Justin B. Dimick, M.D., M.P.H. is the Frederick A. Coller Distinguished Professor of Surgery and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Michigan. Dr. Dimick’s scientific work focuses on performance measurement, policy evaluation, and quality improvement interventions for surgical populations. He is currently Principal Investigator on 3 R01s and a T32 training grant. Previously, he served as Chair of the Health Services Organization and Delivery (HSOD) NIH Study Section. Dr. Dimick has made numerous seminal contributions to quality measurement in surgery. This body of work resulted in an overhaul in the measurement strategy of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP), the leading quality assessment program in surgery. Moreover, Dr. Dimick’s approach to composite measures was endorsed by the National Quality Forum (NQF) and is used by the Leapfrog Group in their quality-reporting program. Dr. Dimick’s work, funded by his NIH R01, “Evaluating policies for improving surgical care in the elderly”, rigorously evaluates several Medicare policies aimed at improving care in surgical populations. This work will determine the effectiveness of 4 different policy options for improving quality and costs, including pay-for-performance, bundled payment, selective referral, and outcomes-feedback. Dr. Dimick’s most recent work uses innovative approaches to improve surgical technique and skill among practicing surgeons. In one project, funded by an NIH R01, “Coaching Intervention to Improve Technical Skill in Surgery”, he is implementing a statewide surgical coaching program in the Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative (MBSC). Another study, funded by an AHRQ R01, “Video analysis for ensuring safer diffusion of new techniques”, he is using operative videos from across the state of Michigan to isolate best technical practices for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. These projects are leading a wave of enthusiasm for studying what happens in the operating room, with the ultimate goal of making surgery safer.
