postoperative outcomes.
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Psychosocial Risks are Independently Associated with Cancer Surgery Outcomes in Medically Comorbid Patients
We demonstrated a more than threefold odds of a complication in medically comorbid patients with multiple psychosocial risks. These findings support the use of psychosocial risks in preoperative assessment and consideration for inclusion in preoperative optimization efforts.
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Increased Healthcare Utilization for Medical Comorbidities Prior to Surgery Improves Postoperative Outcomes
We demonstrated an association between use of nonsurgical clinician visits by comorbid patients prior to surgery and a significantly lower rate of complications. These findings support the prospective study of preoperative optimization as a potential mechanism for improving postoperative outcomes.
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On All Accounts: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Limited Preoperative Optimization Efforts Before Colon Cancer Surgery
Focused preoperative optimization may reduce total costs of care while also reducing complications from colon cancer surgery.
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Research Perspective on “Social Determinants of Health in Diverticulitis: A Systematic Review”
Only with more granular data on structural health domains can we trial interventions (peer support, food, and housing) that investigate modifiability and the opportunity to correct existing disparities in outcomes.
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Patient-reported health-related social needs obtained at the bedside and outcomes after elective major surgery
Patients with at least 1 health-related social need had 1.8 times the odds of any 30-day complication than patients without health-related social needs. Patients with at least 1 health-related social need domain had more extended hospital stays and were less likely to be discharged to a permanent residence.
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Patient-Level Socioecological Comorbidities and Time to Initiation of Curative-Intent Treatment for Colorectal Cancer
Patients with high socioecological comorbidity were half as likely to have initiated colorectal cancer treatment compared to those with low comorbidity, particularly among patients referred from outside the health system. Area-level indices failed to capture these delays. These findings support perioperative screening at the individual level.
