The Department of Medicine is thrilled and honored to announce the promotion of faculty member Nirvani Goolsarran, M.D., FACP, to Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Medicine, Geriatric and Hospital Medicine.
Dr. Goolsarran is a well-respected and valued faculty member in our department. She is an Academic Hospitalist and serves as the Associate Vice Chair for Quality, Patient Safety, and Compliance. She is also one of the Associate Program Directors of the Internal Medicine Residency. These clinical, educational and administrative roles have enabled her to focus on implementing process improvements and integrate patient safety/harm prevention into clinical practice.
Her research areas of interest include medical education, quality improvement and patient safety outcomes research. Dr. Goolsarran has developed a systematic approach to analyze medical errors and conduct mortality reviews. She has authored numerous quality improvement projects that resulted in improvement in early patient discharge, safer MRI screening, increase in event report rates and standardization of the physician hand-off. She is also the founder and chair of the Internal Medicine Residency Patient Safety Quality Council (PSQC). This peer-elected forum was formed so residents can discuss quality and safety issues that affect patient care in the Department of Medicine.
Dr. Goolsarran is graduate of the Society of Hospital Medicine Quality and Safety Educators Academy Patient Safety Training Program; and a Certified Master Trainer of the AHRQ TeamSTEPPS Patient Safety Training Program. As a certified six sigma lean blackbelt leader, she has served as a regional Quality Improvement mentor as part of Society of Hospital Medicine QI education initiative. Dr. Goolsarran also serves on the AAMC Integrating Quality Steering Committee and the AAMC Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Committee.
Dr. Goolsarran has won numerous teaching awards including the Attending Teacher of the Year and Inpatient Attending of the Year for five years consecutive years. She has also received the Faculty Mentorship award for her guidance and supervision of quality improvement projects. In March 2019, Dr. Goolsarran was inducted into the distinguished AOA Honor Medical Society. The prestigious AOA Honor Medical Society, founded in 1902, has elected more than 4,000 students, residents/fellows, faculty and alumni annually, and recognizes high medical achievement and a lasting commitment to professional excellence and leadership.
Dr. Goolsarran graduated from St. John’s University in Queens, NY, with a Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. Prior to enrolling into medical school, she worked as a pediatric and neurosurgery Physician Assistant at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Goolsarran received her medical education at Ross University in Dominica, West Indies; completed internal medicine residency training program at Stony Brook University Hospital, and was then appointed to serve as chief medical resident; and joined as faculty in the Department of Medicine in July 2014.
In July 2020, Dr. Goolsarran was awarded the Stony Brook University 2020-2021 Presidential Mini Grant for Departmental Initiative. Her grant was titled “Using a Virtual World Poverty Simulation to Introduce Social Determinants of Health and Cultural Competency." She plans to implement a collaborative interdisciplinary educational program focused on improving the health and well-being of the underserved population. As an immigrant physician from South America, diversity, equity and inclusion live at the center of her core values.
It is with a great sense of pride and enthusiasm that we make this important announcement. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Goolsarran on her outstanding contributions to her division, our department and our institution. We are honored to have her as a faculty member in the Department of Medicine.
